Projecting Broncos’ Week 1 Starters After Draft (Surprises Included)

The 2026 NFL draft is in the rearview mirror, with the Denver Broncos flooding the roster with seven selections and more than a dozen college free-agent signings. This crop of rookies won't have it easy trying to win a starting job; even cracking the roster will be tough for many of the draft picks.

But how much did the 2026 draft really shake up the Broncos' projected starting lineup for this coming season? We'll examine this question today, and whether there could be any surprises, but first, a glance at the 2026 draft class.

Round 3: Tyler Onyedim | DL
Round 4: Jonah Coleman | RB
Round 4: Kage Casey | OT
Round 5: Justin Joly | TE
Round 7: Miles Scott | DB
Round 7: Dallen Bentley | TE
Round 7: Red Murdock | LB

With that said, let's take a look at the Broncos' projected starters on offense, and then we'll examine where and if any rookies might crack the lineup.

Offense

LT: Garett Bolles
LG: Ben Powers
C: Luke Wattenberg
RG: Quinn Meinerz
RT: Mike McGlinchey
QB: Bo Nix
RB: J.K. Dobbins
TE: Adam Trautman
WR: Courtland Sutton
WR: Jaylen Waddle
WR: Troy Franklin

Lest you should decry Trautman in the starting lineup instead of Engram, remember, the start ratio last season skewed heavily in the former's favor because he's the blocker between the two: 12-to-2.

The other question is which wideout gets to roll first with the starters in 11 personnel sets, which is Denver's base offense, basically. Right now, that No. 3 job is Franklin's to lose, but it will heavily depend on how the wide receiver competition shakes out this summer, and how new offensive play-caller Davis Webb might shake things up.

Every other position in this starting lineup is a lock, health-willing.

How a Rookie Could Surprise

The Broncos drafted four offensive players, and as promising as they are, the only way any of them see the starting lineup this year is in the event of an injury. The one to watch is running back, where Dobbins has a long injury history and RJ Harvey proved late last season he's not ready to carry the load.

If Dobbins goes down (knock on wood), there's a good chance that Coleman could be given the nominal starting job, although it's likely that Harvey would still lead in snap and touch share.

Defense

Zach Allen and D.J. Jones — Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) and defensive tackle D.J. Jones (93) against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

DE: Eyioma Uwazurike
NT: D.J. Jones
DE: Zach Allen
OLB: Nik Bonitto
ILB: Justin Strnad
ILB: Alex Singleton
OLB: Jonathan Cooper
CB: Pat Surtain II
CB: Riley Moss
S: Talanoa Hufanga
S: Brandon Jones

The Broncos' starting lineup is relatively locked in. This team won 14 games last season, and the front office took measures to retain 17 free agents.

However, the defense features two potential weak spots. One is the defensive end job vacated by John Franklin-Myers, and the other is the free safety slot that Brandon Jones has held down for two years. He's coming off a season-ending pectoral injury, so he could be vulnerable.

How a Rookie Could Surprise

The Broncos drafted three defenders, and their first pick in this class has a legit shot at filling the JFM vacuum. Right now, that defensive end slot is earmarked by Uwazurike, the fourth-year veteran, but Onyedim is an NFL-ready player and will give his former Iowa State teammate and close friend a run for his money.

Either way, Onyedim is going to see the field a lot as a rookie, unlike Sai'vion Jones last year. We can't rule out Jones factoring into JFM's old starting slot, but Uwazurike and Onyedim are superior run defenders, which means, they're likely to see the first and second-down action, with Jones rotating in on pass-rushing downs.

Otherwise, there's no obvious path to the starting lineup for this trio of drafted rookies. As a seventh-round pick, Murdock will have to compete hard to make the roster, but he'll be going against three former college free agents in Levelle Bailey, Karene Reid, and Jordan Turner, so you have to like the rookie's chances.

Scott's path to the roster is through special teams, much like JL Skinner's was. Skinner enters a contract year and the Broncos will be looking to groom a potential replacement on special teams and the safety depth chart.

Scott is an interesting player, though, because as a former wide receiver, he has some good ball skills and production. However, if the free safety spot is taken by anyone besides Jones, it's likely to be Devon Key, who'll get the first crack at being the No. 3 safety after P.J. Locke's free-agent departure.

Special Teams

K: Wil Lutz
P: Jeremy Crawshaw
LS: Mitchell Fraboni
PR: Marvin Mims Jr.
KR: Marvin Mims Jr. | Tyler Badie

The draft didn't have much impact on special teams, as it relates to the skill positions. However, the Broncos reportedly signed Oregon long-snapper Luke Basso, so it will be interesting to see if he's able to out-compete the entrenched Fraboni.

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