Do the Denver Broncos have actual playoff potential?

With the doom and gloom surrounding the Denver Broncos’ past five seasons, the question of reaching the playoffs has almost been disingenuous.

The Broncos haven’t had a winning season in four years, the first time since 1963-1972. Their five straight years of missing the playoffs matches the league’s third-longest active postseason drought.

But is there some glimmer of hope for this upcoming season?

NFL’s Gregg Rosenthal believes the Broncos actually have playoff potential, if the quarterback situation is stable.

“The Broncos’ defense is loaded, and there are enough offensive playmakers to make Denver fun to watch if Drew Lock can shoot straight,” Rosenthal wrote.

Denver’s roster looks promising on paper, but is the quarterback position the only missing piece to a playoff run?

The Broncos have prioritized their defense during the offseason, bringing back Justin Simmons, Von Miller and Kareem Jackson. They also added Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby to an already stacked defense.

The quarterback situation seems to be the biggest flaw the Broncos must correct.

“I’d love to see the Broncos add Teddy Bridgewater on the cheap because this team only needs replacement-level quarterback play to have a winning record,” Rosenthal wrote.

So maybe Denver is closer to the playoffs than many others think.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said earlier this week that the AFC West will be the most competitive division in the NFL.

“The Broncos have been the sleepy team in that division, but the big question there is just going to be the quarterback,” Pelissero said. “They think they have something with Drew Lock.”

Is it unrealistic to think each team could be competitive in the AFC West playoff picture?

The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off the worst two months since the start of the Patrick Mahomes era and have given a sliver of hope to the rest of the NFL.

Maybe it isn’t out of the question to think the Bronco could jump on this opportunity.