Our Denver Broncos will finally take the practice field next week for the first time since their disappointing AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots.
This will be our first look at quarterback Bo Nix since he suffered a broken ankle in the Broncos’ thrilling Divisional Round overtime victory over the Bills and underwent surgery and a follow-up cleanup procedure. He isn’t expected to be a full participant, but we could see him out there in some capacity. This will also be the first time that
we see wide receiver Jaylen Waddle practice as a member of the Broncos. The team acquired the explosive wide receiver in a blockbuster trade during the winter, and he is going to be a big part of this offense moving forward.
We are going to see several intriguing roster battles kick off as well. Some notable ones will be the WR3 battle and Jahdae Barron vs. Riley Moss/McMillian at corner. It will be intriguing to see how that all shakes out. Finally, it will be our first look at the crop of rookies the Broncos selected during the 2026 NFL Draft. Tyler Onyedim, Jonah Coleman, Kage Casey, Justin Joly and the rest of the Broncos draft class will be taking part in their first true NFL practice of their careers.
With the excitement building, I decided it could be a good time for a very early 53-man roster projection. We have a long way to go, but here is how I currently think the Denver Broncos 53-man roster will look come week one.
Quarterback(2)
Made the team: Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham
With Bo expected to be 100% well before the start of training camp, I believe the Broncos will carry two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. Veteran Jarrett Stidham has been the backup, is getting paid backup money, and is trusted by head coach Sean Payton, so I believe he will be the guy once again. Sure, the AFC Championship Game sucked, but I think Stiddy will be QB2 once again this season.
I would anticipate Ehlinger landing on the practice squad again. The team loves him, he loves being a Bronco, and I don’t see them breaking up that quarterback room. Could Ehlinger push Stiddy for that QB2 job? That’s possible, but we’ll see how it plays out moving forward
Running Back(4)
Made the team: JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman and Adam Prentice (FB)
I see the Broncos keeping three backs on their 53-man roster, with Tyler Badie landing on the practice squad.
Dobbins is your starter, Harvey is your pass catching/speed guy, while Coleman will factor in on short-yardage and goal-line plays. On paper, it’s a solid room and one we could see the Broncos lean on more this upcoming season. How the touches and carries get spread out remains to be seen, but I believe this will be the Broncos running back room heading into Week 1.
Veteran fullback Adam Prentice also makes the team. There’s the possibility they have him on the practice squad early on to open up a roster spot for someone else, but that’s TBD right now.
I have Badie on the practice squad simply because he is a trusted pass blocker on 3rd downs.
Wide Receiver(5)
Made the team: Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Pat Bryant
No real surprises here. These are the five locked into roster spots in my opinion, and I don’t see the Broncos trading anyone at this point. The question will be, who gets the WR3 job behind Waddle and Sutton? Franklin, Mims, and Bryant have all flashed potential and made some big plays, so it’ll be an interesting battle to watch throughout the summer.
Tight End(5)
Made the team: Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Justin Joly, Caleb Lohner, and Dallen Bentley
Engram and Trautman are locked into their roles as main receiving and blocking tight ends, while Justin Joly is all but locked into a roster spot. The real question here is, who gets the final spot?
Nate Adkins has been that guy, but re-signed on a vet minimum deal and has some competition for that spot. Rookie Dallen Bentley was a late 7th-rounder, so he’s far from locked in, but a strong camp/preseason could change that. Lucas Krull has had opportunities in the past and is likely getting his last this year, but I would be surprised if he made the team.
I decided to start the hype train early and put Caleb Lohner on the 53-man roster. I think/hope the hype will continue throughout the offseason and into training camp, and he will make it difficult for the Broncos to keep him off the roster. I also have the Broncos keeping rookie Dallen Bentley and a total of 5 tight ends on the roster. It’s trending towards a tight end-heavy league; I could see the Broncos following that trend.
Offensive Line (9)
Made the team: Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Kage Casey, Alex Palczewski, Alex Forsyth, and Frank Crum
Bolles, Powers, Wattenberg, Meinerz, and McGlinchey are penciled in as your starters for another year, but the depth behind them is where things get interesting. Alex Palczewski signed an extension and will be the versatile tackle/guard, while rookie Kage Casey will be another tackle/guard player. Crum will make the team as additional OT depth, and Forsyth will be the backup center.
Defensive Line(6)
Made the team: Zach Allen, DJ Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Sai’vion Jones, and Tyler Onyedim
Honestly, nothing too shocking here. I don’t see any surprise pushes for a roster spot, and frankly, these six are likely locked into roster spots. The question will be their roles and which players step up and help replace the role John Franklin-Myers held the past few seasons.
Edge Rusher(5)
Made the team: Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, and Dondrea Tillman
Again, no real surprises here. Bonitto and Cooper are your starters with Elliss, Robinson, and Tillman as the backups. I still have Jonah listed here since his exact role at LB is TBD, and it seems like he’ll still factor in at edge rusher this season.
Can Drew Sanders make the team? It’s possible, especially if he has a role on special teams, but right now, I need him to prove it before I can list him here.
Linebacker(4)
Made the team: Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock, and Taurean York
Singleton and Strnad are your veteran starters, but behind them will be two overlooked rookies. Mr. Irrelevant Red Murdock will be a run-stopping/fumble forcing special teams ace, while York is undersized but has starting talent/instincts. With Elliss mixing in as a pressure player, I think the Broncos will be happy with this linebacker room.
With that said, I could see a veteran added here to compete with the rookies and give them some veteran depth/insurance.
Cornerback(5)
Made the team: Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron, and Kris Abrams-Draine
Once again, no real surprises here.
PS2 is the best corner in the league; Moss and McMillian are multi-year starters; 2025 1st-round pick Jahdae Barron will be pushing for snaps, and Kris Abrams-Draine might be the best 5th cornerback in the NFL. I don’t see anyone else making the team, and all eyes will be on Barron’s development and how he performs in year two.
Safety(5)
Made the team: Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, Tycen Anderson, and Miles Scott
This is probably the toughest room to figure out. Hufanga and Jones are the starters, and Devon Key is your All-Pro special teamer. After that, it’s pretty up in the air.
In this scenario, I have the Broncos keeping special teams ace Tycen Anderson. He was the heart and soul of the Bengals special teams, and I believe he will be a key member of the Broncos special teams unit. Rookie Miles Scott also makes the team due to his upside/potential.
I am leaving off JL Skinner, who is firmly on the roster bubble. Can he make it? Sure, but he needs a breakout showing this summer if he does want to make it.
Special Teams (3)
Made the team: Will Lutz, Jeremy Crawshaw, and Mitchell Fraboni
Lutz and Crawshaw will be the Broncos kicker and punter once again, but we have a long snapper competition brewing. UDFA rookie Luke Basso will be competing with veteran Mitchell Fraboni for that job, and for now, I’ll lean on the side of experience.
