The Denver Broncos bounced back from a bad loss in Week 2 of the preseason, getting back to their winning ways in a 34-6 beatdown against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night. The game featured a two-touchdown performance from quarterback Sam Ehlinger, and a wide-open touchdown catch from rookie tight end Justin Joly.
Broncos Wire now takes a look back at five of the best and worst performances from the entire preseason from Week 1 to Week 3 for the Broncos, who now face their 53-man cutdown deadline by Sunday at 4:00 pm MST.
Riser: QB Jarrett Stidham
Despite being embroiled in a training camp battle for the backup position, Stidham weathered the storm through the three contests and did enough to prove his worth as a backup. His performance was not without its issues,
but it seems inevitable for Stidham to make the team at this point.
Faller: RB Tyler Badie
Badie already had an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, and his performance wasn’t memorable across the preseason. At this point, it feels like it will be between Jaleel McLaughlin or Badie. And both are on the roster bubble at this point.
Riser: WR/KR Kolbe Katsis
Katsis has been an electric returner for the Broncos throughout the preseason. Wide receiver Marvin Mims has been seen more on offense, and after a quick injury scare in the first quarter of the final preseason game, Katsis could possibly see more action as a returner, while Mims sees more action as a receiver. His electric play on the field is just too good a weapon to pass up. If he's cut, Katsis will likely find a contributing role somewhere else.
Faller: TE Caleb Lohner
Lohner has been unavailable on camp until recently due to an injury. The second-year tight end hasn’t been able to get on the field, which is not good for his already shaky stock. It feels unlikely that Lohner will make the Broncos' roster in 2026.
Riser: Red Murdock
The rookie from Buffalo has certainly made his presence known, wearing the green dot on defense. He’s gone from being "Mr. Irrelevant" to making a charge for a real shot at seeing real playing time in 2026. Murdock even forced a fumble on the final Vikings drive of the game, a move he was well-known for in college. Murdock has definitely shown why he was selected in the seventh round of the draft.
The Broncos now face the difficult task of going from 91 players on their roster to 53 in a span of less than 48 hours. We will have all the updates and news right here on Broncos Wire.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos stock watch: Risers and fallers from Broncos preseason
