Here’s a look at the Broncos’ probable offensive two-deep come the fall, with some by-committee approaches at running back and receiver.

Quarterback

Bo Nix | 10
6-foot-2, 217 pounds, 26 years old, 3rd season, Oregon

The ankle not-initially-heard ’round the world ended what was an inconsistent but promising second season for Nix, who has ended the year better than he’s started in two NFL campaigns. He hit a visible new level as a decision-maker from Week 11 on, with just three interceptions in 262 attempts in that span. Now, can he improve his efficiency under pressure and more consistently stretch the field between the hashes?

Jarrett Stidham | 8
6-foot-3, 215 pounds, 29 years old, 7th season, Auburn

Stiddy’s back for a fourth — and potentially final — season in Denver. His AFC Championship fill-in performance for Nix left little to be desired, but Stidham remains a solid if flawed backup.

Running back

J.K. Dobbins | 27
5-10, 212, 27, 7th season, Ohio State

Dobbins was one of the NFL’s most productive running backs before suffering a season-ending broken foot in Week 10 in 2025. After re-signing in Denver on a two-year deal this offseason, Dobbins will again bring his feisty personality to lead the Broncos’ rushing attack — if he can only stay healthy.

RJ Harvey | 37
5-8, 205, 25, 2nd season, UCF

Harvey had a mixed rookie season, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry but scoring an NFL-rookie-leading 12 touchdowns. Another year in Sean Payton’s system should benefit him as a runner, and Harvey is only continuing to grow as a route-running weapon out of the backfield.

Jonah Coleman | 20
5-8, 220, 22, Rookie, Washington

Coleman checks almost every box Denver could want in an instant-impact mid-round running back: not prone to fumbling, not prone to drops, smart, tough between the tackles, and terrific in pass protection. He could take rotational snaps right away.

Wide Receiver

Courtland Sutton | 14
6-4, 216, 30, 9th season, Southern Methodist

The Broncos’ ol’ reliable racked up a second straight 1,000-yard season as Bo Nix’s favorite target in 2025, and made his second Pro Bowl. Sutton could see slightly less volume with the addition of Waddle, but will still be the go-to guy on late downs.

Pat Bryant | 13
6-2, 204, 23, 2nd season, Illinois

Bryant became an instant fan favorite for his blocking and timely playmaking in the second half of Denver’s season, but his growing role was marred by a string of injuries. He’s a breakout candidate if he can stay healthy.

Wide Receiver

Jaylen Waddle | 17
5-10, 185, 27, 6th season, Alabama

The Broncos’ blue-chip addition of the offseason, Waddle racked up 5,039 receiving yards over the course of five seasons in Miami. His explosiveness in and out of breaks and after-the-catch burst have been on full display in training camp, and he could provide several doses of rocket fuel to Denver’s offense.

Troy Franklin | 11
6-3, 180, 23, 3rd season, Oregon

This spot could well fall to Marvin Mims Jr., too, as Denver really has five receivers. Franklin could find himself as the odd man out in a crowded room, but still enters the 2026 season as the Broncos’ second-leading receiver from last season.

Tight End

Evan Engram | 1
6-3, 240, 31, 10th season, Ole Miss

The “Joker” that was promised never materialized in 2025, as Engram often went invisible for long stretches of games during his first season in Denver. The Broncos chose to keep the veteran tight end rather than cut ties, though, and Engram still was easily the most productive receiving TE on the roster last season.

Adam Trautman | 82
6-5, 253, 29, 7th season, Dayton

Have blocking, will not travel. Trautman is now set to play his sixth out of seven NFL seasons for Payton dating back to New Orleans, and signed a new three-year deal this offseason as a blocking-forward TE.

Left Tackle

Garett Bolles | 72
6-5, 300, 34, 10th season, Utah

The Broncos’ eldest statesman continues to only get better with age, putting together the first Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro season of his career in 2025. Bolles has now played 51 straight regular-season games in Denver.

Frank Crum | 73
6-7, 315, 26, 3rd season, Wyoming

Frank the Tank made a splash with a trick-play touchdown in the Broncos’ AFC wild-card win over Buffalo last season, and continues to earn considerable trust and buzz in the Broncos’ offensive-line developmental pipeline.

Left Guard

Ben Powers | 74
6-4, 310, 29, 8th season, Oklahoma

Get this: Powers missed much of the 2025 season with a torn bicep, returned later in the year, broke his foot, played the entire rest of the season on that broken foot, and then took a pay cut after the year. He’s still an integral part of Denver’s run-blocking efforts.

Kage Casey | 78
6-5, 310, 22, Rookie, Boise State

The Broncos loved Casey’s versatility enough to snag him in the fourth round of April’s NFL Draft, and Casey has worked throughout the summer and training camp at left guard in an obvious succession plan for Powers.

Center

Luke Wattenberg | 60
6-5, 300, 28, 5th season, Washington

Payton has praised Wattenberg’s intelligence on multiple occasions, and the Broncos handed the starting center a four-year, $48 million extension last year.

Alex Forsyth | 54
6-4, 312, 27, 4th season, Oregon

Forsyth has stepped in seamlessly over the past two seasons when Wattenberg has missed time with injury, and continues to play a valuable depth role in the Broncos’ offensive line plans.

Right Guard

Quinn Meinerz | 77
6-3, 320, 27, 6th season, Wisconsin-Whitewater

Meinerz said that during this training camp, he was dealing with personal issues throughout 2025, but the star guard still earned his second straight first-team All-Pro nod. He wasn’t quite as consistent in pass protection as he was in 2024, and he struggled in the Broncos’ AFC Championship Game loss, but Meinerz remains a top-tier offensive-line talent in the NFL.

Right Tackle

Mike McGlinchey | 69
6-8, 315, 31, 9th season, Notre Dame

Like his tackle partner, McGlinchey continues to improve with age. The veteran turned in arguably the most consistent end-to-end season of his career in 2025, and has rounded into a leader on Denver’s front.

Alex Palczewski | 63
6-6, 314, 27, 4th season, Illinois

Palczewski slid all the way across the line last season to fill the injured Powers’ spot admirably for 10 games, and earned himself a nice two-year offseason extension in the process. He could be the first man up both at tackle and at guard in any case of injury.

Kicker

Wil Lutz | 3
5-11, 32, 11th season, Georgia State

Lutz continues to knock on the door of the NFL’s highest kicking tier, putting home 28 of 32 field goals (87.5%) in 2025. He fell back to earth from 40-plus yards last year, though, with a 7-of-11 success rate from that distance.

In Denver’s preseason opener at Atlanta, the Broncos head coach was on his way into the locker room when he stopped for a brief chat with 9News preseason sideline reporter Cynthia Frelund. He talked about the action for a minute, then was asked about being back in town to play the Falcons. He glanced around at a maybe-half-full Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“A lot of people dressed up as empty seats today,” Payton said with a smirk before jogging off.

The Broncos did not have the same issue in their two preseason home games.

Far from it, in fact.

The Broncos averaged 64,665 fans through the turnstiles — the actual raw data, not number of tickets sold that gets announced during games — over a loss to Green Bay and a win against Minnesota, marking the highest turnout for preseason games since 2016, when the club averaged 67,649. That summer, of course, Denver was coming off a Super Bowl 50 victory.

Since the NFL moved to a 17-game regular-season schedule, teams have either one or two preseason home games per summer.

Last year, Denver’s lone home preseason game had 60,009 through the turnstiles.

In 2024, the two preseason games averaged 57,684. That means this August saw an average of 6,981 more fans per home preseason game than two years ago.

For reference, the average announced attendance for the two home games this summer was 75,733.

That fan interest is the likely result of several factors. Naturally, going 14-3 in the regular season, coming within a game of the Super Bowl and entering 2026 with championship expectations drives interest. So, too, does playing a team with national appeal like Green Bay. Preseason games are also more affordable to get to than regular-season games, so for some fans, it����ap the easiest way to get to a game.

Ask Payton, though, and such robust attendance also comes with tangible benefits.

When his viral comments about the Falcons came up after that game, he mentioned that his mentor, Bill Parcells, liked playing preseason games in Green Bay, for example, because there was usually a mostly full house and a game-like environment in which to test his players.

Payton felt the same — albeit at home rather than in a more hostile road environment — over the two weeks late in August.

“It was great,” he said after the finale against Minnesota. “They played that little guess-the-attendance thing (on the scoreboard,). It doesn’t feel like a preseason game, so if I was an opponent, I’d want to kind of play here.

“You’re trying to get your players acclimated to what it would be like and I keep hearing about certain venues that are like that, but they were fantastic. It was good. Good environment.”

Here are the five highest turnstile numbers at Empower Field during the preseason over the past decade. Each of the years listed featured two home games.

2016 – 67,649

2026 – 64,665

2017 – 64,445

2018 – 61,388

2022 – 60,496

Jaleel McLaughlin lands in Cleveland

Former Bronco Jaleel McLaughlin has a new home.

The running back signed a practice squad deal with Cleveland on Tuesday, marking the first time he’s played for a franchise besides Denver in his professional career.

McLaughlin was waived Sunday and didn’t sign with Denver’s practice squad Monday, telegraphing the end of his tenure with the Broncos.

General manager George Paton on Sunday called waiving McLaughlin “really hard” because of the respect people in the building have for the back, who went undrafted in 2023 and played his college ball first in Division II and then FCS Youngstown State. Paton also said that choosing Tyler Badie as Denver’s fourth running back over McLaughlin was the last decision the Broncos made about their roster.

Marvin Mims still out with ‘bruise’ to foot

The Broncos practiced in full pads on Tuesday. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (foot) remained out and was not spotted at practice. Payton said after Friday’s game that Mims just had “a bruise,” though he’s now not been seen at two practices since leaving that game in the first quarter.

Outside linebacker Que Robinson also remained limited to side field work, while inside linebacker Alex Singleton missed practice to attend to a personal matter. Tight end Adam Trautman was also absent.

Team Retention is bent on becoming Team Redemption. But one blemish on the Broncos’ roster remains.

The tight end position is the mole on Cindy Crawford’s cheek.

For the Broncos to reach the Super Bowl, it stands to reason they need more impressive returns, or receptions, from Engram. He is not going to morph into Shannon Sharpe or Julius Thomas.

But can he remind us of the salad days of Noah Fant?

All of the Broncos’ bets on continuity have held up to scrutiny. The defensive line seems more versatile and ornerier with the emergence of Eyioma Uwazurike and the affable irritability of Malcolm Roach.

J.K. Dobbins did not play a single snap in the preseason, but held true to his pinky promise of good health by missing only one practice with a soft-tissue injury. And rookie Jonah Coleman has convinced the coaches that he is a capable backup along with R.J. Harvey.

Fans believe the Broncos are vulnerable in coverage at inside linebacker with Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad — which is perhaps why you hear faint talk radio calls to sign Bobby Wagner — but it has not shown up in practice.

And cornerback Jahdae Barron is inconsistent in coverage, but truth is, if Riley Moss has to miss time with a rib injury — unlikely right now — Kris Abrams-Draine can fill in.

Then there is tight end. And nothing to suggest that 2026 will be much different than 2025 and 2024.

“We are working through it. It is a deep room. What is the role, what is the vision? That is something we are still working through and trying to look closely at,” said coach Sean Payton after the Broncos thrashed the Vikings 34-6 in the preseason finale.  “It is one of the topics that will be high on the list.”

Justin Joly has all the attributes to make noise. But his entire summer was a whisper until he snared an 88-yard touchdown pass Friday that was contested only by gravity. He made a reception that was the equivalent of a fair catch as he waved his arms to get quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s attention.

“It was like an open layup in basketball,” said Joly, unsure if he was ever more open in his football career. “Just had to catch it. And not drop it at the 1-yard line.”

If nothing else, the moment should help Joly make the team. But the play was more of an anomaly for Joly. And it is not like fellow rookie Dallen Bentley made a splash.  He did not have a single catch in three games, and only a few more in workouts.

We knew Adam Trautman was coming back. He is a better blocker than most realize, but has reached his ceiling in the passing game. And unless you think Nate Adkins is a secret weapon or that Caleb Loehner is going to magically heal to avoid getting stashed on injured reserve, the Broncos find themselves starting right where last season ended: trusting Engram.

This is an offense that needs all the help it can get from targets beyond Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle.

And it is weird that everyone talks like it will be Engram, the veteran who had to plead for the ball to get a touchdown at Philadelphia last season and spent the rest of the year playing the good soldier and biting his tongue.

He is a tremendous teammate. When Joly returned to the sideline after his score, Engram was the first one to greet the rookie. Engram celebrates the success of others. He takes work home with him. He is always prepared.

But the Broncos don’t need dedication. They need production.

Engram finished with 50 catches for 461 yards and a touchdown last year. It was better than what the Broncos had in the previous two seasons, but Denver’s tight ends still ranked 26th in receiving yards (719), 28th in touchdowns and 30th in first downs.

For the middle of the field not to look like the middle of a donut, the Broncos need Engram to deliver more under first-time play-caller Davis Webb. He is assuming more responsibility in the run game to log more snaps — he played a career-low 42% in 2025.

He made big plays against the Jets and Commanders a year ago. But also contributed to the Broncos’ tight ends posting the league’s highest drop rate by dropping 10.5% of his targets.

“I felt like there were things that definitely I can improve on,” Engram said recently. “And there were things I did really well.”

As Engram stood on the sideline Friday, the imagination wanders of what could be. He is built like a receiver and can run routes in the slot. It is frightening to think that the Broncos cannot find more mismatches for him.

Denver will win games because of Sutton and Waddle. But Engram is the kind of player who can steal a first down in the fourth quarter to set up a critical field goal. Or catch a slant that sets up Waddle for a deep shot a few series later.

He didn’t get much action, not even at camp, to suggest a bigger role is incoming. He caught one pass for 24 yards in the first quarter against the Falcons three weeks ago. And then blended into the fabric.

This is not supposed to happen. And can’t happen again.

Webb recruited Engram to the Broncos. His offense has more outlets for Engram to explore. Bo Nix insisted that they are implementing Engram in different ways.

Just because it did not show up this summer doesn’t mean it won’t. There is no reason for Webb to put anything on tape with Engram — or really anyone — that might surprise the Chiefs on Sept. 14.

The problem is the Broncos talked up Engram last season and he never met external expectations.

How will it change in his 10th season? Engram has to give them reason to use him. Get separation off the line, box out on run plays and hold onto the ball more consistently.

Everyone wants to believe all of the Broncos’ shortcomings will be addressed by Waddle and a healthy Dobbins.

But mark it down. When a championship is the goal, the Broncos offense won’t be good enough if it doesn’t feature more of Engram.

NFL teams must reduce their rosters from 90 players to 53 by 4 p.m. Sunday, which means as soon as Friday night’s preseason finale ends, the process of finalizing the first version of an active roster kicks into high gear.

So many of Denver’s starters and key role players return from past years and little doubt exists about their roles.

Still, there are several spots up for grabs and, perhaps more pertinently, there are several levers the Broncos can pull to get as many players back into their building as possible.

The job isn’t to pick the best 53 players, necessarily. Head coach Sean Payton always uses the term “the right 53.”

That means some players who are going to be part of Denver’s equation this season could start on the practice squad, be cut and re-signed to the 53-man roster a day later, start the season on injured reserve or any number of other machinations.

Having a deep roster means added risk of losing players between Sunday afternoon and the 11 a.m. claiming deadline, after which teams can begin assembling their practice squads.

“I think that gets weighed in a lot,” Payton said of who’s most at risk of getting claimed. “I’ll turn to the analytics and a lot of it is what kind of tape the opponents seeing. That gets weighed in a lot. Who do we feel like is more likely to get claimed? Certain positions are more likely to get claimed.

“So that����ap always a challenge.”

A challenge, but one we’re taking on one final time. Here’s a last stab at a 53-man roster.

Changes from last week’s projection are italicized.

OFFENSE (24)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

Final call: Taking three quarterbacks is going to cost Denver a player somewhere else, but in the end, that����ap the call here. Ehlinger didn’t sound earlier this week like a player who planned on packing his bags any time soon, then he authored a terrific preseason finale. Plus, there aren’t any good Payton-experienced quarterbacks out there as practice squad options.

If they take two to start, it����ap most likely because they swung a deal with Ehlinger or found a trade option they liked. Ehlinger is a veteran, so he can sign anywhere if he’s cut. Depending on how much injured reserve activity the Broncos have, they could cut Ehlinger with a promise he’s back on the 53-man roster in a day. Or they could ask him to start the season on the practice squad. The real curveball would be a two-man Nix/Ehlinger room to start.

RUNNING BACK (3)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

Final call: The Broncos will press all the buttons to squeeze extra spots out of the roster. In this projection, that means cutting Adam Prentice with the agreement that he’ll be signed to the practice squad, elevated three times and/or added back to the 53 when a spot becomes available. Prentice has had a good camp and will be in the mix one way or another.

If Jaleel McLaughlin and/or Tyler Badie clear waivers and return to the practice squad, all the better. Historic odds on players claimed suggest at least one will. Cody Schrader could be a practice squad option, too.

TIGHT END (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Nate Adkins and Justin Joly

Final call: Joly hasn’t had a big training camp, but he finished with a bang on a wide-open 88-yard touchdown Friday night. Caleb Lohner hasn’t practiced at all and seems like a candidate to begin the season on injured reserve. They could wait a day and thus save a return designation for now to ensure that Lohner actually does recover and get fully healthy. Can’t rule out Dallen Bentley or Lucas Krull nabbing a spot, but they feel like the most likely to get through waivers.

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin

Final call: The same five it����ap been all of camp. The sticking point here: Lil’Jordan Humphrey is almost certainly going to be part of the plan. In this case, he either starts on the practice squad or is a one-day cut until the Broncos place someone else on injured reserve. Denver will feel fortunate if all of its undrafted rookie receivers get through to the practice squad. There are a ton of receivers out there around the league, but Cam Ross and/or Kolbe Katsis could factor on special teams at some point in the not-so-distant future and could draw attention from other teams.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Kage Casey, Alex Forsyth, Tyler Miller 

Final call: Let����ap get a little bit wild. In this projection, Frank Crum is placed on injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return. Then, there’s the Tyler Miller conversation. The Broncos have lost a developmental tackle each of the past two years at the cutdown. They know the value of such players. If they can get Calvin Throckmorton and Matt Peart to agree to start the year on the practice squad, this becomes possible. The end goal here: Keep as many of this group as possible for as long as possible.

DEFENSE (26)

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Onyedim, Jordan Jackson, Sai’Vion Jones

Final call: Maybe the Broncos ultimately feel like they have to choose between Jackson and Sai’Vion Jones, but this coaching staff and front office have prided themselves on building depth in both trenches. If there are ways around cutting somebody up front, they’ll find them. Jackson is too reliable and Jones too young to part ways with just yet, though the latter has had a relatively quiet camp.

“Every year is different and you really never know,” said Jackson, whose made the 53 each of the past two years. “Five weeks to put in the work I’ve put in. We’ll see how it all comes out.”

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, Dondrea Tillman, Ron Stone, Jr.

Final call: Time is ticking quickly, but in this version, the projection is that the Broncos will have clarity on Jonathon Cooper’s status — a suspension levied by the NFL or (perhaps more likely at the moment) a placement on the commissioner’s exempt list — by the time the roster cutdown arrives. Stone makes it as a depth piece, at least to start. The tough call here is what to do with Drew Sanders. Is it injured reserve? They have to use one of eight return designations to put him there Sunday but if they carry him for one day, they can stash him and decide later whether to bring him back. Still, Sanders has played four games in the past two seasons. It may be time for a fresh start. If there’s no decision on Cooper at 4 p.m. Sunday, he’ll be on the roster.

INSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock, Jordan Turner, Karene Reid 

Final call: The Broncos had a curveball thrown this week when Taylor Rapp left after just one practice. Reid, Turner and Murdock are all special teams staples and it����ap easy to see any of them getting time on defense if either Singleton or Strnad miss time. Murdock has been calling the defense in practice, the type of investment that makes it easy to think Denver wants to keep him around for a while. The question: Are Reid and Turner worthy of among the last spots on the roster. Their special teams work last year and preseason playing time so far this summer suggest yes.

CORNERBACK (5)

Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron, Kris Abrams-Draine

Final call: One of the toughest calls to leave off the roster is Reese Taylor. The Broncos are just fortunate to have high-quality depth across the cornerback group, which works against Taylor despite his special teams ability and ability to play in the slot on defense. He’s a player who will likely feel like a little bit of a risk trying to get through waivers. He also sustained a concussion Friday night against the Vikings.

SAFETY (4)

Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner

Final call: Miles Scott is a nice developmental player, but based on his role and playing time so far in camp, perhaps Denver is hoping they can get that redshirt year done on the practice squad. Tycen Anderson was one of the most conspicuous players not to dress Friday night vs. Minnesota. Those guys are either already on the roster or definitely not making it. The guess here is the latter.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

Wil Lutz (PK), Jeremy Crawshaw (P), Mitchell Fraboni (LS)

Final call: Easy. They’ve got Luke Basso’s number if they need a long-snapper at any point during the season.

Same, most likely, for players who find themselves on the edge of Denver’s roster or any other NFL team.

Hard deadlines approach.

By the time players clear out of the locker room after the Broncos’ preseason finale Friday night at home against Minnesota, the cut-off for teams to reduce their rosters from 90 down to 53 will only be about 40 hours away.

That means coach Sean Payton, general manager George Paton and their staffs will go essentially right from the game to finalizing their 53-man roster. After Sunday’s 4 p.m. cutdown deadline, they’ll get back to scouring the waiver wire and assembling their 16-man practice squad, which can be finalized after 11 a.m. Monday.

For a team as deep and talented as the Broncos and with as many defined starters and roles as the club already has set, there are still a unique group of decisions to make.

Denver may place up to two players on injured reserve with designations to return on Sunday, but it����ap unclear if any of its injured players currently are set to miss enough time to warrant such a move. The Broncos, as of Friday morning, are awaiting clarity on Jonathon Cooper’s status with the NFL ahead of a Monday arraignment on a felony assault charge and other lesser charges. They have veterans who could be asked to start the season on the practice squad, too. Perhaps there’s a trade candidate or two on the roster, too.

Essentially, the playbook is wide open and Denver will use all tools at its disposal to keep as many players as possible in the building beyond just the 53 that make the initial cut.

But first, 60 minutes against the Vikings. Quarterback Bo Nix isn’t playing. If other Broncos starters do, it likely won’t be for long.

It����ap a bubblelicious weekend.

Here are five storylines to watch.

The closing days of bubble watch arrive with questions to answer on both lines

For the Broncos on the defensive line, the question is as simple as whether they’ve got room to go as heavy as last year. Denver kept seven on the 53-man roster a year ago. If it does the same this year, the likelihood is the same six plus plus rookie third-rounder Tyler Onyedim instead of the departed John Franklin-Myers. If the Broncos take six, then the question becomes whether the last spot goes to veteran Jordan Jackson or second-year man Sai’Vion Jones. Could Denver trade one of them? Jackson made the roster cleanly the past two years and is a trusted role player. Jones hasn’t cracked the rotation yet, but Denver traded up into the third round to draft him in 2025. The Broncos have been loath to part with depth up front in past years.

Questions on the offensive line are more injury-related. They have been without Alex Forsyth on and off for the past two weeks and without Frank Crum this week. How long will each be out? They have a pair of veterans in Calvin Throckmorton and Matt Peart who could be needed as key reserves but also could be asked to start the season on the practice squad.

That leaves several moving pieces. Could a young guy like Tyler Miller snag a spot? Tackles are popular targets on the waiver wire and the Broncos have lost one at the cutdown each of the past two years.

Looking for clues at linebacker and tight end

There are also interesting decisions to make at inside linebacker and tight end. They’re similar positions in a way, because there are a pair of veterans at the top of each room and then a lot of unproven first- and second-year players behind.

At tight end, the room behind Adam Trautman and Evan Engram is going to come down to style preference and who Denver’s front office thinks it can get through to the practice squad. Justin Joly is a fifth-round pick, but he and seventh-rounder Dallen Bentley have each had relatively quiet camps. Nate Adkins had a down 2025 season due to injuries, but teams around the league like players with his versatility. Lucas Krull has been a regular presence here the past two seasons. Caleb Lohner is a wild card. Payton raved about him this spring, but he’s missed all of camp with lower-body injuries. Perhaps he’s an injured reserve stash candidate.

At linebacker, behind Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton, there are four candidates for two or three spots. The consistent No. 2 line recently has been Karene Reid and Jordan Turner, but the Broncos like seventh-round rookie Red Murdock and undrafted rookie Taurean York has done good things, too.

Will Denver roll the dice with Murdock (or Reid/Turner) on the waiver wire? Or do they feel the need to keep five from the jump?

QBs Sam Ehlinger, Jarrett Stidham again take center stage

With Nix not playing, Denver’s other two quarterbacks will take center stage for what the Broncos certainly hope is the final time this season. Stidham is set to start but ,Ehlinger is in line to play most of the game, perhaps as much as three quarters depending on how the game flows and how many possessions unfold in the first quarter.

This could just be a carbon copy of the 2024 season, where Stidham played 10 snaps in the preseason finale, Zach Wilson handled the rest and then shortly after they both found out they made the 53-man roster.

Or, it could be a continuation of an actual battle. Payton said categorically on Wednesday that the club had not yet determined who the No. 2 is behind Nix, though given the way the preseason and reps have played out so far, Stidham has played the role of a No. 2 every day but two that reporters have been present.

Ehlinger told The Post this week that he trusts the Broncos and has had good conversations with them so far through training camp. Perhaps it����ap just as simple as Denver keeping all three, whether that����ap on the 53-man roster or Ehlinger starting off with a brief practice squad stint like he did last year.

Either way, neither Ehlinger nor Stidham will want to leave anything to chance on Friday.

Any conspicuous players held out of the game?

Payton on Wednesday acknowledged that teams this time of year not only are careful not to show their cards scheme-wise, but they’ll also try to hide a player they’re trying to sneak through waivers. Payton’s tried it before — and eventually got burned anyway by his own mentor. He was excited by tackle Jeremy Parnell as a developmental project during New Orleans’ Super Bowl run and had plenty else on his mind when he invited Bill Parcells — then the Miami Dolphins’ president — to watch a pre-Super Bowl practice.

The next fall, Payton tried to sneak Parnell through waivers at the roster cutdown and get him on the practice squad. He hadn’t played in games and had essentially no film. And yet, the Dolphins claimed him.

“There was literally no evidence at all,” Payton recalled this week. “A year after that, Bill had retired and I asked him, ‘Hey, what allowed you guys to claim Parnell?’ And he said, ‘Well, you invited me to practice and every time you broke the huddle, all I saw was that 6-7 tackle.’

“And he said, ‘Don’t invite the fox in the hen house.’ I learned a lesson.”

Parnell played 111 games in his career, including 64 starts, but funny enough, they all came for Dallas and Jacksonville from 2012 on.

Payton also often says it����ap not easy to hold a lot of players out of preseason games because you risk exposing those who carry a heavier workload to injury. Plus, holding a player out could be a tip-off in its own right.

Regardless, it����ap good to remember that this is roster gamesmanship season.

Any conspicuous stat lines that add up to “trade candidate?”

The Albert O. Special, as it����ap known in Denver. In 2023, tight end Albert Okwuegbunam didn’t feel like a fit on Payton’s first roster. Then in the team’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams, he caught seven passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. That����ap how you play yourself onto a 53-man, right? Well, yeah, but in Philadelphia. The Broncos traded the tight end to the Eagles between the finale and the roster cutdown. If Philly thought it could have landed Okwuegbunam as a waiver claim, it wouldn’t have traded for him. It wasn’t much — Okwuegbunam and a seventh-rounder for a sixth-rounder — but it was better than nothing.

PUP — OL Nick Gargiulo.

IR — DL Matt Henningsen and OL Michael Deiter.

Did not practice — OLB Drew Sanders, C Alex Forsyth, ILB Levelle Bailey, WR Michael Bandy, TE Caleb Lohner.

The Broncos had the same list of players miss practice on Wednesday as the day before. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. and center Luke Wattenberg each participated in the early portions of practice but then did conditioning work on the side field during team periods. Given the slow ramp-up for those players, it would be a surprise if they played Friday night against Green Bay. Overall, though, the Broncos appear to be in line to have more players available for their second preseason game than their first. Then it����ap just a matter of the team deciding who plays and who doesn’t.

Jaylen Waddle beats his old teammate for a touchdown

Want to know how good Pat Surtain II is?

He gave up one big play in practice Tuesday and most of his chat with reporters afterward included questions about what happened.

Surtain is widely regarded as the best cornerback in football, so the inquiry was more about whether Waddle talked trash and what Surtain tries to take from the rare practice misstep.

“It����ap practice. At the end of the day, we’re out here getting better,” Surtain said. “It����ap going to be plays like that that happen — you’re going to make plays, sometimes plays like that happen. .. It����ap definitely something you can learn from.”

The play itself was a beauty for the offense. Quarterback Bo Nix had time to step up in the pocket and pat the ball multiple times before uncorking a rainbow that traveled 50-plus yards in the air up the right sideline to Waddle, who was a full stride past Surtain.

It����ap a reminder, mostly, of the multidimensional threat Waddle provides. He consistently creates separation from defensive backs on underneath and intermediate routes. He stops and starts with the best pass-catchers in football. But he also has the long speed to run away from the fastest corners, too.

Offensive coordinator Davis Webb on Tuesday summed it up easily when asked if Waddle needed more time on the practice field — he missed more than a week with a muscle strain — with Bo Nix to create chemistry before the regular season.

Webb pointed to the time the pair and several others spent in Austin, Texas, this summer, as well as their meeting time, as beneficial for communication.

“Timing-wise, that guy’s going to be open and we’re going to throw to him,” Webb said.

Waddle’s already shown the ability to get open at all levels of the field against a talented Broncos secondary, including its best player, Surtain.

“Yeah, I mean, he’s fast,” Surtain said. “He’s pretty fast.”

Thumbs Up

Sticky fingers. Waddle made the play of the day, but the Broncos defense once again was more than up to the task, broadly speaking. Over the course of practice, the defense continually made life difficult on the offense, stopped a pair of two-minute situations and — in a continuation of a trend throughout training camp — took the ball away.

First, second-year outside linebacker Que Robinson picked off Jarrett Stidham on a pass to the flat that likely would have been returned for a touchdown. Stidham had an offensive lineman pushed back into his lap and couldn’t get a clean throw off for Jaleel McLaughlin in the flat.

Later, in the two-minute drill, the situation was end-of-half in a tie game, so the offense was looking for a touchdown but willing to take any points. Sam Ehlinger started a drive in good shape with a 22-yard completion to Cam Ross and a 4-yard gain out of bounds to tight end Nate Adkins.

He tried Adkins down the right sideline on second-and-6 with 30 seconds left, though, and substantially underthrew the ball. Cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine easily picked the pass off, ending practice.

Thumbs Down

When the No. 1 offense had its turn in the two-minute in the same set of circumstances, the drive quickly turned into a slog. Nix opened the drive with a completion to Waddle, but would likely have been sacked by Nik Bonitto on the next play. Instead, he was credited with a throwaway that stopped the clock. The offense used its last timeout after a 6-yard completion to Adam Trautman, who was tackled in bounds with 33 seconds left. The next completion was also tackled in bounds, but instead of spiking the ball, Nix snapped it again and hit Courtland Sutton for 25 yards down to the 23-yard line. Except without a timeout, the clock ran out before Nix could get another snap off. Two drives for the offense where three points would be a fine outcome, but zero points on the board.

“It’ll be good film to look at,” Payton said. … “I’m anxious to watch the film. There’s that cutoff with the clock and then the yards (of the play before). Sometimes it����ap impossible. But that was a ‘down, down’ (for Sutton) and then it����ap a sprint, get set. How fast can we do that and get the ball on the ground?”

Odds and Ends

* The plan for Friday against Green Bay is for Nix to play about 14 plays, Payton said Wednesday. Payton had already said last week that Nix was in line to make his debut and that the plan was similar to the one the Broncos had last week in Atlanta for the starters who played.

* One day after the Broncos had a big scuffle — Sean Payton’s term Wednesday — cooler heads prevailed. Payton said he watched the video of the incident after practice and then, in the evening, addressed his team on a related matter. This fall, the New York replay office is able to review fights, scuffles, kerfuffles, and all manner of extracurricular activities and will have the authority to eject players upon review. Payton showed examples of situations and told his players it will be more difficult to get away with being the instigator or with any involvement in a fight.

Then he had a message about the group’s scuffle earlier in the day.

“Just let me know the game where we’re fighting and then obviously we’re not as concerned about winning that game,” Payton said. “Then I can kind of measure up the (other) head coach, see where we go and we can all get ejected. The games are too important.”

* Cornerback Reese Taylor is an interesting conversation in terms of the 53-man roster. The club clearly likes him. He spent the stretch run of the regular season last year on the active roster and became a special teams regular. But the Broncos are also deep in the secondary and have a No. 2 nickel in Jahdae Barron, plus coverage on their outside corners in Barron and Abrams-Draine. Taylor made a heck of a play Wednesday in team drills, knocking a ball away from Cam Ross. It would have been close on whether Ross controlled the catch first, but the defense reacted as if it were a forced fumble.

A text message from his old New York Giants teammate, Davis Webb, popped up.

“You like the mountains?”

It was the start of what became a fairly brief free-agency recruitment, but one in which Engram took visits to both Denver and the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers.

He liked the role the Broncos had in mind for him. He really liked that Webb was on Sean Payton’s staff.

“He was probably the No. 1 reason,” Engram said, for picking the Broncos over the Chargers. “Just knowing his influence on play-calls and his relationship with Sean. The team as well, too. The team was ready to turn the corner. They were looking for a couple more pieces, so it was the right time and the right place after getting cut from Jacksonville and needing more of a ‘move’ tight end.”

Year 1 was a success in many ways. The Broncos went 14-3, won a playoff game and nearly made the Super Bowl. Engram made several big plays along the way. But overall, his impact felt somewhat muted. He finished with 50 catches for 461 yards and a touchdown — the best statistical season by a Broncos tight end in several years — but it was well below what many expected from Engram and well short of what he’s become accustomed to in his now decade-long career.

There was natural wonder whether the Broncos would cut Engram or try to force him to take a pay cut. Neither ended up happening.

“Once the season’s done, I do some reflection things that are in my control and the way I played and the opportunities that I had,” Engram said. “I felt like there were things that definitely I can improve on, there were things I did really well and then the season’s over. I go into family time, unplugging, go on vacation. Kind of reset and recharge.

“I had a conversation with my agent and we were like, ‘We’re just going to show up wherever they ask us to show up.’”

Along the way this spring, Webb became the Broncos’ offensive coordinator and play-caller. Payton thinks it will benefit the entire offense.

Engram is a candidate to be near the top of that list, and not just because he and Webb are friends and former teammates.

“One of the most impressive things is he’s really just kind of built something for everybody,” Engram said. “Everybody’s got plays. Anytime anybody is getting the ball, it����ap an explosive. You look at Pat Bryant and the camp he’s having. Courtland (Sutton), he’s balling as usual. Troy Franklin’s flying all over the field. The running backs are getting active. Tight ends are making plays.

“So, that����ap probably been the most impressive thing. He’s utilizing all his weapons and I think that����ap going to allow us to be more dangerous when the live bullets come.”

Quarterback Bo Nix said last week the team had been using Engram in a wider variety of ways, including more frequently in the formation as a run blocker rather than just as basically a big slot receiver.

“Last year we used him a little bit more as a vertical pass threat, but I think him getting in the box and blocking is going to open more things up,” Nix said. … “He’s willing and able and I think that����ap part of his game that he’s going to really be able to show off this year and not be on and off the field.”

Engram showed it Friday night in Atlanta and said being in the mix “settles me into the game.”

In the first quarter, he motioned across to Jarrett Stidham’s left and settled off the line of scrimmage, but essentially in-line between left tackle Garett Bolles and tight end Adam Trautman. Engram and Bolles combination blocked defensive lineman Zach Harrison, but Bolles quickly climbed to a linebacker. Engram kept Harrison locked up and helped spring Jonah Coleman for a 13-yard gain.

“That was a credit to our coaches, Zach Strief and Austin King,” Engram said. “We literally worked that drill a good amount last week, it happened in the game and we executed it. It was nice.”

Engram said he made a point this offseason of wanting to prove that he could be a consistent contributor in the run game. He believes that for tight ends, “the more you can do in the run game, the better the passing game is going to be.”

One of the recurring themes of this offseason, though, has been that Denver needs a commitment to the run game. Engram thinks Webb is primed to deliver on that need, even though when the two were rookies together in 2017 — Engram a first-round pick of the Giants and Webb a third-rounder — Engram said the quarterback “was a gunslinger. He was trying to throw that (thing). He has that mentality of, when it����ap time to go, he’s going to let it fly.”

When Engram arrived in Denver, he saw another side of the then-quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.

“I remember when I first got here, I was hanging out in his office and that����ap what it was, learning the run game and diving into different schemes and being able to implement that whenever he was going to be able to call plays,” Engram said. “He turns over every stone in his preparation.”

It all has Engram in the mindset that his 10th season can be a good one. Better than his ninth.

“It����ap on an even bigger scale than just the offense,” he said. “You know the standard, you’re in the culture, you get to know the guys a lot more. Obviously, Davis, there’s some different things in the offense, but it����ap still the same family, still the same background in terms of the style we’re going to play.

“I’m definitely way more confident. Breaking the huddle a little bit more confident. Playing a lot faster.”

Sean Payton’s fourth Denver team starts out on its 2026 journey with a preseason opener that kicks off at 5 p.m. in Atlanta.

Last time the Broncos were on the field, they came up four points shy of a trip to the Super Bowl with a 10-7 AFC Championship Game loss to New England at Empower Field in late January.

Jarrett Stidham started for injured Bo Nix, Vance Joseph’s defense dominated and a second-half snowstorm turned a slugfest into a stalemate.

Nix won’t be back on the field Friday for Denver’s preseason debut — he’s healthy enough to play, Payton says, and he’s been a full participant in training camp, but he won’t play until next week. So, Stidham and Sam Ehlinger will run the Broncos’ offense while offensive coordinator Davis Webb calls plays.

Payton said he expects most of his healthy starters to play around 15 snaps against the Falcons, but there are several starters who aren’t entirely healthy, especially on offense. It will be a surprise if receivers Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims play. Same with center Luke Wattenberg and key offensive line reserves Alex Forsyth and Alex Palczewski. Will J.K. Dobbins, whom Payton said had a soft tissue issue pop up earlier this week, or receiver Courtland Sutton — recipient of several rest days so far in camp — be out there? Stalwarts like corner Pat Surtain II? If so, their appearances will be fairly brief.

Here are six other storylines to watch.

Can Jarrett Stidham or Sam Ehlinger make a move in the QB2 race?

Payton has downplayed the race to be Nix’s primary backup, but it����ap been shaping up to be a good one. Outside of a completely outlier performance (to the good or to the bad), it seems unlikely that one half each for Stidham and Ehlinger on Friday will decide the race. Still, this is an important waypoint. Ehlinger looks more comfortable in his second season with the Broncos. Stidham’s been up and down in camp, but he’s got equity built up with Nix and with the coaching staff and front office.

“They’ve been great,” Webb said recently. ‘Stiddy,’ he’s in Year 4 (in Denver). He’s spot played for us very well. Sam has grown tremendously from last year to this year. We’re really fortunate to have three really good quarterbacks. Not every organization can say that. We can. And we trust all three if they had to play.

“I’m really looking forward to those guys in the preseason.”

The first question: Who’s No. 2? After that, the conversation turns to whether Denver decides to keep all three on the 53-man roster at the end of the month.

How do Jonah Coleman and the rookies look?

For Denver’s rookie draft picks and several undrafted free agents, this will be their first time on a game field in an NFL uniform.

As it happens, several of the Broncos’ rookies play positions that are among the toughest to evaluate in training camp.

Fourth-round running back Jonah Coleman has looked comfortable and flashed decisiveness and vision in practice. Still, the Broncos don’t tackle to the ground in camp. That makes Friday the best look yet at what Denver may have in the former University of Washington back. There is similar intrigue for third-round defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim, fourth-round offensive lineman Kage Casey, Denver’s pair of Day 3 tight end selections and also a pair of undrafted offensive linemen in tackle Tyler Miller and Gavin Ortega. Given the Broncos’ run of injuries at center, expect Ortega in particular to get a ton of work. Among Denver’s rookie receivers, Cam Ross and Kolbe Katsis have produced most consistently in camp.

Will the camp standouts carry their momentum over to games?

There are a handful of players who have been obvious standouts in training camp so far and they’re at various points of their careers and the depth chart. The short list: Receiver Pat Bryant, cornerback Riley Moss and defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike.

Moss counts squarely among the starters who, assuming he plays, likely will be in just for a couple of series.

Bryant and Uwazurike could get more run than that. Both played roles as key reserves last year and each look primed to take big steps forward this fall. They don’t need eye-popping stat lines against the Falcons, but watching each will be interesting nonetheless.

How loud of a preseason can Jahdae Barron have?

Expect Barron to see time in different spots during Denver’s three preseason games. The 2025 first-round pick played outside, in the slot and as the starting defense’s dime back so far through training camp. Barring some kind of major injury or change, it appears Barron is tracking toward being a primary reserve to Ja’Quan McMillian and on the perimeter, too. Will his workload be tilted one way or the other in preseason games? And can he build a little momentum heading into the regular season despite not knowing exactly how much he’ll be on the field?

Does Denver have enough depth at inside linebacker and safety?

The Broncos appear to be at least wondering the same question because they worked out veteran safety Taylor Rapp on Wednesday. The seeming front-runner as the next man in at safety behind Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga is Devon Key. The third inside linebacker is wide open, with Levelle Bailey, Red Murdock, Karene Reid, Taurean York and just-back-from-injury Jordan Turner in the mix. Turner could move up fast if he stays healthy from here, but the rookie Murdock has been playing well in camp lately, too.

What… exactly is the plan at tight end?

Nix talked recently about the team using Evan Engram in a little bit more of an all-around manner during camp rather than the more exclusively big slot-type role he held last year. Barring a surprise release, Engram and Adam Trautman are the starting point for the room.

After that, it gets difficult to tell. Nate Adkins was putting together a solid camp but has missed the past couple days. Lucas Krull has been quietly solid and has made more plays recently. Rookies Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley have been quiet so far but will get a bunch of preseason run. Caleb Lohner drew real praise from Payton this spring but has been out all of camp and was seen recently watching practice with a walking boot on his left foot. Time’s running short for him to get back and make himself a real factor early in the season.

Bottom line: There’s a lot to sort out and five players for two spots or three at the max behind Engram and Trautman.

The Broncos put out their first unofficial depth chart of the preseason — a requirement because they play a game this week — which always makes for interesting reading.

Payton, though, does not like depth chart day.

For one, not everything on the depth chart is how it will actually play out come Sept. 14 when the Broncos kick off their season against Kansas City. He intentionally puts rookies at the back of the line in the preseason depth chart, even if they might contribute.

Keeler: Has Broncos coach Sean Payton gone soft in his old age?

A couple of interesting notes: Marvin Mims, Jr. gets the first nod on the starting line at wide receiver along with Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle. The second line features camp standout Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin.

On the defensive line, veteran Malcolm Roach is listed as the starter next to Zach Allen and D.J. Jones, while Eyioma Uwazurike is listed with the No. 2s. And at outside linebacker, Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman are the No. 2s with Que Robinson listed behind them.

Jarrett Stidham is listed as the No. 2 quarterback ahead of Sam Ehlinger, though that looks like a good battle brewing as Denver's preseason opener at Atlanta at 5 p.m. Friday draws closer.

Again, all of this is unofficial, meant to not give much real information and isn’t really reflective of what the lineups and rotations will look like in full a month from now.

That won’t stop this train.

Offense

QB: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

RB: J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie, Jaleel McLaughlin, Cody Schrader, Jonah Coleman

FB: Adam Prentice

WR: Marvin Mims, Jr., Troy Franklin, Michael Bandy

WR: Jaylen Waddle, Lil’Jordan Humphrey

WR: Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Hakeem Butler, Dane Key

TE: Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, Lucas Krull, Caleb Lohner

LT: Garett Bolles, Matt Peart, Frank Crum

LG: Ben Powers, Calvin Throckmorton

C: Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth, Michael Deiter

RG: Quinn Meinerz, Kage Casey Gavin Ortega

RT: Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Reid Holskey

Defense

DE: Zach Allen, Jordan Jackson, Sai’Vion Jones

DT: D.J. Jones, Jordan Miller, Kristian Williams

DE: Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Onyedim

WLB: Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson

SLB: Jonathon Cooper, Dondrea Tillman, Drew Sanders

ILB: Alex Singleton, Karene Reid, Jordan Turner

ILB: Justin Strnad, Levelle Bailey, Red Murdock, Taurean York

CB: Pat Surtain II, Kris Abrams Draine, Sean Fresch Jr.

CB: Riley Moss, Jahdae Barron, Brent Austin

Nickel: Ja’Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron, Reese Taylor

S: Talanoa Hufanga, JL Skinner, Tycen Anderson

S: Brandon Jones, Devon Key, Miles Scott

Special teams

P: Jeremy Crawshaw

PK: Wil Lutz

LS: Mitch Fraboni, Luke Basso

KR: Marvin Mims, Tyler Badie, RJ Harvey

PR: Marvin Mims, Michael Bandy, Cam Ross

Physically Unable to Perform list — OL Nick Gargiulo (knee).

Injured reserve — DL Matt Henningsen (Achilles)

Did not practice — WR Jaylen Waddle (muscle strain), WR Marvin Mims Jr., C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), C Alex Forsyth, TE Caleb Lohner (foot/ankle), OLB Dasan McCullough

Left practice — RB J.K. Dobbins (soft tissue), WR Michael Bandy

Consider Sean Payton officially concerned about the Broncos’ injury situation.

Denver, through its first 11 days on the field, has only lost one player to what is known to be a serious injury — that was Matt Henningsen, who tore his Achilles on Friday — but several key players have missed time with soft-tissue injuries. Receiver Jaylen Waddle strained a muscle last week and hasn’t been back on the field since. Marvin Mims Jr. was in pads Monday after leaving practice Friday. That day, he pulled up while running a deep route and grabbed near his groin on the left side, hobbling off the field.

Then Monday, running back J.K. Dobbins jogged off the field midway through practice with training staff behind. Payton said Dobbins had a “soft tissue” injury.

That continues a trend Payton mentioned off the top Monday.

“We’ve got to get a handle on some of the soft-tissues,” he said. “We’ve had a couple either strains, hamstring or groins. We continue to fight through that.”

Payton said he didn’t think the uptick was due to the heat, but said, “you always try to look at your pre-practice routine. Your hydration, obviously. And it����ap incumbent on the player. It����ap hard for anyone to know your soft tissue. I’m always looking at maybe what we did leading up to the period when a guy had a strain.

Dobbins, of course, has not played a full season due to various injuries in his career, but earlier in training camp, he “pinky promised” he’d stay healthy this fall, play in all 17 regular-season games, and win the NFL’s rushing title.

Payton had the Broncos out for a long practice Monday and finished it not only with some conditioning work — that����ap not uncommon — but also with a “warm-down” period of stretching on the field. That was a first for this training camp for sure and perhaps the first time since Payton became the coach in Denver.

Payton often points out that the Broncos have been among the least-injured teams in the NFL during his tenure here.

“If we’re second in the NFL with fewest games missed, man, that’s extremely important,” Payton said in January after Denver’s season ended. “You guys saw in 2022 (under coach Nathaniel Hackett) where there’s over 125 player-games missed because of injury and no one played in the preseason. There weren’t ever pads on. We’re never doing that.”

Denver’s regular season doesn’t begin for five weeks, but Payton is clearly trying to send a message already.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Mims and center Luke Wattenberg were in pads but didn’t do anything after stretching. They’re each making progress toward full returns, though. ILB Jordan Turner came off the non-football injury list and practiced for the first time.

Bo Nix had a good sequence on a run-heavy day

The Broncos had multiple team periods of all running plays, but quarterback Bo Nix turned in a good sequence later in practice. After starting with an incompletion to Troy Franklin, Nix hit three straight for good gains. First was a quick throw to Pat Bryant for what looked like first-down yardage. Then Nix dropped a perfect back-shoulder throw on Courtland Sutton for about 30. Then he came back to Franklin over the middle for around 20.

Thumbs Up

Center of attention. Veteran Michael Deiter is usually an afterthought in conversations about Denver’s offensive line, but he stepped in and did double duty on Monday with both Wattenberg and Forsyth down.

Deiter took most of the top-unit reps at center and worked in with the second group, too. There are only so many 53-man roster spots if the offensive line group is healthy come September, but Wattenberg and Forsyth have both dealt with injuries in recent seasons. If Deiter’s a trusted third, he’ll probably at least have a standing offer on a practice squad spot.

Kickers are people, too. Wil Lutz had a gripe with reporters and a warranted one Monday. He stepped to the podium after practice and said, “I made a field goal from 73 yards the other day and none of you said a word. But Brandon Jones hits an extra point and my timeline is going off.” Fair point, Wil. It wasn’t easy to see the yardages Lutz was kicking off a stick from last week when he hit from 73, but it was clear he had the fans’ full attention and they were lavishing cheers on him as he kept moving further and further back. Lutz suggested a kicker appreciation day. Next time he hits from 73, it����ap his.

Thumbs Down

Not a day for the snappers. The Broncos had trouble with the snap on Monday. In more ways than one. First, undrafted rookie Gavin Ortega had trouble with some snaps to Jarrett Stidham. Ortega has been playing center in camp but got bumped up the depth chart Monday with both Wattenberg and Forsyth out. Then later in the session, undrafted rookie long snapper air-mailed holder Jeremy Crawshaw on a field goal attempt. Better a Monday camp practice than a regular-season game, but misfires like those aren’t going to help when it comes down to evaluating practice squad spots, position battles and more later in August.

Ball security is… The Broncos also got a look at some of their down-roster kick and punt returning options on Monday with Mims out and Bandy leaving midway through practice. Return ability is one of the key factors Denver used in identifying some of its undrafted wide receiver targets this spring. While Cam Ross has been consistent catching the ball both on offense and in the return game, Kolbe Katsis has struggled with punts and kicks. On Monday alone, he bobbled two.

Odds and Ends

* The Broncos had one of their longer practices of camp Monday, pushing right to 12:29 p.m. before the double horn blew at the end of the “warm down” stretching that closed the session. Payton missed most of Friday and all of Saturday’s practice, but Denver spent just about the maximum amount of time possible on the field for his return. Payton said the Broncos will have a normal camp practice on Tuesday and then spend most of Wednesday’s practice preparing for their preseason opener on Friday in Atlanta.

* Deiter, an eight-year NFL veteran who has played in 92 career games, not only served as Denver’s top center on Monday, but he played well in one-on-ones, too. Twice he was able to anchor against D.J. Jones and hold the rugged nose tackle at bay. Rookie Kage Casey had another good day in one-on-ones, too, and right tackle Mike McGlinchey had a good rep on Jonathon Cooper. Defensively, Zach Allen drew an obvious hold on Ben Powers and Jordan Jackson put a punishing bull-rush on Calvin Throckmorton.

* The Broncos’ run-heavy script on Monday meant a ton of work for RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman. Coleman’s been more consistent than Harvey between the tackles, but Nix likes what he sees from Harvey so far this training camp, too.

“He’s done a great job of improving in the little things,” Nix said. “It����ap easy for a running back, once he gets the football, to go and be a playmaker. I think it����ap underrated what he does out of the backfield, in protection, in multiple different run looks. We’ve asked him to do a lot more this offseason and in this training camp, and he’s responded really well. You can tell he’s growing and learning more as time goes and it����ap not all new for him.”

* Nix had interesting insight into veteran tight end Evan Engram and what might unlock better production this fall. Engram caught 50 balls for 461 yards last year, but everybody involved finished the season feeling like he had something of an underwhelming first season in Denver. So far in training camp, Nix said, Engram’s been used somewhat differently to the pass-heavy splits in his playing time last fall.

“His ability to strengthen the run game is what����ap showing right now,” Nix said. “He’s a willing blocker. Last year we used him a little bit more as a vertical pass threat, but I think him getting in the box and blocking is going to open some more things up. That����ap a game-plan thing, that����ap a coaching thing to put him in that position. But I also think he’s willing and able and that����ap part of his game I think he’s really going to be able to show off this year and not have to be on and off the field. He’ll just be able to play, he and (Adam Trautman) will be able to roll and just be able to do anything we ask them to do from that position.”

Next: 10 a.m. Tuesday. Parking opens at 8 a.m. and gates at 9 a.m.