One Position Battle Suddenly Ignited at Broncos Minicamp

Six players or seven? That's what the Denver Broncos will be deciding when it comes to the number of defensive linemen they'll carry on the 53-man roster out of training camp.

Last year, the Broncos carried seven defensive linemen out of camp, though Jordan Jackson was a healthy scratch and hardly saw the field. With John Franklin-Myers gone in free agency, and a new face in the form of third-round rookie Tyler Onyedim drafted to fill his shoes, I've vacillated on whether the Broncos will carry six or seven D-linemen.

Coming out of mandatory minicamp, though, I'm leaning heavily toward seven, and it's because of one guy: Matt Henningsen. As it stands, the Broncos have six D-line locks for the roster: Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Onyedim, Eyioma Uwazurike, and Sai'vion Jones.

That seventh and last spot will come down to Henningsen, Jackson, and perhaps defensive tackle Kristian Williams, though he's a distant third in the running for it.

Minicamp Momentum

Denver Broncos defensive end Matt Henningsen (91) returns to the field against the Las Vegas Raiders. | Max Siker / IMAGO / Newscom World

However, momentum is a powerful thing, especially in football. In an open competition, it can elevate a position group, and it can separate players.

It's still very early, but Henningsen has a stranglehold on that momentum. He had a very productive minicamp, disrupting multiple plays as a pass rusher and even tipping a Sam Ehlinger pass, which he then came down with and returned to the house.

That's exactly how you create momentum and establish some separation in a competition. I can't lie, though. I did not see this coming from Henningsen, who's been a lunch-pail type of contributor since arriving in Denver as a 2022 sixth-round draft pick out of Wisconsin.

In each of his first two seasons, Henningsen made the 53-man roster out of training camp, and contributed up front to the Broncos' D-line rotation. In his third year, he did not make the 53, but the Broncos kept him in the fold on the practice squad, then signed him to a futures contract in January of 2025.

It would be a big contract year for Henningsen, but then disaster struck when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the Broncos' joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers in August of last year. That shut him down for the season at the penultimate worst possible time.

Based on his relatively low impact as a former late-round draft pick, you'd be forgiven if you thought that would be the last you'd see of Henningsen in the Orange and Blue. But that's not what happened.

A Hand Up

The Broncos recognized Henningsen's extremely ill-timed injury, and being unwilling to give up on him quite yet, they re-signed him to a one-year deal this past March, giving him the opportunity to compete in the offseason program and training camp. That hand up extended to a down-on-his-luck player could pay dividends for the team.

So far, Henningsen has been equal to the opportunity the Broncos gave him. Time will tell whether he'll be able to sustain this momentum when training camp arrives in late July, but we'd be remiss to underestimate him any further.

The Takeaway

In the non-contact format of OTAs and minicamp, it's not easy for a lineman to stand out. Henningsen did just that, which is an encouraging harbinger of what could await when the pads go on in training camp.

Again, the top six D-line spots are rather cut and dry. The Broncos may have always been planning to carry seven, though, and Henningsen should be viewed as the early leader in the clubhouse for that last spot.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google