After going 14-3 and reaching the AFC Championship game last season, the Denver Broncos are considered a Super Bowl contender going into the 2026 campaign.
The Ringer's Diante Lee published his updated NFL power rankings on Monday, and he has the Broncos ranked third, only trailing the NFC's Los Angeles Rams (this year's Super Bowl favorite) and Seattle Seahawks (the defending Super Bowl champion).
"The Broncos have all the pieces they’ll need to win their division and be an AFC front-runner again, and that was already the case before they traded for receiver Jaylen Waddle," Lee wrote for The Ringer. "Now this team is entering the season with arguably a top-three defense, a top-five offensive line, and a top-10 receiving corps led by Waddle and Courtland
Sutton.
Lee is not alone in his assessment of the league's top three clubs. Bleacher Report's NFL experts also published their updated power rankings on Monday with the same order: L.A., Seattle, Denver.
"Most of our panelists agree that Denver is a top-three team to open the season, which seems fitting for a club coming off an AFC Championship appearance," Maurice Moton wrote for B/R.
The Broncos are finally getting respect from the national media. Now it's up to them to back it up. Denver's set to open the season against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 1 (on Sept. 14).
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos are 3rd overall (and AFC's top team) in NFL power rankings
