ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos will open the regular season Sept. 12 at the New York Giants in MetLife Stadium. The Broncos finished last season at 5-11, last place in the AFC West and it was their fifth consecutive playoff miss.
Teddy Bridgewater won the team's quarterback competition over Drew Lock and there's potential for some big-play pop at wide receiver to go with plenty of upgrades on defense from first-year general manager George Paton.
As linebacker Von Miller put it: "We have a great team and it's hard not to get excited about these guys."
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, Aug. 31. Here is a projection:
QUARTERBACK (2): Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater
Lock and Bridgewater were put through months of comparison shopping for the starting job -- a competition coach Vic Fangio took all the way into the final week of the preseason in August before he named Bridgewater the starter. Brett Rypien showed enough to be developmental No. 3 QB on the roster, but the Broncos need that roster spot elsewhere. The Vikings, when Paton was assistant GM, kept just two quarterbacks at the cut to 53 in both '19 and '20.
RUNNING BACK (4): Javonte Williams, Mike Boone, Melvin Gordon III, Royce Freeman
Boone suffered a thigh injury during the joint practices with the Vikings, and a groin injury has limited Gordon some in camp. Those injuries will likely impact the decisions here. The willingness to keep just three is a risk the Broncos can't take. Damarea Crockett should get a practice squad spot.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Tim Patrick, Diontae Spencer, Tyrie Cleveland
Trinity Benson made a significant push to reel in one of these spots and could still force the Broncos to keep an extra player here. Or adjustments could be made if teams keep calling about the Broncos' depth here, especially Patrick. Spencer is still the most reliable returner -- especially on punts -- and Cleveland played plenty of special teams snaps in Broncos' first two preseason games and provides depth at returner.
TIGHT END (4): Noah Fant, Albert Okwuegbunam, Andrew Beck, Eric Saubert
Okwuegbunam looks ready to go as he returns from last season's torn ACL and it is possible the Broncos keep just three here. During the preseason, special teams coordinator Tom McMahon gave Beck and Saubert more snaps on those units in the first two preseason games than any other offensive players on the roster. Saubert showed route-running reliability on offense as well.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Garett Bolles, Dalton Risner, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Graham Glasgow, Bobby Massie, Netane Muti, Cameron Fleming, Quinn Meinerz, Calvin Anderson
The Vikings kept nine offensive linemen both last season and in 2019 when Paton was the team's assistant general manager so that's likely the neighborhood here. But to keep four running backs as well as four tight ends the roster spot has to come from somewhere so the total could be eight, at least initially. Also, if the Broncos don't believe Meinerz could play center in a game yet, if needed, Austin Schlottmann, who plays both guard and center, could be the choice instead of Fleming.
DEFENSIVE LINE (6): Shelby Harris, Dre'Mont Jones, Mike Purcell, McTelvin Agim, Shamar Stephen, DeShawn Williams
Broncos still believe Jones is poised for a breakout season after some flashes down the stretch last season, including 3.5 sacks, four quarterback hits and 11 tackles over the final four games. Williams deserves to -- finally -- earn the first Week 1 roster spot of his career (he arrived in the league as an undrafted rookie in Cincinnati in 2016) and Stephen was a quality signing late in free agency.
LINEBACKER (9): Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Alexander Johnson, Josey Jewell, Malik Reed, Justin Strnad, Derrek Tuszka, Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper
This is another spot where the Broncos could keep one fewer player in order to allow for more wide receivers, but it would likely cost them a player they like a great deal. Browning missed much of camp and the offseason program with a lower leg injury, but he showed enough of his athleticism to stay and Cooper already has the look of another high-effort find, much like Reed and Shaq Barrett were by the Broncos before him.
CORNERBACK (6): Ronald Darby, Bryce Callahan, Kyle Fuller, Pat Surtain II, Michael Ojemudia, Kary Vincent Jr.
Ojemudia's hamstring injury -- he suffered it in second preseason game in Seattle -- could mean he's on the initial 53, but after one day then goes to short-term injured reserve if the Broncos think he will miss the first month of the season. So, another cornerback like Saivion Smith or Parnell Motley could be switched out if Ojemudia needs some time to recover.
SAFETY (4): Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, Caden Sterns, Trey Marshall
Because Surtain can already do so many things in the specialty packages, the Broncos could keep just four here. Marshall suffered an ankle injury in the preseason opener, but he's a special teams regular and even if he needs more time to heal, he should make the initial 53 to make short-term I.R. an option.
SPECIALISTS (3): Brandon McManus, Sam Martin, Jacob Bobenmoyer
When the Broncos waived punter Max Duffy during minicamp, they made it clear they would stand pat with this group.