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The Denver Broncos don't have many big roster holes going into the 2026 NFL draft.
The Broncos went 14-3 last fall and reached the AFC Championship game before getting knocked out of the playoffs with their starting quarterback sidelined with an ankle injury. Since then, Denver has re-signed most of its in-house free agents, with defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers being a notable exception.
The Broncos' list of roster needs going into the draft includes tight end, running back, defensive line and linebacker. Denver general manager George Paton is scheduled to make seven picks in the draft this week, and fans will hope to see those positions addressed.
Before the draft begins, we're publishing our latest depth chart projection. Fans should note that this is a projection from Broncos Wire, not an official depth chart from the team. Denver will release its first depth chart of 2026 during preseason this summer.
Nix, of course, returns as QB1 — and he's ahead of schedule in his ankle recovery. It sounds like Ehlinger will get an opportunity to compete with Stidham for the backup job this summer.
Dobbins and Harvey are back as the team's one-two punch. For now, Badie's penciled in as the third-down blocking back, a role he held last season. That could change after the draft, though.
Waddle figures to immediately take on a large workload, but Sutton remains the "X" receiver in Denver. It will be interesting to see how involved Mims will be, entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Denver needs to add a young playmaker at tight end.
All five starting linemen are returning, and "Palcho" remains the top backup swing tackle/guard. They already have a strong starting unit, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Broncos add to the line during the draft.
Right now, Jones and Uwazurike appear to be the front-runners to replace JFM. That could change after the draft.
The Broncos plan to give Jonah Elliss snaps at inside linebacker this year, but it's unclear if he will make a full-time position switch or rotate between roles. Until his role becomes more solidified, Elliss will be listed at both OLB and ILB. Meanwhile, Sanders is moving from ILB to OLB.
Once again, Elliss is the intriguing name to watch. Singleton and Strnad have returned as starters, but the Broncos will likely add linebacker depth and competition during the draft.
The Broncos are bringing McMillian back as their slot cornerback, so Barron might have to beat out Moss if he wants to start in Year 2. On the one hand, it's disappointing that a first-round pick hasn't emerged as an instant starter. On the other hand, it reflects well on Denver's depth at cornerback. Moss is also entering the final year of his contract, so the Broncos might draft yet another CB this week.
Key is the current favorite to replace P.J. Locke, and Anderson was the team's only outside free agent signing last month. He's a special teams ace.
There's currently no competition on the roster for Denver's three incumbent specialists (Lutz, Crawshaw and Fraboni), but that might change after the draft.
We'll publish an updated depth chart projection following the 2026 NFL draft (April 23-25). After the Jaylen Waddle trade last month, Denver currently holds seven picks.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos depth chart: Projected starters before 2026 NFL draft
Continue reading...
The Broncos went 14-3 last fall and reached the AFC Championship game before getting knocked out of the playoffs with their starting quarterback sidelined with an ankle injury. Since then, Denver has re-signed most of its in-house free agents, with defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers being a notable exception.
The Broncos' list of roster needs going into the draft includes tight end, running back, defensive line and linebacker. Denver general manager George Paton is scheduled to make seven picks in the draft this week, and fans will hope to see those positions addressed.
Before the draft begins, we're publishing our latest depth chart projection. Fans should note that this is a projection from Broncos Wire, not an official depth chart from the team. Denver will release its first depth chart of 2026 during preseason this summer.
Broncos depth chart
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Quarterback (3)
- QB1: Bo Nix
- QB2: Jarrett Stidham OR Sam Ehlinger
Nix, of course, returns as QB1 — and he's ahead of schedule in his ankle recovery. It sounds like Ehlinger will get an opportunity to compete with Stidham for the backup job this summer.
Running back (6)
- RB1: J.K. Dobbins
- RB2: RJ Harvey
- RB3: Tyler Badie
- Depth: Jaleel McLaughlin, Cody Schrader, Deuce Vaughn
Dobbins and Harvey are back as the team's one-two punch. For now, Badie's penciled in as the third-down blocking back, a role he held last season. That could change after the draft, though.
Wide receiver (7)
- X WR: Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant
- Z WR: Jaylen Waddle, Troy Franklin
- Slot: Marvin Mims, Michael Bandy
- Depth: Lil'Jordan Humphrey
Waddle figures to immediately take on a large workload, but Sutton remains the "X" receiver in Denver. It will be interesting to see how involved Mims will be, entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Tight end/fullback (5)
- TE1: Evan Engram
- TE2: Adam Trautman
- FB: Adam Prentice
- TE3/FB: Nate Adkins
- Depth: Lucas Krull, Caleb Lohner
Denver needs to add a young playmaker at tight end.
Offensive line (14)
- LT: Garett Bolles, Frank Crum
- LG: Ben Powers, Calvin Throckmorton
- C: Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth
- RG: Quinn Meinerz, Matt Peart
- RT: Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski
- Depth: Nick Gargiulo, Marques Cox, Michael Deiter, Nash Jones
All five starting linemen are returning, and "Palcho" remains the top backup swing tackle/guard. They already have a strong starting unit, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Broncos add to the line during the draft.
Defensive line (9)
- DE: Zach Allen, Matt Henningsen
- DT: D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach
- DE: Sai'vion Jones OR Eyioma Uwazurike
- Depth: Jordan Jackson, Jordan Miller, Kristian Williams
Right now, Jones and Uwazurike appear to be the front-runners to replace JFM. That could change after the draft.
Outside linebacker (8*)
- OLB1: Jonathon Cooper, Dondrea Tillman
- OLB2: Nik Bonitto, Que Robinson, Drew Sanders
- Wild card: Jonah Elliss
- Depth: Johnny Walker, Garrett Nelson
The Broncos plan to give Jonah Elliss snaps at inside linebacker this year, but it's unclear if he will make a full-time position switch or rotate between roles. Until his role becomes more solidified, Elliss will be listed at both OLB and ILB. Meanwhile, Sanders is moving from ILB to OLB.
Inside linebacker (6*)
- ILB1: Alex Singleton, Karene Reid
- ILB2: Justin Strnad, Jonah Elliss
- Depth: Lavelle Bailey, Jordan Turner
Once again, Elliss is the intriguing name to watch. Singleton and Strnad have returned as starters, but the Broncos will likely add linebacker depth and competition during the draft.
Cornerback (7)
- CB1: Pat Surtain, Kris Abrams-Draine
- CB2: Riley Moss OR Jahdae Barron
- Slot: Ja’Quan McMillian
- Depth: Reese Taylor, Jaden Robinson
The Broncos are bringing McMillian back as their slot cornerback, so Barron might have to beat out Moss if he wants to start in Year 2. On the one hand, it's disappointing that a first-round pick hasn't emerged as an instant starter. On the other hand, it reflects well on Denver's depth at cornerback. Moss is also entering the final year of his contract, so the Broncos might draft yet another CB this week.
Safety (5)
- FS: Brandon Jones
- SS: Talanoa Hufunga
- S3: Devon Key
- ST: Tycen Anderson, JL Skinner
Key is the current favorite to replace P.J. Locke, and Anderson was the team's only outside free agent signing last month. He's a special teams ace.
Special teams
- Kicker: Wil Lutz
- Punter: Jeremy Crawshaw
- Returner: Marvin Mims
- Long snapper: Mitchell Fraboni
There's currently no competition on the roster for Denver's three incumbent specialists (Lutz, Crawshaw and Fraboni), but that might change after the draft.
We'll publish an updated depth chart projection following the 2026 NFL draft (April 23-25). After the Jaylen Waddle trade last month, Denver currently holds seven picks.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos depth chart: Projected starters before 2026 NFL draft
Continue reading...
