10 Bite-Sized Takeaways From Broncos' 34-6 Over Vikings in Preseason Finale

The Denver Broncos finished off their preseason by blowing the Minnesota Vikings out of the water, 34-6.

It was a much better showing than the Broncos' previous game, but there are still some concerning takeaways as the team begins shaping its final 53-man roster.

Backup QB is a Mess

Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger aren’t enough at the quarterback position, even as backups. Familiarity will keep Stidham around, but he's had a terrible preseason, and Ehlinger wasn't much better, though he did finish strong, passing for 233 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception, against the Vikings.

This was a good game for Ehlinger, but it may have been too little too late.

Only Two QBs

This ties into the first takeaway, but Ehlinger doesn’t deserve a roster spot, and Denver shouldn’t cut another player to accommodate him. Let him go, and if another team wants him and he doesn’t re-sign to the practice squad, the Broncos should look for a different quarterback.

Ehlinger's performance in the finale was fine, outside of the interception and a few other instances of holding the ball too long, but his whole body of work this preseason wasn't strong enough to worry about possibly losing him.

RB Cody Schrader Deserves to Stick Around

The Broncos got to see Schrader work with the same unit and against the same unit of defense as Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin, and he looked a lot better than they did. Schrader has consistently outperformed Badie and McLaughlin, but seeing it happen on the same drive should eliminate a large part of the preseason discussion.

McLaughlin may have caught a touchdown pass, but so did Schrader. Schrader still had the better game overall.

TE Nate Adkins and FB Adam Prentice Work Well Together

There has been a call to release Prentice and roll with Adkins as a tight end/fullback hybrid, even though Denver gave up on Adkins becoming that late in the 2024 season. However, the preseason finale showed they work well together as blockers.

They also worked well off each other in the passing game. There is significant value in keeping both of these players on the roster, though it seems Prentice will start the season on the practice squad and be elevated and promoted at some point, as he was released on Saturday with that in mind.

WR Kolbe Katsis Justifies Darren Rizzi's Faith in Him

After the draft, it was reported that Rizzi, the Broncos' special teams coordinator, signed Katsis for his returner ability. Katsis showed why with a big 48-yard kick return against the Vikings.

Katsis has been the Broncos' best returner through the preseason, with Marvin Mims Jr. missing time.

DL Sai’vion Jones and CB Jahdae Barron Stood Out Negatively

There is still a lot of hope for these two 2025 draft picks, but they both struggled against the Vikings.

Denver is lucky that they weren’t attacked more, as Barron allowed consistent separation in coverage, which has been a consistent issue we've highlighted, while Jones remains a liability as a run defender on the defensive line.

Karene Reid is LB3

There are valid concerns over the Broncos' linebacker depth, but Reid shined throughout the preseason and did so again in the finale. He has clearly been ahead of the other depth linebackers, both on defense and on special teams, and should safely be the third guy on the roster.

CB Kris Abrams-Draine Belongs On the Boundary More So Than Barron

It wasn’t a perfect night for Abrams-Draine, but he was really good, and he has consistently done well on the boundary. In 2025, Abrams-Draine was inserted on the boundary over Barron, and that should remain the case for this season.

That's not only because of Barron's role as a nickel piece, but because Abrams-Draine has outplayed him.

OLB Que Robinson Has Serious Potential

The Broncos landed Robinson on the third day of the draft last year, but he looks like he could be a legitimate star in the NFL if he continues to develop at this rate.

His pass-rush quickness is tough to block, especially his get-off, and he has shown tremendous improvement as a run defender.

TE Justin Joly Isn't Ready

There was a lot of hype around Joly after Denver traded up to draft him in Round 5, but he didn't live up to it in the preseason. He caught a wide-open pass against the Vikings in what was obviously busted coverage, and romped for an 88-yard touchdown, which he badly needed to offeset his overall poor play this summer.

Joly's lack of progress has left some wondering whether he even deserves a roster spot, but he'll likely be kept, since Denver won’t want to risk losing him on waivers. If he makes it, it'll be more about investment than his play.

A touchdown on busted coverage doesn't change the rest of the messy game he had, including getting chewed out by Sean Payton on the sideline multiple times.

Denver Should Look Outside to Fill Some Practice Squad Spots

Look, teams love to fill out their practice squad with players they've had around throughout the offseason, but for the Broncos, the interior defensive line, interior offensive line, edge rusher, and maybe even cornerback should be filled from the outside.

Denver’s options at those positions didn’t really stand out enough this summer to stick with them. The waiver wire will offer a smorgasbord of options.

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