Every Starting Job Up for Grabs at Broncos Training Camp

The Denver Broncos' veterans reported for training camp on Tuesday, heralding the true beginning of the 2026 season. The Broncos will hold their first camp practice on Wednesday, while the first session open to the fans will come on Friday, July 31.

The Broncos have a deep and talented roster — one of the best in the NFL. There are few roster holes to point to, and the Broncos' depth is enviable.

When it comes to starting jobs, though, how many are actually up for grabs as training camp gets underway? That's the purpose of today's article, and there's really only one glaring opening, though a couple of other spots in the lineup could get interesting this summer.

Keep in mind, there's competition for every starting position. However, for a team as stacked as Denver is, it's more about the incumbent starters justifying their jobs than it is about them openly competing to retain them.

With that said, let's get into the Broncos' open starting jobs.

Defensive End

Denver Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The departure of John Franklin-Myers in free agency created the only obvious vacancy in the starting lineup. The Broncos have the All-Pro Zach Allen at one defensive end spot, but the other one will be hotly contested this summer in camp.

The candidates:

Malcolm Roach
Eyioma Uwazurike
Sai’vion Jones
Tyler Onyedim
Jordan Jackson
Matt Henningsen

Based on what defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said during mandatory minicamp, it would seem the Broncos are planning to fill JFM's starting spot with multiple players — namely, Roach and Uwazurike. The Broncos just extended Roach during last season, so they probably had JFM's departure in mind when they made that deal, even though Roach has mostly been the backup to D.J. Jones at nose tackle.

"Losing JFM means we have multiple guys who have to fill those roles, and maybe those roles look a little different," Joseph said back in June. "Maybe Malcolm handles more of the early-down run-stopping work and someone like Eyioma Uwazurike takes over more of the pass-rush responsibilities. We have options there. We've drafted this position specifically to replace veteran players who eventually move on, and Malcolm is one of those guys."

A combination of Roach on rushing downs and Uwazurike on passing downs will likely be Joseph's first approach. However, training camp could go a long way toward either confirming that, or rethinking it.

Sai'vion Jones was a third-round pick last year, and he mostly red-shirted as a rookie healthy scratch. He's going to have to show that he can hold up at the point of attack in the run game, but the Broncos already know he can rush the passer from the inside.

Onyedim was this year's third-round pick, and he was one of the best run-defending defensive linemen in the 2026 class. But he's a rookie, and defensive linemen can take up to two or three years to turn the corner in the NFL and really develop into starting-caliber players.

That's a big reason why Joseph is already thinking Roach and Uwazurike, because Jones may need more time to ripen on the vine, and Onyedim certainly will, though the rookie looked good during OTAs. It will be interesting to see if Jones or Onyedim can make a push to unseat Roach or Uwazurike.

Boundary Cornerback

Jahdae Barron. — Denver Broncos cornerback Jahdae Barron during a game between the Denver Broncos and the Tennessee Titans. | Kevin Langley / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

This isn't so much a starting job that is open, but rather a situation where the Broncos have a recent first-rounder waiting in the wings. The Broncos selected Jahdae Barron at No. 20 overall last year, and while he had a depth role as a rookie, he wasn't as involved as perhaps the team would have liked its first-rounder to be.

However, there's a reason why Barron was relegated to a depth role and his name is Riley Moss. Moss took the Barron selection as a shot across the bow, and really upped his game in Year 3.

When Patrick Surtain II went down with a pectoral injury late in the season, Moss rotated over to the No. 1 boundary cornerback spot, with Barron stepping into the No. 2 spot, and the Broncos' secondary rolled on without a hiccup. Moss has had his issues with penalties, but he's one of the NFL's best No. 2 cornerbacks.

So, that starting job belongs to Moss — but an inspired summer campaign by Barron could shake things up. If Barron were to bridge the gap separating him and Moss, the Broncos could consider making a change to the starting lineup, but I would only expect that to happen if the team also opted to trade Moss.

A big part of this picture is Moss's contract status, and the fact that this is the final year of his rookie deal. He was a third-rounder in 2023, and he's been an entrenched starter for the past two seasons, so if the Broncos don't re-sign him between now and next March, they'll stand to get a compensatory draft pick if he departs elsewhere.

So, the only way Moss gets traded before the deadline is if Barron leaves no doubt that he's ready to start and the Broncos get an offer for Moss that eclipses what they'd expect to get from the comp pick. Even then, it would really have to be an offer the Broncos couldn't refuse, because they're facing a who's-who list of top-tier quarterbacks this season, and they learned last year how precious cornerback depth can be down the stretch.

There's also the possibility of Barron pushing Ja'Quan McMillian at the nickel corner spot, but that's far less likely to be something the Broncos will countenance. McMillian is a ferocious nickel and a more than capable cover corner, but what separates him from the pack is his nose for the ball.

The Broncos are pushing to force more turnovers this season, and McMillian is their best secondary player at taking the ball away, plain and simple.

With both Moss and McMillian playing on expiring contracts, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Broncos extend one of them, maybe even both, before the season starts. If that's the case, say goodbye to the possibility of Barron dethroning either in the starting lineup — this year, anyway.

Long-Snapper

Denver Broncos long snapper Mitchell Fraboni (48) warms up against the Kansas City Chiefs. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

It's a stretch to call the long-snapper a starter, as it's more of a specialist role, but there's usually only one such player on a given roster in the regular season. And this time around, the Broncos are giving incumbent long-snapper Mitchell Fraboni a run for his money with the undrafted rookie Luke Basso.

Fraboni has been reliable, so I'm not sure why the Broncos are even considering replacing him, but it could have something to do with money. The Broncos gave him a three-year, $4.175 million extension in March of last year, making him the highest-paid long-snapper in the NFL.

Fraboni hasn't been remiss in his duties as the long-snapper, but the Broncos may want to see if they can get a little cheaper at this spot. Basso was hand-selected by Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, so it will be interesting to see if the undrafted rookie can vanquish the incumbent Fraboni this summer.

Last Word

If any further starting jobs are kicked loose this summer, we'll update this article. Beyond what I've listed today, I don't see it, though the injury bug always has the potential to shake things up (knock on wood.)

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