Top 25 Denver Broncos of 2026: Ranking Every Player Based on Impact

What better way to preview the 2026 season than by breaking down the top 25 Denver Broncos?

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 17: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) leads his team onto the field before the AFC Divisional Round game against the Buffalo Bills at Empower Field at Mile High on January 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Last season, the Denver Broncos won 14 games. It was a rare occurance.

Only once before in the entire history of the Broncos had a team won 14 games. It was the 1998 squad that went on to successfully defend its World Championship and produce back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

After the 1998 season, that juggernaut Broncos team began to disintegrate. John Elway retired, and lynchpins like safety Steve Atwater and tight end Shannon Sharpe were playing elsewhere within two years, while former MVP running back Terrell Davis suffered a knee injury that cut tragically short his future Hall-of-Fame career.

That 14-win Broncos squad that repeated as World Champs was on the tail-end of an era. It was a collection of experienced veterans that then-head coach Mike Shanahan gathered to make one final Super Bowl push while Elway was still playing.

After Elway retired, Shanahan's Broncos had to reboot. That's a very different trajectory from the one the 2026 Broncos are on.

Just Getting Started

Sean Payton's Broncos are young and just getting started three years into his tenure as head coach. The 2025 Broncos won 14 games with a second-year quarterback. The last time Denver won 14 games, the quarterback, Elway, was in Year 16.

It kind of casts the 2025 squad's accomplishments in a different light. However, it must be said: the 1998 Broncos won 14 games in a 16-game NFL season, while the 2025 squad won 14 in the league's new 17-game season.

If given an extra game, the 1998 Broncos would have won 15, in all likelihood. But that's neither here nor there.

What I'm scratching at here is how successful this current Broncos squad has been with a young roster. It's actually quite astonishing. It's so hard to win in the NFL.

There is a good mix of veterans and youth, but even the younger players have gained valuable experience over the past three seasons, especially the young quarterback. That experience, and the confidence gleaned therefrom, puts the Broncos in a great position to continue on this trajectory as a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.

The New Series

As we continue to preview the coming season, we're launching a new series: the top 25 Broncos of 2026. This article will serve as the hub, and each player in the top 25 will get an individual article breaking down their background, resume, and outlook.

We will link to each player's individual breakdown here in the hub. Each link will be in the player's name below. Each day, we'll publish a new player article and link to it below. Keep in mind that this list is based on projected impact.

Without further ado, here is our list of the top 25 Broncos of 2026:

Top 25 Broncos of 2026

1. Bo Nix | QB
2. Patrick Surtain II | CB
3. Zach Allen | DL
4. Quinn Meinerz | RG
5. Nik Bonitto | OLB
6. Garett Bolles | LT
7. Courtland Sutton | WR
8. Jaylen Waddle | WR
9. Talanoa Hufanga | S
10. Mike McGlinchey | RT
11. Brandon Jones | S
12. Evan Engram | TE
13. J.K. Dobbins | RB
14. D.J. Jones | NT
15. Riley Moss | CB
16. Ben Powers | LG
17. Marvin Mims Jr. | WR/R
18. Ja’Quan McMillian | CB
19. Alex Singleton | LB
20. Luke Wattenberg | C
21. RJ Harvey | RB
22. Jahdae Barron | CB
23. Troy Franklin | WR
24. Justin Strnad | LB
25. Pat Bryant | WR

This list absolutely screams youth, though it is balanced with several experienced veterans, the longest-tenured of whom are Bolles and Sutton. Allen, Engram, Jones, McGlinchey, and Powers were in the league for several years, too, before joining the Broncos.

Combined with Payton's experienced coaching staff, the 2026 Broncos are well poised to defend their AFC West crown and push to get back to the doorstep of the Super Bowl once again.

You'll notice that no rookie made the top 25. If we were doing a top 30 list, fourth-round running back Jonah Coleman would have made it.

Veterans like defensive tackle Malcolm Roach and All-Pro special teams ace Devon Key would have made a top 30 list, too. The Broncos have some excellent players, so it wasn't easy arranging this list.

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