Ranking Every Broncos Position Group by Overall Talent and Depth

The Denver Broncos' offseason marches on. This time of year, teams shuffle the bottom of their depth charts, and we've already seen that with the Broncos.

Analyzing the Broncos' roster, a few positions could use more shuffling than others. There is more than one position that could be open to a trade to add talent and bolster the roster.

Some of Denver's position groups are stronger than the rest, while others are weaker and more open to potential improvement and shake-ups. With Broncos rookie minicamp in the books, we're ranking each position based on talent and depth, in descending order.

12. Tight End

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Broncos' tight end room was one of the worst in the NFL last year, and their only attempts at improving it were with two draft picks, both of which came in the last 100 picks, in Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley.

Right now, both rookie tight ends are nothing but potential. The Broncos' other depth options are Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull, both of whom missed significant time last year due to injuries.

Denver's starters, Evan Engram and Adam Trautman, were among the worst in the NFL in their respective roles. Tight end is the worst position on the roster.

Even with an impressive showing from Caleb Lohner this past weekend, it was rookie minicamp. The Broncos betting on a better showing with largely the same main contributors is a curious risk to take.

11. Linebacker

Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton — Denver Broncos linebackers Justin Strnad (40) and Alex Singleton (49) after a sack vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Alex Singleton is a better starter than a lot of Broncos fans want to give him credit for, but he also has glaring weaknesses that make him a replacement-level starter. The Broncos decided to run it back with Singleton and Justin Strnad as their starting linebackers, as they were the best duo the defense fielded last year.

The Broncos' depth is a serious concern, even with Jonah Elliss being factored in. Beyond Elliss, the depth chart is replete with former undrafted free agents and a seventh-round rookie this year. The coaching staff is making a serious bet on the development of players of that caliber, which is as risky as it gets, unless they make an outside signing.

10. Safety

Denver Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga (9) in pregame workout before facing the Kansas City Chiefs. | Michael Spomer / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Two things keep safety from ranking higher: medicals and depth. Starting with depth, the Broncos have nothing but questions, as Devon Key seems poised to be the third safety, and while he did well in limited action a year ago, it was a small sample.

JL Skinner, Tycen Anderson, and Miles Scott are guys you don’t want being called into action with the first-team defense right now, but they're capable special teams players.

In terms of medicals, Talanoa Hufanga has a concerning injury history, and while he played every game last year, the Broncos have to prepare as if it were an outlier. Next to Hufanga, Brandon Jones is coming back from injury. Those two concerns raise questions about Denver's safety depth.

9. Special Teams

There are limitations to Wil Lutz's effectiveness due to his leg strength, but within a certain range, he is effective. The Broncos also have clean long snapping from Mitchell Fraboni, and Jeremy Crawshaw did great as a punter as a rookie. While there isn’t room for growth with Lutz, there is with Crawshaw, which can help the room.

Marvin Mims Jr. is an elite returner on kicks and punts, but kick returns now require a second option, and the Broncos don’t have one at the moment. The fact that they're limited at kicker and don’t have a second returner drops the group in the rankings, but they're in the same tier as the next two groups.

8. Quarterback

Bo Nix’s health at the moment drops the room a bit, but the biggest detriment is Jarrett Stidham's AFC championship game performance. It was a terrible showing from the backup quarterback, and that raises a lot of concerns about whether Nix ever has to miss time.

Sam Ehlinger doesn’t ease any of those concerns, as his time on the field has been rough, including both preseason and regular-season action with the Indianapolis Colts. He may have developed some over the past year, but he hasn’t had a chance to show that yet, and the Broncos should hope he never gets it.

7. Running Back/Fullback

J.K. Dobbins and DaRon Bland — Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) runs against Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26). | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

There is a lot of potential for this group to move up, but just as much potential for it to fall. A lot is riding on J.K. Dobbins staying healthy, RJ Harvey developing, and the Broncos finding a way to utilize Dobbins, Harvey, and rookie Jonah Coleman. That said, this room is better than last year's.

Adam Prentice is a quality fullback who can see about 10 snaps per game on offense and be a consistent contributor on special teams. He also helps the floor of the position some, but doesn’t really raise the ceiling much.

6. Offensive Tackle

Garett Bolles and Milton Williams — Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) blocks New England Patriots defensive end Milton Williams (97). | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey are good starters, but they are both getting up there in age. Palczewski and Casey are factors at tackle, but they'll also be played inside at guard. That depth helps put offensive tackle above some other positions.

However, what puts this position below the Broncos' interior is Frank Crum being their only pure tackle depth. He looked good in very limited action last year, but who knows how he would do as a full-time player, leading to questions about the tackle room.

5. Interior Offensive Line

Quinn Meinerz is a great starter at right guard, but can center Luke Wattenberg and left guard Ben Powers hold up after the injuries they suffered last year? They're capable starters, but medicals do drop the position somewhat, and neither is a high-level starter at their respective positions.

Splitting the interior and tackles is also difficult because of how the Broncos use their depth pieces. Palczewski and Casey will likely back up both tackle and guard positions, on the right and left sides, respectively. The Broncos also have Alex Forsyth at center, and Nick Gargiulo looked good before a preseason injury last year.

4. Wide Receiver

This position is tough because Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton have great potential, and the Broncos have a deep room. The only reason the receivers aren’t higher is that much of the room is still more potential than proven production, and that includes Waddle to an extent.

There is still a question about how well Waddle will develop chemistry with Nix, but it is only a minor issue that kept the receiver position at fourth. The bigger part is Troy Franklin's drops, what role he now has with Waddle in the fold, Pat Bryant's development, and his medical issues, with two concussions and a hamstring down the stretch and into the playoffs last year.

3. Outside Linebacker

We can flip this group with the interior defensive line and be fine. Nik Bonitto leads the way, and Jonathon Cooper, when he is on, makes for a great duo. Dondrea Tillman is a very capable backup, but moving Elliss to inside linebacker hurts the Broncos' depth somewhat.

Now, a lot rides on Que Robinson’s development after seeing some serious flashes as a rookie last year in limited play time. If he can turn those flashes into consistent performances, the depth would still be great at the position. And if Drew Sanders does something this season in his move to the edge, that, too, would be a plus.

2. Defensive Line

The Broncos' defensive line is one of the best and deepest in the NFL. The Broncos have at least four potential starters on their defensive front, but some could argue they have five.

Zach Allen leads the way as one of the NFL's best interior defensive linemen, and D.J. Jones and Malcolm Roach are starting-level talents at the 0-3 technique.

Eyioma Uwazurike was a good depth piece last year, but what keeps this from being a stronger position is Sai’vion Jones’s development and what rookie Tyler Onyedim ends up bringing to the table. The Broncos have D-line talent and potential, with capable depth that could grow into even more.

1. Cornerback

Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) reacts to his tackle during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Patrick Surtain II is one of the best, if not the best, corners in the NFL, and Riley Moss is one of the best No. 2 guys in the NFL, even with his penalty issues. Ja’Quan McMillian is a very capable nickel corner, and the Broncos have two capable backups in Jahdae Barron and Kris Abrams-Draine. There is an easy argument that the Broncos have five starters in the unit, but it depends entirely on one's opinion of Abrams-Draine.

Given how strong the Broncos are at the position, as well as the investments they've made and may need to continue making in Moss and McMillian (both are unrestricted free agents after this season), this is a position where the team can look to trade someone to help another position. Until and unless that happens, this is the strongest position on the Broncos' roster.

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