The Broncos’ 53-man roster is set.
Itap actually basically a 55-man roster.
Itap a little bulgy here, a little slim there.
Itap uniquely constructed and Denver hopes itap also uniquely constituted to thrive despite a gauntlet of a regular-season schedule, a deep playoff run and, ultimately, a Super Bowl championship.
The NFL might be a young man’s game, but this roster is not for the light-on-experience. Time and again the Broncos chose sure bets, roster continuity and familiarity over the unknown of inexperience.
Only four of seven draft picks made the cut. General manager George Paton, head coach Sean Payton and their staffs will hope for smooth sailing and calm winds on the waiver wire until 11 a.m. Monday to deliver some of their younger and less experienced players to the practice squad so their development can continue there.
“This year, I think we spent more time on this roster going through a lot of different scenarios with a lot of these players that were released,” Paton said. “Itap a puzzle. Itap ongoing. Now we’re building the practice squad, we’re looking at the wire tonight obviously.
“So, itap fluid and yet, yes, this was a tough roster to make.”
For a team trying to follow a 14-3 season in 2025 that ended in AFC title game heartbreak on their own field, the 53-man roster is about trying to win Sept. 14 in Kansas City and the weeks beyond.
At position after position, the final spots came down to specific roles rather than youth or upside.
Tyler Badie over Jaleel McLaughlin? Look no further than pass protection and Badie’s history of being a trusted part of Denver’s punt protection unit.
Lil’Jordan Humphrey over the fleet of undrafted receivers in camp? Payton says all the time that Humphrey makes game-planning easy because they know exactly what he does well. He blocks at the point of attack; he’s good in the middle of the field, and he can play wherever you need.
Tycen Anderson as a fifth safety? He’s not a safety, really, but he’s a core special teams player and that earned him a spot.
Jordan Turner over Red Murdock? Turner’s played special teams in Denver already, and the Broncos are banking on getting “Mr. Irrelevant” from April’s draft through waivers.
Murdock isn’t alone in that regard. It only takes one look at Denver’s 2026 draft class to get an idea of the competition up and down the roster.
Fourth-rounder Jonah Coleman is the lone rookie who looks poised to potentially make a splash right away as a complement to fellow running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. Third-round defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim, Denver’s lone Day 2 pick, might make the rotation out of the gate, but will be behind a veteran group that will command much of the playing time. Same for fourth-round offensive lineman Kage Casey.
From there, the fifth through seventh rounds did not fare well on cutdown day. Three of the four players Denver drafted from the fifth round on — TE Justin Joly, S Miles Scott and Murdock — were waived Sunday. The Broncos hope they can get all three back to the practice squad after 11 a.m. Monday. The only rookie from that stretch to actually make the club was the one perhaps least talked about during training camp: Tight end Dallen Bently.
Likewise, none of Denver’s undrafted rookies made the active roster to start, either.
If they’re back in the building Monday afternoon, thatap terrific. If not? “We’re going to shake their hand, we’re going to give them a hug and root for them,” Paton said.
The Broncos pulled out every stop to maximize the numbers they could keep. Fullback Adam Prentice and long snapper Mitch Fraboni are not on the 53, but as vested veterans, they have already agreed to start on the practice squad, so they’ll contribute as game-day elevations from the jump. Denver also used its two short-term injured reserve placements allowed Sunday on OL Frank Crum and TE Caleb Lohner.
So, there’s a 53-man roster expanded by four, basically.
“Remember itap the right 53 and getting the proper evaluation,” Payton said after Friday’s preseason finale against Minnesota. “I will spend more time concerned with who’s making it as opposed to the ones that maybe possibly aren’t. And I just finished saying this in the locker room: Oftentimes in those tough meetings the next two days, within a month, within two months, all of a sudden, a player will be back in your building. That happens.”
Nearly all of the players who know they’ll be back with the Broncos as of Sunday night have been here before. Literally.
Overall, there are only seven players on the initial roster who have not played at least three games for the Broncos: Star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, QB Sam Ehlinger, Anderson and the four rookie draft picks who made the cut.
Continuity has been a theme. Payton says this team is still young, but really it has some young players amidst a group now steeped in experience, expectation and the Payton Way.
This is a team built for now. Itap not all-in the way some of Payton’s late New Orleans teams were: Recklessly and without regard for salary cap consequences.
Itap all in the way Payton, Paton and CEO Greg Penner want to be: With a recognition that the future is a reality but primarily a sense of urgency right now.
