The Denver Broncos open the season Sept. 14 against the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football. The Broncos finished the 2019 season 7-9, tied for second place in the AFC West, and have missed the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. With a young offense that could have an average age as low as 24 years old, the Broncos will look to turn things around with quarterback Drew Lock leading the way.
Here's a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien
This is one spot where Denver has routinely kept two players in past seasons -- but this season is unlike any other, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Broncos have even discussed internally the potential value of having a fourth quarterback on the roster (they'll almost certainly have at least one on the practice squad). Rypien has continued to show his potential value as a prospect with a quality camp.
RUNNING BACK (3): Phillip Lindsay, Melvin Gordon, Royce Freeman
These three have gotten the majority of the work in camp with the first and second units. The question about workload for Lindsay and Gordon will be asked every week until one truly separates from the other. Undrafted rookie LeVante Bellamy flashed some good vision in camp and would be a quality addition to the practice squad.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Tim Patrick, Diontae Spencer
This may where the extra tight end costs a roster spot. While they would have to go through waivers, Juwann Winfree, a seventh-round pick in 2019, and Fred Brown could be practice squad additions this year. Rookie Tyrie Cleveland, a seventh-round pick this past April, showed plenty of potential and is a wild card in the decision-making. Hamler's hamstring injury could influence the decision, as well. If the Broncos think the injury, which kept Hamler from running at the combine, could cost him several weeks of the regular season, he could potentially start the year on injured reserve as Lock did in 2019.
TIGHT END (5): Noah Fant, Nick Vannett, Albert Okwuegbunam, Jake Butt, Andrew Beck
This was the most competitive, most crowded spot on the depth chart throughout camp, and each player made quality plays in practices to state their case. Five may be too many, but even at five a former draft pick, Troy Fumagalli, gets caught in the squeeze. The Broncos could see what the trade market is for Butt and/or Fumagalli. Beck has to make it somewhere -- as a fullback or tight end -- or the Broncos will have a significant number of special-teams snaps to fill.
OFFENSIVE LINE (8): Garett Bolles, Dalton Risner, Lloyd Cushenberry, Graham Glasgow, Elijah Wilkinson, Demar Dotson, Austin Schlottmann, Netane Muti
This group could easily go to nine if the Broncos want to have a little more depth. However, they started the 2019 season with eight linemen and looked poised during recent camp rotations to do it again. Dotson is the question mark, given his struggles at times in the run game, and if the Broncos decide to go another way, Jake Rodgers could get the nod.
DEFENSIVE LINE (6): Shelby Harris, Jurrell Casey, Dre'Mont Jones, McTelvin Agim, Mike Purcell, DeMarcus Walker
Jones looks ready for the jump to starter; he had 2.5 sacks in 26 snaps against the Detroit Lions in Week 16. The Broncos showed Harris, Casey and Jones as the starting defensive line for most of camp. Purcell was a consistent quality performer against the run, and Agim has flashed agility. Walker might be battling for snaps and to avoid being a game-day inactive.
LINEBACKER (10): Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Todd Davis, Alexander Johnson, Josey Jewell, Malik Reed, Joe Jones, Mark Barron, Derrek Tuszka, Justin Hollins
Rookie Justin Strnad's season-ending wrist injury impacted things here a bit, given the Broncos hoped he could play on coverage downs immediately against some opposing tight ends. Barron was signed essentially to handle what they hoped Strnad would. But it also means they may have to keep an extra player here given the special teams duties. Jones is a special teams regular as are Hollins and Jones. Tuszka, a rookie, really needed some preseason games to show all that he can do, but given his college résumé as an edge rusher (29.5 sacks and 42 tackles for loss at North Dakota State), getting him through waivers to put him on the practice squad could be dicey.
SECONDARY (9): A.J. Bouye, Bryce Callahan, Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, Davontae Harris, De'Vante Bausby, Isaac Yiadom, Trey Marshall, Michael Ojemudia.
Bouye, Callahan, Simmons and Jackson were solidly the starting secondary throughout camp, while Harris, Bausby and Yiadom all took a spin as the third cornerback in the nickel, which is essentially this team's base defense. Ojemudia, before a quad injury, showed promise, and Marshall is a special-teams regular.
SPECIALIST (3): Brandon McManus, Sam Martin, Jacob Bobenmoyer
Wes Farnsworth, who was in the Dolphins' camp last summer, and rookie Bobenmoyer spent camp trying to win the long-snapper job without the benefit of preseason games. The Broncos settled on the rookie.