Biggest Takeaway From Day 1 of Broncos Minicamp

Day 1 of Denver Broncos mandatory minicamp is in the books, and Bo Nix's return to the practice field was easily the biggest storyline, followed by the excused absence of embattled rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper.

It was great to see the Broncos' franchise quarterback out on the grass, even if he was still limited to individual drills. As for Cooper, we might not see him back at Broncos HQ until and unless his legal troubles get resolved in a favorable way. Time will tell.

There were quite a few interesting developments at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit on Tuesday, but the biggest takeaway is one that, frankly, few saw coming.

Matt Henningsen Pops

During the team drills, the fourth-year defensive lineman penetrated into the backfield and deflected a Sam Ehlinger pass. Henningsen then tracked the ball in the air and came down with it, returning it to the house.

The Broncos' defense went nuts for Henningsen after the play. It's great to see him making plays alongside Eyioma Uwazurike and Tyler Onyedim.

After practice, head coach Sean Payton shared his thoughts on Henningsen's big day.

“Well, you saw the reaction [to the deflected pass]," Payton said of Henningsen's pick. "He does a great job of seeing those screens or underneath throws. He’s doing really well."

Roster Math

NFL, American Football Herren, USA Regular Season Game: Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos Denver Broncos defensive end Matt Henningsen (91) returns to the field after halftime of the NFL regular season game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday Sept 10, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. | Max Siker / IMAGO / Newscom World

In each of my 53-man roster projections this summer — one before OTAs and one before minicamp — I had the Broncos keeping six defensive linemen, none of whom were Henningsen. The Broncos carried seven defensive linemen on the roster out of training camp last year, including the departed John Franklin-Myers and Jordan Jackson, who brought up the rear, so to speak.

Because of the numbers at other positions, I've limited the defensive line projections to six players, but Henningsen could force the Broncos to keep seven. The guys I had making it are Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Sai'vion Jones, Uwazurike, and Onyedim.

If the Broncos are of a mind to keep seven again, Henningsen might be the leader in the clubhouse, and not just because of the early momentum he has created. His teammates obviously hold him in high regard, which means the coaches likely do too.

"He’s exceptionally smart. He has great respect from his teammates," Payton said of Henningsen. "He knows the technique and the defense well. In a position that gets rotated and plays a lot, he’s going to be competing for one of those spots.”

Inconvenient Injury

During a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers last August, Henningsen suffered a torn Achilles tendon and was lost for the season. That's always a major bummer for any player, but especially for him because he was entering a contract year.

A 2022 sixth-round pick out of Wisconsin, Henningsen made the Broncos' 53-man roster in each of his first two seasons. That changed in 2024, though he was retained on the practice squad for the entire season, signing a futures contract in early 2025.

As a Bronco, Henningsen has 34 games under his belt, totaling 40 tackles (18 solo), two tackles for a loss, a sack, and two tipped passes. Considering his role as a depth player (zero career starts), that's solid production.

After getting waived in 2024 and getting that futures contract in January of 2025, Henningsen really needed a big season to preserve his NFL future. That Achilles injury was extremely ill-timed, but he rehabbed hard and the Broncos clearly weren't ready to give up on him.

This past March, Henningsen signed a one-year extension from the Broncos that'll pay him $1.145 million if he makes the roster. Suffice it to say, he's off to a great start.

The Takeaway

There will be a fierce competition for the sixth D-line spot on the 53-man roster, but if the Broncos are inclined to carry seven, that opens the window a bit wider for Henningsen. His biggest competition will be the aforementioned Jackson, along with Kristian Williams, from a pure D-line numbers perspective.

At 6-foot-3 and 291 pounds, Henningsen is more of a defensive end in Vance Joseph's 3-4 scheme, like Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers before him. However, those spots are often rotated depending on packages, down-and-distance situations, and personnel availability.

It's only one day of minicamp, and as Payton often opines, it's much harder to get a read on trench players without pads on in the relatively non-contact format of OTAs and minicamp. We'll get a much clearer bead on Henningsen's outlook when training camp rolls around, but for now, he's doing exactly what he must to stand out and make himself indispensible to Payton and Joseph.

It ain't over yet for the 26-year-old trenchman.

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