Top Broncos of 2026 | No. 20: C Luke Wattenberg

Luke Wattenberg achieved something that his predecessor in Denver failed to do: earn a second contract. The Denver Broncos extended Wattenberg during the bye last fall, locking him in for the foreseeable future.

As we continue breaking down the top 25 Broncos of 2026, we arrive at our No. 20 player, Wattenberg. Let's take a look at his background to get a feel for what the future holds for the Broncos' pivot.

Background

Wattenberg was a 2022 fifth-round pick out of Washington. He took a little time to ripen on the vine, though he made the roster out of camp as a rookie.

Although Wattenberg started one game in relief of Lloyd Cushenberry III his rookie year, he did not see the field outside of special teams in Year 2. That happened to be Cushenberry's last year as the Broncos' starter; they let him go because of what they had in Wattenberg.

Despite the Broncos drafting Alex Forsyth the year prior, Wattenberg put a stranglehold on the center job after Cushenberry signed with Tennessee. Wattenberg earned the starting job out of camp, and although he's been the understood starter in each of the past two seasons, he's missed significant time.

In 2024, his first year as the Broncos' starting center, he missed four games with an ankle, spending a month on injured reserve. Last season, after getting his four-year extension, he suffered a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the last two regular-season games plus the divisional round of the playoffs.

Outlook

Bo Nix and Luke Wattenberg. — Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates with center Luke Wattenberg (60) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The key for Wattenberg now is staying on the field and not missing starts. The Broncos gave him $48 million over four years, and they need him in the lineup

The Broncos obviously think quite highly of Wattenberg, though. His extension reflects that, but new offensive coordinator Davis Webb also said earlier this month that Wattenberg is "the smartest center" he's been around.

That football IQ serves Wattenberg well, but he must do everything in his power to stay on the field. Forsyth is now entering a contract year, and will be champing at the bit for any opportunity to ply his wares.

The Takeaway

At 28 years old, Wattenberg enters his fifth NFL season as a newly paid starter on one of the best offensive lines in football. He has a great connection with quarterback Bo Nix, and the only thing I could see preventing Wattenberg from reaching his potential is the injury bug.

The Broncos have a few young, intriguing interior offensive linemen behind Wattenberg. I've mentioned Forsyth, but they also have Nick Gargiuolo bouncing back from a torn ACL and rookie fourth-rounder Kage Casey, who's been earmarked as the potential successor to Ben Powers at left guard.

The Broncos have better interior depth than they do tackle depth, though that could change after the 2026 season when Forsyth becomes a free agent. Fortunately, Wattenberg is still in his prime, and he's under contract through the 2029 season.

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