The Biggest Mistake Broncos Can't Afford to Make This Training Camp

The Denver Broncos' front office has assembled a strong roster that should keep them among the favorites in the AFC.

Two weeks into training camp, the Broncos are shaping up well. The early signs are more than encouraging, but there are a couple of things I'm concerned about.

As camp marches on, there's one big mistake the Broncos can't afford to make. Let's talk about it.

The Right Trade Decision

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) during minicamp at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Broncos should play the trade market, but in a very specific way. Despite calls on social media for them to trade away a wide receiver or cornerback, they can’t afford to.

That being said, the Broncos would also be remiss if they ignored the opportunity to trade for a tight end. This would keep the team's strengths strong, while bolstering a clear weakness, depending on the tight end Denver traded for.

The reason the Broncos need another tight end really boils down to how weak the position is. Evan Engram built some early hype in camp, and while he and the Broncos are striving to involve him more in the run game as a blocker, it's certainly not his strong suit.

Meanwhile, there has been very little positive about the tight end room as a whole. Tight end has been a roster weakness for three years in a row; the Broncos need to take greater measures to strengthen it.

Fifth-rounder Justin Joly is displaying his rawness as a rookie; rookie seventh-rounder Dallen Bentley is at the bottom of the depth chart; Nate Adkins has already dealt with a camp injury, and Adam Trautman is yet to make one of our camp notebooks for any reason through two weeks.

Lucas Krull has made a positive play or two as a receiver, but they're few and far between. Caleb Lohner has yet to practice after undergoing a "routine" clean-up procedure in June that wasn't supposed to cost him any days in camp.

It isn’t clear which tight ends might be currently available for a trade, but there isn’t anyone left in free agency who could make enough impact to change the direction of the position in Denver. The Broncos can’t accept just rolling it back with what they have, and no, the solution isn’t Taysom Hill either.

WRs and CBs Will Come in Handy

Riley Moss. — Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss catches a pass during training camp practice. | Gabriel Christus/Denver Broncos

As for why it would be unwise to trade a player away, there are two very different reasons at wide receiver and cornerback. At wide receiver, it's about the medicals, and at cornerback, it's about the depth.

At wide receiver, Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims Jr. are both banged up, and Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin both dealt with injuries last year. This is an offense looking for more explosive plays and a more consistent passing attack throughout the season, so they'll need as many of their weapons in the arsenal as they can get.

Run it back at wide receiver this season, especially with the Broncos' clear Super Bowl aspirations, and then re-evaluate after in 2027 based on who steps up and, of course, contract situations. The Broncos shouldn’t look to disrupt the room right now, and potentially their passing game, which has shown some encouraging signs of taking flight already despite facing a tough defense in practice every day.

As for cornerback, Jahdae Barron has been unable to force his way into the starting lineup. Riley Moss has been on fire, and the Broncos just gave Ja'Quan McMillian a one-year raise on a restricted free-agent tender, so it's not as if Barron has had it easy, despite being a 2025 first-round pick.

However, Barron seems to be behind Kris Abrams-Draine in the boundary cornerback competition. Moss is the starting boundary corner opposite Patrick Surtain II, and he looks like he's made a leap with his play. Trading Moss away would make the room significantly weaker.

If Barron had stepped up by now, this could be a different discussion, but he seems to be falling behind and is trending in the wrong direction. The Broncos can’t afford to make the mistake of trading Moss and putting too much trust in Barron at this point.

The Takeaway

It isn’t just one misstep the Broncos can’t afford to make, but three mistakes that are all closely related. This is a good roster, and the Broncos don’t want to disrupt it too much, but they have to see the glaring weakness at tight end and address it.

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