3 Important Positions Broncos Must Upgrade in 2026

The Denver Broncos are finding ways to win games, but they could be even more dominant with key upgrades at these positions in 2026.

Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) celebrates after a play against the Washington Commanders with wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) in overtime of the game at Northwest Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos sit at 10-2, but they still have issues on offense. While the Broncos still have potential, they lack offensive weapons and are getting by with many players who seem better suited to more limited roles. 

Offensive weapons include wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends, and the Broncos could use help at all three positions. To get into it, let’s start by looking at the receiver position for Denver.

Wide Receiver

The Broncos lack a counterweapon to balance out their passing game with Courtland Sutton. Even with the potential the Broncos have, it has been abundantly clear that they want to add to their wide receiver room.

Not only did the Broncos make a push for Stefon Diggs in the offseason, but they were also rumored to be sniffing around ahead of the NFL trade deadline last month.

Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant have done well, but it hasn’t been enough. The Broncos still want that added talent, and it makes sense. While both receivers have had their moments, neither has made the consistent impact you want from a No. 2 pass-catcher, and they may be better suited as third or fourth options.  

What about Marvin Mims Jr.? Despite all the preseason hope about him making vast improvements as a receiver, it hasn't materialized on the field. With this being his third year, it's unlikely he makes a sudden jump as a traditional receiver, and it definitely isn’t something the Broncos should bet on, making Mims best suited as a fifth receiver, a returner, and a gadget player. 

Denver has to look to add a receiver after the season. This team needs someone who can take pressure off Sutton as the only key piece in the passing game. That doesn’t mean Denver is giving up on Franklin and Bryant, especially given Sutton’s age. If they develop, it can make the receiver room even better and give the team more options. 

Even with Sutton's new extension, the way it's structured gives Denver a way out after 2026. That means, if the Broncos add a receiver and they have the impact you want, and Bryant and Franklin step up, they have the option of moving on from Sutton and clearing up some reps and cap space. If needed.  

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Tight End

Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) runs with the ball as Washington Commanders safety Will Harris (3) chases in the third quarter at Northwest Stadium. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

While the Broncos finally got some production out of Evan Engram, he has been a bust signing so far. However, they're also stuck with him through 2026.

Engram hasn’t been great outside of his Week 13 impact, and the Broncos need someone who can upgrade the play from an in-line alignment. Nate Adkins is a solid blocking tight end, but he should be the third guy in the room.

Adam Trautman shouldn’t be retained after this season, unless it's on the cheap and for the third/fourth spot in the room. The Broncos need someone who can come in and help as a blocker, while adding more as a receiver than Trautman does. 

That would not only help make Engram more effective. Counter-intuitively, the Broncos' offense is most efficient with Trautman on the field, but he has a ton of room for improvement. There are multiple tight ends the Broncos have been linked with over the past few years in trade rumors who are currently projected to be 2026 free agents. 

Running Back

Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey (12) runs the ball before being pulled down by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill (23) in the second quarter of the NFL Week 4 Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That leaves running back. The Broncos wanted to extend J.K. Dobbins, but another lower-body injury puts that in doubt. The team still could re-sign him, but that shouldn’t be the only move made. In fact, the Broncos should be eyeballing an almost complete makeover of their running back room. 

Even if the Broncos do bring Dobbins back, they still need to add someone who can be the top back in case Dobbins isn’t the same or suffers another injury. Unfortunately, RJ Harvey has yet to prove he can be relied upon as the top back in the room and looks best suited as a scat-back in the NFL, given what he's shown as a receiver. 

Much like with Franklin and Bryant, that doesn’t mean you are giving up on Harvey, but running back is the easiest position to transition to the NFL, and it’s not like he's a young running back for a rookie (24). The shelf life of backs isn’t long, so another option added can help extend Harvey's tenure, especially if he ends up being limited to a scat-back role.

Even then, Sean Payton likes to use three backs, and Dobbons (if retained), Harvey, and a new back would be upgrading the depth at the position. Both Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin have been disappointments this year, and neither of them should enter the 2026 season higher than the fifth back in the room. 

That means Denver should be looking to add two running backs in the offseason, with one being a veteran and the other a rookie. Or two veterans. Denver has to add serious competition to the room to push Harvey, Badie, and McLaughlin, with Harvey the only one in store for a locked spot on the 53-man roster. 

The fact that the Broncos have gotten out to a 10-2 start means they're doing something right, and they're making the plays needed offensively to get it done. However, two things can be true at the same time: they're having success, but with limited running back impact.

The Broncos need to push hard for offensive weaponry after the season, ideally adding a receiver, a tight end, and two running backs, even if only for the added competition.