Denver Broncos Stock Up, Stock Down: Week 4 loss to the 49ers

After having two thrilling comeback wins vs. the Jaguars and Rams at home, the Broncos headed west to take on the San Francisco 49ers, and things did not go as well. The offense once again started slow, but the Broncos’ defense played tough against a tough 49ers offense and kept the game close. However, after some calls and bounces went the 49ers’ way, they took a lead and never looked back.

The Broncos did start to mount a comeback, but unfortunately, a long George Kittle touchdown reception ended

any hopes of a comeback.

Stock up and stock down is a weekly series where I go through the Denver Broncos’ 53-man roster and tell which Broncos players’ stock is going up, down, or remains unchanged. After a tough loss to the 49ers, we are going to see some stocks trending the wrong way.

Quarterback

Bo Nix – Stock down: Was it all on Nix? Not really. There were some costly drops, no run game, play-caller questions, and, of course, penalties. However, Nix did not play great either. He routinely dumped it off, was off target at times, and led the Broncos offense to just 3 points through three quarters. They did score 11 points in the 4th quarter, but it was too little too late for them at that point.

The entire offense, play caller, quarterback, playmakers, and offensive line need to be better.

Jarrett Stidham – Unchanged: Broncos backup quarterback.

Sam Ehlinger – Unchanged: Broncos third-string quarterback.

Running Back

JK Dobbins – Stock down: He doesn’t seem right; his role seems reduced, and the production is not there. For what it is worth, he did get things going late on the Broncos’ lone touchdown drive, but overall, it was another disappointing effort by the Broncos veteran running back.

RJ Harvey – Stock up: The numbers will not blow you away, but he was used like the starter and produced like a starter. He only had 25 yards on the ground, but did have 68 yards receiving, which led the team. He ran tough, showed some speed, broke some tackles, and was the Broncos’ most consistent playmaker.

Tyler Badie – Stock up: Badie has been productive. He had yet another 20+ yard catch-and-run, had 2 carries for 7 yards, and scored the Broncos’ two-point conversion. His role remains as the third-down pass blocker, but he’s producing when called on and, honestly, deserves some more touches moving forward,

Adam Prentice – Unchanged: He played just 7 offensive snaps on Sunday while playing 62% of the special teams snaps.

Wide Receiver

Jaylen Waddle – Unchanged: Waddle did catch his first touchdown as a member of the Denver Broncos, but his usage remains puzzling. He had 5 receptions for 35 yards and only saw 6 total targets throughout the game. I assumed they would manufacture more touches for him, and we saw that a little bit this week, but still, not what I envisioned when they traded for him.

Courtland Sutton – Stock down: He didn’t get the start, only had 1 catch for 4 yards, and like Dobbins, just doesn’t look like himself out there. This is a wide receiver who has topped 1,000 yards and averaged 10 or so touchdowns in recent years, but we haven’t seen that player this year. He isn’t making the wow plays and isn’t thriving like I thought he would with the addition of Jaylen Waddle.

Pat Bryant – Stock down: This sucks. Bryant was going to be a stock-up player and someone who should be more involved moving forward. However, after making a big play, he suffered a knee injury and had to be carted off the field. Thankfully, it doesn’t sound like it will be season-ending, but still, he’s going to miss time.

Troy Franklin – Stock up: Franklin played 48% of the snaps on Sunday and figures to see a larger role with Bryant sidelined. The Broncos will need him to step up and make some plays moving forward.

Marvin Mims Jr. – Stock down: What a disastrous start to his contract year. He has been dealing with multiple injuries but finally returned to the field on Sunday, and it did not go well. Mims played 27% of the offensive snaps and had 1 catch for 10 yards. However, his fumble on a punt return is what flipped the momentum in the 49ers’ favor. I would argue that Mims was down, but the NFL disagreed and the 49ers would go on to score the go-ahead touchdown off that turnover and never look back.

Tight End

Adam Trautman – Unchanged: His role is what it is.

Evan Engram – Stock down: He played 67% of the offensive snaps and had 1 catch for 6 yards on 6 targets. He’s playing a lot, but the production is minimal.

Nate Adkins – Unchanged: He played 21% of the snaps on offense but did not see a target on offense.

Dallen Bentley – Unchanged: Was inactive.

Offensive Line

Garett Bolles – Unchanged: He’s a top LT in the league, but he did have some penalty issues on Sunday.

Ben Powers – Unchanged: I did not notice him specifically, but the 49ers were able to get some pressure up the middle (also not an OL expert).

Luke Wattenberg – Unchanged: Like with Powers, I did not notice him specifically, but he had some off-target snaps (again), and there was some pressure up the middle at times.

Quinn Meinerz – Stock up: He’s a dog in the run game and played well from what I saw.

Mike McGlinchey – Unchanged: He did get dinged up a little bit but played alright overall from my perspective.

Alex Palczewski – Unchanged: Played 1 offensive snap and 3 special teams snaps.

Matt Peart – Unchanged: Played just 3 special teams snaps.

Alex Forsyth – Unchanged: Played just 3 special teams snaps.

Kage Casey – Unchanged: Was inactive once again.

Defensive Line

Zach Allen – Stock up: Remains one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL and played well again on Sunday.

DJ Jones – Unchanged: I say this each week, but I never really notice him during the game, and the Broncos allowed 100+ yards rushing again.

Malcolm Roach – Unchanged: Roach had a PBU but overall did not do anything noteworthy throughout the game.

Eyioma Uwazurike: Unchanged: Played 65% of the snaps on defense and remains a valuable rotational player for the Broncos.

Jordan Jackson – Unchanged: Was active again and played 21% of the snaps, and remains ahead of Sai’vion Jones and rookie Tyler Onyedim.

Sai’vion Jones – Stock up slightly: I only say slightly because he was playing some edge-rusher for the Broncos since they were down Dondrea Tillman. He only played 20% of the snaps, but the usage was interesting.

Tyler Onyedim – Unchanged: Remains a weekly inactive.

Edge Rusher

Nik Bonitto – Stock down: The 49ers offensive line is the best in the NFL right now, but the Broncos pass rushers NEED to get to the quarterback. This defense is built around its pass rush, and it has currently taken a step back this season.

Jonah Elliss – Stock down: He was out-snapped by Que Robinson, and his impact on the field has not been there. He had a good summer, but the production has not been there, unfortunately.

Que Robinson – Stock up: While the Broncos’ pass rush failed to get to Brock Purdy, his usage increased, and he outsnapped Jonah Elliss, who has been playing more than him. He has flashed more on the field than Elliss in my opinion, and deserves more playing time.

Dondrea Tillman – Unchanged: Was inactive with a hamstring injury.

Linebacker

Alex Singleton – Stock up: This was a fairly good game for Alex Singleton. I do not recall him struggling in coverage, and he made some impact tackles in the run game. Overall, I thought this was his best all-around game, which probably isn’t saying much, but still. A solid effort by the Broncos’ leader on defense.

Justin Strnad – Unchanged: He didn’t really stand out to me, but he has been playing well overall.

Jordan Turner – Stock up: Forced a fumble on a kick return, but it bounced right back to the 49ers, which was the theme of the game. He did not play a defensive snap, but did see 69% of the special teams snaps.

Karene Reid – Unchanged: Reid played 65% of the special teams snaps.

Cornerback

Pat Surtain II – Stock down: Suffered a non-contact ankle injury that looked pretty bad. Thankfully, as of this writing, at least, he did not suffer a season-ending injury, but is expected to miss time. So, at least there’s some silver lining, but it’s a big loss for the Broncos’ defense regardless.

Riley Moss – Stock down: He left halfway through the game with a rib injury and never returned. This is the second rib injury he suffered this year, so we will have to wait and see how much time he will miss.

Ja’Quan McMillian – Stock up: With PS2 and Moss sidelined, McMillian is your CB1. He will be the best corner on the field for the Broncos and will need to prove why he deserves a big-money, long-term contract from the Broncos.

Jahdae Barron – Stock up: The concern over his snap counts is over. Due to injuries, Barron played 61% of the defensive snaps and, honestly, played well. He had a couple of nice plays in coverage and had some big hits on 49ers ball carriers. He is going to start moving forward and will have an opportunity to silence the whispers that he is a bust.

Kris Abrams-Draine – Stock up: I have always called him the best 5th cornerback in the NFL, and he has a chance to prove that with Surtain and Moss sidelined. He will likely start with McMillian and Barron and will need to play well. In limited playing time, KAD has stepped up and will have a chance to prove to the Broncos that he deserves more playing time moving forward.

Safety

Talanoa Hufange – Stock down: The Sunday Night hero vs. the Rams had some issues tackling on Sunday. Whiffed a couple of times on Deebo Samuel and allowed the Niners to pop off some big plays. The Broncos simply need to tackle better and more consistently.

Brandon Jones – Stock up: Speaking of consistency, Jones has been one of the more consistent players on the defensive side for the Broncos. He is a reliable tackler and seems to be always around the ball. He has made a strong case for an extension from the Broncos.

Devon Key – Unchanged: Played 2 defensive snaps, but did see 88% of the special teams snaps.

Tycen Anderson – Unchanged: Did not play a defensive snap, but also played 88% of the special teams snaps and appears to be a key member of their coverage units.

JL Skinner – Stock down: I am saying stock down because he played just 62% of the special teams snaps and appears to have fallen behind Anderson in that role.