Good morning, Broncos Country. In a little less than a week, the Denver Broncos will officially begin their OTAs. It’s one of the most important parts of the offseason process before training camp begins. Moreover, a big opportunity for players vying for a roster spot to show what they bring to the table.
While most of Denver’s starting positions are set in stone, there should be a spirited competition on deck at a variety of position groups. Here are few things I’ll be watching closely in the next
phase of the Broncos’ offseason program.
Inside linebacker: A youthful competition for their backup spots
The Broncos resigned Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad to be their starting inside linebacking duo for the 2026 season. They also moved on from veteran Dre Greenlaw after one season. Jonah Elliss figures to get some snaps on the inside this season, though it seems unlikely it will be a long-term or full-time position switch for the upcoming season.
Karene Reid, Levelle Bailey, and Jordan Turner—all undrafted prospects from the past several years—will compete alongside new additions Taurean York and Red Murdock for the team’s backup spots. While the first three may have a one-up on York and Murdock with experience and knowledge of Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph’s system, the latter have a lot of collegiate production and standout traits to both make a push to make the final 53-man roster.
Over the course of the summer, this will be one of the most intense battles of the offseason. I’m intrigued to see who winds up standing out above the rest.
The outlook of the Broncos’ wide receiver corps
With the addition of Jaylen Waddle, the Broncos made a significant splash earlier this offseason. There’s no doubt that Waddle’s presence on the roster provides a significant upgrade their wide receiver corps His explosive playmaking ability will be a huge boost for the team’s aerial attack in ‘26 and certainly help improve their overall efficiency.
However, I’m most interested in what we will we and hear from Denver’s receiving corps outside of him and Courtland Sutton. Marvin Mims Jr. is entering his fourth season with the team and is in a contract year. Is he in store for a larger role this season? Only time will tell, but I’d like to see him more involved in the offensive plans—he produces when targeted plain and simple.
Troy Franklin is entering year three and Pat Bryant is now in his second year with the squad. There are only so many balls to go around in the Broncos’ passing attack, so I’ll be interested to see how the roles of the three aforementioned players end up panning out. We might not know the true evolution of this until training camp, but perhaps a small glimpse of what is in store down the road will transpire in the coming weeks.
An early look at the replacement plan for John Franklin-Myers
The Broncos brought back most every free agent this past season with one big exception—defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers. After several seasons of top-tier play in the Mile High City, Franklin-Myers earned a well-deserved and lucrative contract from the Tennessee Titans during free agency.
Thankfully, Denver has a trio of players to help offset his departure. Second-year player Sai’vion Jones is certainly in the mix, as well as former fourth-round draft selection Eyioma Uwazurike who is in a contract year. This past April, the Broncos drafted Texas A&M standout Tyler Onyedim to bolster their immediate and long-term outlook in their defensive trenches.
In my opinion, Denver will need at least two of them to step up in a big way this season to ensure their defense doesn’t experience a drop off. Franklin-Myers was one of the most underrated members of last year’s squad and his production and impact won’t be easy to replace. Hopefully, we will get to see some of Denver’s ‘replacement plan vision’ come into focus soon.
What about you, Broncos Country? What things are you looking at closely during OTAs? Sound off in the comments section and let me know.
As always, thank you for reading. Here is today’s slate of articles for Horse Tracks.
