Draft

With a stacked roster and no first-round picks, the Broncos weren’t looking for immediate starters in the draft. The Broncos re-signed 17 of their own free agents and only signed one outside guy. The Broncos also traded for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and S Tycen Anderson was the only outside free agent the Broncos brought in. Payton is very confident in the roster that produced 14 wins. The draft provided some insurance and competition at key positions where the Broncos are poised to lose starters in 2027. When football season rolls around, Broncos Country will be thanking Paton and Payton for keeping this roster intact and preparing for the future in the draft. All of May was dedicated to the strength and conditioning phase of OTAs and rookie minicamp running May 8-10.

Quarterback: Bo Nix Nix will be a top 10 fantasy quarterback.

Running Back: JK Dobbins Primary Backups: Jonah Coleman, RJ Harvey Dobbins will be a top 5 fantasy running back. It will be tempting to use Coleman in the Harvey role if Harvey doesn’t perform well, but Coleman is slated to backup Dobbins and the Broncos won’t miss a beat when he does.

Wide Receiver: Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Primary Backups: Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr. Waddle and Sutton will each have 1000 yards receiving.

Tight End: "Y" Adam Trautman, "F" Evan Engram Dallen Bentley will press for playing time at "Y". Justin Joly will has some packages behind Engram.

Offensive Line: Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey. The Broncos have depth along the offensive line.

Transactions Extended GM George Paton (5 years). Waived veteran LB Garrett Nelson and OL Marques Cox. Signed WR Michael Woods II. Waived RB Deuce Vaughn.

Rookie Mini Camp Camp opened with Denver’s 7-player draft class, 13 College UDFAs, tryout players and eligible players from last year's team (including TE Caleb Lohner). Lohner has shown his development and is more physical. OL Kage Casey stood out for his technique. RB Jonah Coleman was in good shape and had learned everything Payton threw at him. LB Red Murdock (good communication) and S Scott Miles (understands routes) look the part. TEs Dallen Bentley and Justin Jolly played well in their assumed roles. UDFAs that looked good: WR Kolby Katsis ran crisp routes and show good instincts/skills on punt returns, turning heads; WR Cam Ross turned heads and had the catch of the day; ILB Taurean York worked well with and has complimentary skills the Murdock. Small school WR Tommy Thomas put himself on the radar for a camp invite; and, S Patrick Robinson likely earned a camp invite. LB/S Dasan McCullough is versatile and a freak.

QB Bo Nix should be ready for mandatory minicamp which follows the OTAs which start June 2nd.

2026 Schedule

The first six games are a gauntlet. If you consider the Chiefs a playoff team—which, had Patrick Mahomes not torn his ACL, may have been possible last year—the Broncos would have been the first team in league history to begin the season with six games against playoff teams from the year before. At least, they face only one team coming off a bye. The Broncos face 8 tough opponent and 6 weak opponents. The Broncos have never won a Super Bowl without first losing back-to-back December games, but that could change this year. Of more concern, is that Sean Payton coached teams are 11-22 in the first three weeks of the season before getting into win mode. Broncos Country needs to bear with the Broncos even if they start slow. This team is better than last years even if their record is worse. The o/u is 9.5, but this is a 12-13 win team despite the schedule. IMO, Denver sweeps KC and Las Vegas and splits home and home with the Chargers and wins the AFC West, setting themselves up for a Super Bowl run/win.

Pre-Season

Week 1: at Atlanta, Aug. 14 5PM MDT
Week 2: vs. Green Bay Aug 21 7PM MDT
Week 3: vs. Minnesota Aug 28 7PM MDT

OC Davis Webb will put an emphasis on the players breaking the huddle quick and getting to the line of scrimmage. He has tightened up a lot of the play-calls and formations to be less wordy. This will give QB Bo Nix more time to survey the opposing defense, make his checks and help his efficiency. HC Sean Payton has traditionally run a variant of the West Coast Offense, and that won’t change with Webb as the coordinator. However, within Payton's scheme, the Broncos will be more of an up-tempo, spread-them-out offense that can attack soft spots in the zone and create spacing issues for the defense. Denver has improved weapons to capitalize on an up-tempo, spread offense. WR Jaylen Waddle should make a huge difference, and TE Evan Engram and under-utilized WR Marvin Mims Jr. should have more reliable roles with Webb. Webb is relatable, which goes a long way toward bonding with his players and establishing trust. Webb-coached rooms, are less formal. He likes to take time to find out what everyone's been doing and to schmooze. QB Bo Nix throws on the run better than most quarterbacks so, that's going to be part of Denver’s offense. However, the more Nix grows as a pocket passer, the better the Broncos' offense will be in the long run. Webb will likely move forward with baby steps when Nix first steps back onto the practice field. Nix will be on the field in June, and be a full-go in July/training camp. Nix has been through the bounce-back process before with his ankle, so he'll know how to manage his recovery, under the watchful eye of the Broncos' training staff. The Broncos are determined to get him back up to speed, and they still have plenty of time to do it. Denver isn’t panicking in the least, even though there is a degree of change going on within the offense.

The Broncos are a Super Bowl team with a championship schedule. I expect the team to be better –less Dropped Passes, More Explosive Plays, Higher Run Game Efficiency, and Less Turnovers—but probably a worse record. I expect QB Bo Nix to improve in the pocket and have a breakout season-potentially a top 5 fantasy quarterback. I expect RB JK Dobbins to lead the team in rushing, RB JR Harvey to lead the team in yards from scrimmage and RB Jonah Coleman to stand out as the third down back and push for more snaps. I expect WRs Jalen Waddle and Courtland Sutton to each have a 1,000-yard receiving season. I expect WR Marvin Mims and TE Evan Engram to be used more and WRs Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant to continue to contribute in their roles. I believe UDFA ILB Taurean York will make the 53-man roster. Watch UDFA WR Kolbe Katsis, STC Darren Rizzi loves him, as he could join Mims on kick-off returns and take over punt returns. Other UDFAs to watch: Tyler Miller OT, Iowa State; Dasan McCullough OLB, Nebraska; Gavin Ortega OL, Weber State; and, WR Joseph Manjack, TCU.

End.