Denver Broncos

Evan Engram

TE

Engram could benefit from decreased defensive attention as opponents focus on containing Waddle. Per Chad Jensen of SI.com, Engram seems to have earned more trust from Denver's coaching staff compared to his first year with the team, and the veteran tight end enjoyed a strong minicamp in June. Rookie fifth-round pick Justin Joly was the most notable offseason addition to a Broncos tight end room that also includes Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull.

Jarrett Stidham

QB

Stidham remains the favorite to back up Bo Nix (ankle), but Ehlinger looked good in spring practices and could turn Denver's QB2 battle into a full-fledged competition if Ehlinger continues to impress during training camp and the preseason. Stidham hasn't thrown a regular-season pass since 2023, but he started Denver's AFC Championship Game loss to the Patriots this past season after Nix sustained a fractured ankle. Stidham's struggles in that game (133 passing yards, one touchdown pass and two crucial turnovers) may have helped open the door for Ehlinger to win the backup job in 2026.

Wil Lutz

PK

Lutz has been very reliable since joining the Broncos in 2023, playing in all 51 of the team's regular-season games and making 89.0 percent of his field-goal tries. He's converted 12 of 18 attempts from 50-plus yards during that time and hasn't missed any extra points over the past two years. Morris notes Lutz's contract includes no guaranteed money in 2028, but with most of his salary guaranteed from 2026 to 2027, the veteran kicker is essentially locked in as Denver's starting kicker for at least the next two years.

Courtland Sutton

WR

Waddle has averaged 77.5 catches for 1,049 yards and 7.5 touchdowns over the past two seasons as the Broncos' No. 1 wideout, and the team gave its WR room a dramatic new look in mid-March by dealing for Waddle. While the trade on one hand means Sutton is more of a 1A in the pecking order alongside Waddle, it may also mean the former will have more open looks with opposing defenses needing to focus heavy attention on Waddle. It remains to be seen how exactly the Broncos' offense will adjust to Waddle's presence, but with QB Bo Nix (ankle) expected to be good to go for the start of training camp and coming off a 2025 regular season during which he threw the most passes in the NFL, there should be adequate targets for both Sutton and Waddle to put up lofty receiving numbers.

JL Skinner

S

When announcing the surgery on his Instagram account in February, Skinner said that he played with the torn labrum the "whole season." The 2023 sixth-round draft selection logged most of his playing time on kick coverage last year, playing 34 defensive snaps and 322 special-teams snaps and tallying 12 tackles (eight solo) along with a recovered fumble over 17 regular-season games. Skinner is slated to again work as a core special teamer and rotational safety during the upcoming campaign if he makes the 53-man roster.