Five Young Broncos Facing a Make-or-Break Training Camp

The Denver Broncos' success over the past two years has been fueled, in part, by a youth movement. This team has many key players under 27 years old, several of whom have been decorated with accolades.

There's always room for more impact from the Broncos' youth. Training camp kicks off on July 28, and the competition for starting jobs, key roles, and roster spots will catch fire.

As the roster battles take shape, five young, high-potential players will have the chance to step up and seize a bigger role. Let's break them down.

Jahdae Barron | CB

The Broncos 2025 first-round pick played 30% of the defensive snaps as a rookie. Barron saw more snaps when Patrick Surtain II missed time with an injury, but his defensive contributions were limited.

Some of this goes back to Vance Joseph's hesitancy to give rookie defenders many snaps, but in Barron's case, while he showed potential, he was a cornerback who needed more work to become a starter.

The Broncos have Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian set to become free agents in 2027, and it's unlikely that both will be extended. Therefore, the Broncos need Barron to step up his play and contributions this season.

Barron needs to see his snaps increase, not because Moss or McMillan struggle, but because Barron's level of play shows that he has earned those snaps. If he can increase his defensive snaps to, say, 45% and show improvement, the Broncos could feel more confident moving forward with him as the No. 2 cornerback in 2027.

RJ Harvey | RB

Harvey had a slow start to the 2026 season but showed improvement down the stretch. However, he had to take on a larger load after J.K. Dobbins was lost to injury, and he wasn't yet in a position to be the featured back.

As a rookie, Harvey showed he was a capable receiver and pass protector. His main issue was his vision when it came to runs up the middle and quickly finding holes.

A healthy Dobbins and the presence of the rookie Jonah Coleman will take some pressure off Harvey, allowing him to be utilized more to his strengths as a player. The expectation, then, should be that Harvey can improve from a statistical standpoint.

What the Broncos should expect from Harvey is that he's able to play a similar percentage of snaps as last year (42%), but with Dobbins active for the bulk of the season, and to average at least four yards per rushing attempt. If Harvey does that, the Broncos' run game will benefit.

Devon Key | S

Key has been one of the Broncos' best special teams contributors for the past couple of seasons, to the point that he received first-team All-Pro honors for his third-phase play.

But now comes a new opportunity for Key, as the Broncos will be looking for the third safety on the depth chart behind Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones — and a player who could potentially replace Jones in 2027 when his deal expires.

Key played 22% of the defensive snaps in 2024, but just 7% last year. While he is valuable on special teams, he has the chance to show he could be a starter on defense, and the best way to get those opportunities is to get more time on defense.

If Key can get to that percentage of defensive snaps he reached in 2024 and make a good impression, the Broncos might see him as more than just a special teams player. They could be prepared to give him the second-round tender as a restricted free agent in 2027, pencil him in as a starting safety, and even think about what he might be worth in an extension.

Sai'vion Jones | DL

The Broncos' 2025 third-round pick barely saw the field as a rookie. Jones did get about 20% of the defensive snaps and had a handful of special teams snaps, but he was a game-day inactive more often than not.

After John Franklin-Myers departed in free agency, Jones now has the chance to see more snaps in his second year with the team. However, Jones will have to compete for those snaps, particularly after the Broncos selected Tyler Onyedim in the third round in this year's draft.

For Jones to show he can be part of the team's plans for the next couple of seasons, he needs to play at a level that warrants more snaps. He at least needs to get to 30% of the defensive snaps, and he needs to earn them with his play on the field.

If Jones can do that, it would mean the Broncos can feel more confident about him taking a bigger role in 2027, to the point they may not have to re-sign Eyioma Uwazurike, whose contract expires after this season.

Karene Reid | LB

Karene Reid and Levelle Bailey — Denver Broncos linebacker Karene Reid (47) celebrates intercepting the football with Levelle Bailey (56) against the San Francisco 49ers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Reid earned his way onto the Broncos' 2025 roster as an undrafted rookie because of what he brought to special teams. He played 59% of the special teams snaps in 2025 but played just three defensive snaps.

The Broncos have since brought back Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton while parting ways with Dre Greenlaw. But the Broncos need somebody who can be that third linebacker in the rotation, and Reid might be the one who gets the first look.

At one time, the belief might have been that Levelle Bailey could be the third linebacker, but he was limited to the practice squad in 2025, though he did see a handful of defensive snaps when he was called up to the active roster.

Seventh-round rookie Red Murdock is an intriguing player, but it might be expecting too much for him to be the third linebacker right away. Thus, Reid needs to show in training camp and the preseason that he can fill that role, along with his special teams contributions.

The Takeaway

None of these players have to win a starting job outright, but they all need to demonstrate they can either be more productive or contribute more snaps on offense or defense.

Doing so will make the Broncos a deeper team and make it a less stressful situation if a starter misses a game or two because of injury. While you don't necessarily want a depth player to start, you want to know those players can fill the void if necessary.

And in some of these cases, these players stepping up in 2026 could make it less painful if the Broncos are unable to re-sign somebody who could hit free agency in 2027.

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