Every Broncos Rookie Who Made the Initial 53-Man Roster

The Denver Broncos' initial 53-man roster is set, though it could stay in a slight state of flux for some time yet.

For only the second time in the past 23 years, an undrafted rookie did not make the Broncos' 53-man roster out of training camp. What's more is that Denver also cut three of its seven rookie draft picks.

This was always going to be an exceedingly tough roster to crack, and this weekend's events coldly illustrated that. Still, four rookies did make the 53-man roster, and a handful were re-signed to the practice squad.

Let's break it down.

Tyler Onyedim | DL | Round 3

The first pick of the Broncos' draft class made the cut after a strong summer. Onyedim showcased his run-defending chops in camp and the preseason, and his penchant for penetrating into the backfield to disrupt opponents.

That's why Onyedim left Iowa State for Texas A&M for his senior season: he wanted to play in a scheme that allowed its defensive linemen to attack, which is how he really popped on Denver's radar. The Broncos said they also liked his tape as two-gapper at Iowa State, but his time as an Aggie painted the true picture of what he could be in the NFL.

Onyedim outplayed Sai'vion Jones this summer. The Broncos kept seven defensive linemen, but they'll rarely dress that many on game day. Expect Onyedim to dress far more often than Jones.

Jonah Coleman | RB | Round 4

Coleman showcased everything this summer that made Denver covet him in the draft. He's an excellent runner with great vision, twitch, burst, and power, but he's also shockingly well-rounded for his age.

Coleman offers pass-protecting upside on third down and can catch the ball out of the backfield. After two preseason games, the Broncos had seen enough. He didn't dress for the finale.

Coleman will open up the season as the third running back on the depth chart behind J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. The rookie is going to see the field as the Broncos' coaches work to figure out how to involve three running backs in the offense.

Best of all, the Broncos have some insurance against the possibility of Dobbins getting hurt again. Harvey is part of that, sure, but Coleman is back who can carry the first and second-down load. Heck, he's already a three-down back.

Kage Casey | OL | Round 4

Denver Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin (38) celebrates after a carry with Kage Casey in the background. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Casey punctuated his rookie summer with some strong performances in the preseason. Playing left and right guard, he showcased his strength and football acumen, giving us a preview of a future Broncos starter.

Casey faced some fierce competition this summer and the numbers crunch ahead of the cutdowns is always fraught with peril, but he was a no-brainer lock for the 53-man roster. He'll serve as interior depth as a rookie.

Next year, though, Casey is the leader in the clubhouse to succeed Ben Powers as the starting left guard.

Dallen Bentley | TE | Round 7

Dallen Bentley and Adam Trautman — Denver Broncos tight end Adam Trautman (82) and tight end Dallen Bentley (89) during training camp at Broncos Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It wasn't a surprise that a rookie tight end made the 53-man roster; the fact that it was Bentley certainly shocked some people. He beat out Justin Joly for the fourth and final tight end spot on the roster, despite his draft stock being two rounds lower.

Joly was waived in hopes of getting him back on the practice squad. Alas, the Miami Dolphins claimed him off waivers, so the Broncos' fifth-round pick went up in smoke.

Bentley was the second-to-last player selected in the draft — otherwise known as the 'Mr. Irrelevant' runner-up — but despite a quiet summer, he impressed the coaches enough to earn a spot on the roster. Bentley didn't just vanquish Joly, he also knocked veteran tight end Lucas Krull off the roster.

I wouldn't expect to see much of Bentley as a rookie, but if the Broncos get into an injury bind, they'll have no choice but to throw their young tight end into the fray. He's already a decent route-runner and receiver, but he'll need to continue honing his blocking chops in order to hang with the big boys.

Practice Squad Rookies

Red Murdock eyes Jack Strand. — Red Murdock eyes Jack Strand before the snap. | David J. Griffin / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Kolbe Katsis | WR
Dane Key | WR
Gavin Ortega | OL
Tyler Miller | OL
Red Murdock | LB
Brent Austin | CB
Miles Scott | S
Luke Basso | LS

You'll notice two 2026 draft picks on this list: Murdock and Scott. Murdock lost out in the roster sweepstakes to the veteran Jordan Turner over special teams acumen.

While the Broncos gambled by waiving Murdock, he went unclaimed on waivers and was re-signed to the practice squad, keeping him in the fold. In that sense, the Broncos get to have their cake and eat it, too, with Turner on the active roster contributing on special teams and Murdock still with the team, where he can develop and ripen on the vine.

Murdock was the actual Mr. Irrelevant this year, and he had an impressive summer as a Broncos rookie, leading the team in preseason tackles and forcing a fumble in the finale. He's got the potential to offer Denver a long-term option at linebacker, which is something the team has been very short on of late.

Scott was the first of three seventh-round selections the Broncos made in the draft this year, but he had a bit of a slow summer, though he finished strong in the preseason finale. He's still relatively new to the safety position, so he could use the time to develop on the practice squad with an eye on making the 53-man roster in Year 2.

Every other rookie on the practice squad went undrafted this year. Of all of them, Katsis came the closest to actually making the 53-man roster after his impressive preseason returning kicks and punts. He'll likely see some action this year as a game-day elevation.

I was a bit surprise to see Key retained, the younger brother of Broncos All-Pro special teams ace Devon Key. However, Dane showed a lot of grit as a rookie, and the Broncos obviously see something in him worth developing.

Oretga and Miller impressed the Broncos in camp, but both are raw and in need of further development. NFL coaching will serve them well, and who knows? They could always be called up as game-day elevations if the need arises.

I was happy to see Austin get re-signed to the practice squad. Undrafted out of Cal, he distinguished himself in camp among a deep cornerback depth chart, and showed his feisty, sticky coverage in the preseason. There's something to work with there.

The Broncos actually kept two long snappers on the practice squad, although the team claims it plans to elevate the veteran, Mitchell Fraboni, for the first few weeks. After he maxes out his elevations, the plan is to promote Fraboni to the practice squad, so the team claims.

I'm not so sure, though, because why is Basso still with the team? The Broncos could be looking to give themselves six weeks of game-day elevation flexibility, by swapping them back and forth until Fraboni finally maxes out. If I were Fraboni, I'd be more than a little uncomfortable with my current situation.

Basso wasn't exactly impressive this summer, but special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi likes him. Basso had a bad long snap in the preseason opener that led to a botched field-goal attempt. If he's elevated for any regular-season games, can Basson be trusted? I'm not so sure, but I guess we're "fixin' to find out," as former head coach Gary Kubiak might say.

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