Broncos draft previews
Offense: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line
Defense: Defensive line | Outside linebackers | Inside linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties

Broncos’ in-house offseason moves: Re-signed Alex Palczewski to a two-year deal.

Under contract: Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Palczewski, Frank Crum, Alex Forsyth, Matt Peart, Nick Gargiulo, Michael Deiter, Calvin Throckmorton, Marques Cox and Nash Jones.

Need scale (1-10): 6. At first glance, the offensive line might not seem like a pressing Broncos need. After all, Denver has all five starters back from last year, is paying all of them handsomely and has built a developmental group in Palczewski, Crum and Forsyth behind that have all stepped into games ably. At some point, though, the Broncos are going to need a fresh wave of younger, cheaper players. Not all at once, most likely, but over the next couple of years. Powers is in the final year of his deal and Bolles and McGlinchey will be 34 and 32, respectively, when the season starts. Now’s the time to build depth and options for the future.

The Top Five

Francis Mauigoa, Miami

It����ap not a bad year to need an offensive lineman in the draft, but it����ap not a good year to need a left tackle. Mauigoa is a big, athletic right tackle. One of many in this class. There’s no one or two linemen in this group that are head-and-shoulders above the rest. There’s not a guy that teams look at and say, ‘Easy enough. Just pick him and you’ve got your left tackle for the next decade.” But there are still quality options and Mauigoa is one of a small handful who could be the first off the board.

Spencer Fano, Utah

Fano could also be the first lineman to go. He’s a veteran right tackle — his teammate with the Utes, left tackle Caleb Lomu, could also end up being a first-round pick. Fano is 6-6 and 311 pounds and could probably play any of the interior spots, along with tackle. He’s one of the best athletes in the group, having run 4.91 seconds in the 40 at the combine to go along with explosive jumping and agility numbers.

Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

Ioane is one of the best examples of an interesting trend in the 2026 draft class: Several of the players who are considered to have the best combination of talent and safety — a good recipe for the top of the board — play what are considered non-premium positions. RB Jeremiyah Love. ILB Sonny Styles. S Caleb Downs. So on and so forth. Ioane fits that mold, too. He’s a mauler. He’s athletic. He’s likely plug-and-play. He’s also a guard. Ioane is a sure-fire first-rounder and could easily go in the top half despite his position.

Monroe Freeling, Georgia

In a class where many prospects are five and six-year college players, Freeling won’t turn 22 until around the time training camp starts. So he might not be as polished as some of the older players, but he’s big (6-7, 315), athletic and talented. He ran 4.93 at the combine and jumped 33.5 inches vertical. He played left tackle for the Bulldogs in 2025 and might be the best bet to be a long-term solution on that side in this draft.

Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

An absolutely massive player who might have the most upside in the class, but also comes with more question marks. Proctor has struggled with consistency in his career, but he’s 6-7 and 352 pounds, played left tackle at Alabama, and, if he hits his ceiling, can be a premier player at a premier position. If the edge athletes are too fast for him to handle in pass protection, he could be a road-grading guard.

Broncos options

Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech

There’s no guarantee Rutledge will be around at No. 62, but he’d be a compelling option if he made it that far. At the combine, Rutledge said he models his game after Broncos RG Quinn Meinerz and Indianapolis LG Quenton Nelson. At 6-4 and 316, he clocked a 5.05 in the 40 and had explosive testing numbers. According to The Athletic, Rutledge has a foot injury stemming from a 2023 car crash that could be a flag for teams.

Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

Pregnon would be a great story at No. 62. He’s a Denver native who played at Thomas Jefferson High before starting his college career at Wyoming (2020-22). Then played two years at USC before spending last year at Oregon. He started 51 games the past four years, including time at both left and right guard. He took a top-30 visit with the Broncos.

JT Tuimoloau, Northwestern

A massive and perhaps under-appreciated tackle from the alma mater of Broncos offensive line coach and run game coordinator Zach Strief? Now that would make some sense, too, but would likely have to be at No. 62. Tiernan checked into the combine at 6-8 and 323 pounds and jumped 35.5 inches vertical. He’s played both tackle spots and could probably handle either guard spot, too. Add him to Palcho and Crum and you’ve got a versatile trio with which to sort out your future up front.

Jude Bowry, Boston College

Bowry might still be on the board when the Broncos’ fourth-round picks come up. He’s got attributes to like in that he’s a good athlete and he’s strong. He’s played both left and right tackle at 6-5 and 314 pounds. He took a top-30 visit to the Broncos. Denver believes strongly in its ability to develop pass-protectors, so this would be an interesting development project.

Brian Parker, Duke

Would require a bit of imagination since Parker is training as a center after spending his college career mostly playing tackle. Denver is set at center after extending Luke Wattenberg in November, but a guy who could legitimately play any spot along the line would no doubt be an asset. Even if he were best suited for the interior three spots, that would be just fine for a Day 3 pick.

Take a spin around the football internet these days and you will find yourself soaked by a deluge of mock drafts.

Make no mistake, though, NFL front offices do them, too.

Now, they are working with full scouting staffs, extensive visibility into injury and character questions, thousands of human hours of work put into setting the stage for the real thing later this month.

A year ago, perhaps not a single mock draft paired the Broncos and Jahdae Barron at No. 20. That led head coach Sean Payton to describe the wait as Barron fell through the teens toward them and, well, to mock the mocks.

“The mocks that you guys read for the last month, what do you want me to say?” Payton said then. “It����ap embarrassing sometimes, but it����ap entertaining.”

General manager George Paton last week said the Broncos had narrowed their list to seven or eight players they felt would be available at No. 30 before they traded that pick to Miami for star receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Projecting who will be there at No. 62, where Denver’s first pick now sits, is even more wide open.

That won’t stop us. And no apologies for any embarrassment caused, either.

Round 2, Pick No. 62: Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge

In the Post����ap last mock draft, we slid back a few spots from No. 62 and selected RB Jonah Coleman.

This time around, we decided to stick and pick.

The result is decidedly not flashy but also feels like a realistic outcome for the Broncos.

Rutledge is widely considered a Day 2 player and is one of the better interior offensive linemen in this class. He played right guard in college — the Broncos are set there long-term with All-Pro Quinn Meinerz — but should have the versatility to play left or even center. Essentially, if he didn’t win a job over Ben Powers or make Denver reconsider going into the season with Powers on the roster, he’d be in position to slide in in 2027 or potentially back up multiple spots along the interior.

Offensive line, in general, is a sneaky need for the Broncos. They’ve got all five starters back from one of the best fronts in football, but general manager George Paton acknowledged at the combine that the team is wary of aging out too many players at the same time. Plus, all five players at the moment are on premium contracts.

Also considered: The dream was for tight end Eli Stowers to fall, but he went in the middle of the second round. Another tight end option and the pick at No. 62 in our first Post mock draft, Ohio State’s Max Klare, was still on the board. We passed to avoid too much repetition, but he looks like a potential fit in the second round. Also still on the board, among others: Arkansas RB Mike Washington and Mizzou linebacker Josiah Trotter.

Round 4, Pick No. 114: Oregon inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher

Trade: Broncos receive Nos. 114 and 197. Philadelphia receives No. 111.

The fourth rolled around and the Paton, sans ‘Y’, in the Post����ap drafting team emerged. We were hoping to move back from No. 108 to get an extra pick or two and, sure enough, found enough suitors to land a deal we liked. That trade with Green Bay involved moving back to No. 120 and the details are below.

Then the surprise popped up. Philadelphia wanted to move up and we felt good about sliding back just a handful of spots and still getting our guy. What was Howie Roseman thinking?

At No. 114, the pick is Boettcher from a school Denver is quite familiar with. He’s a physical player and a good leader who had 136 tackles for the Ducks in 2025 and contributed each of the past three seasons to one of college football’s stoutest defenses.

Denver’s had an active offseason at ILB, retaining Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, releasing Dre Greenlaw and now moving Jonah Elliss inside. Still, here’s a young player who can be a special teamer early and a potential Singleton replacement down the line.

Round 4, Pick No. 120: Boston College offensive tackle Jude Bowry

Trade: Broncos receive Nos. 120 and 160, Green Bay receives No. 108

Is this draft scintillating enough yet? The Broncos have only drafted one offensive lineman on Day 2 in Paton’s five drafts so far — Meinerz in the 2021 third round — but now are up to two in this draft alone. Again, it����ap not an immediate need, but Bowry checks boxes the Broncos like.

Offensive line coach Zach Strief told The Post last fall, “We love guys that can anchor. If you don’t get bull-rushed in this league, you’re 80% of the way there.”

Bowry’s got good strength and he’s a good athlete. He’s got experience at both left and right tackle in college. Ideally, he doesn’t have to play right away.

In this scenario, though, Denver rolls into the summer with a pipeline that includes Rutledge and Bowry out of this draft, plus Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, and Alex Forsyth. That����ap building to withstand the rigors of an NFL season and also preparing for a future in which the quarterback is no longer on a rookie deal and the front line must be cheaper — but not without some incubation time in one of the league’s best offensive line development programs.

Round 5, Pick No. 160: Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon

Now things are heating up at the offensive skill positions. Teams across football have found ways to identify tight ends on Day 3 that end up making a real impact. Not everybody can land George Kittle, of course, but there are going to be quality tight ends from this draft class that don’t hear their name called until Saturday.

Raridon’s got a chance to be one of them. He’s enormous at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds. He’s got a good blocking foundation to his game — though like most young players, he’s not a finished product — and he’s athletic enough to believe he’s going to be a good receiver, too.

Like it or not, Denver’s going to play Adam Trautman and Evan Engram a ton this fall. The Broncos trust Trautman and they’re hoping to get more from Engram as a receiver in his second season in the offense. Could a rookie tight end blow up that plan? In an outlier scenario, perhaps. More likely, a young player gets a chance to carve out a role as a rookie with the hopes that he blossoms late in the year, if injuries arise or in 2027 and beyond.

Round 5, Pick No. 170: Indiana running back Kaelon Black

Black fits the Payton running back threshold of “short but not small” at 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds. He’s a physical runner who was second on the national champs’ offense in carries at 180 behind Roman Hemby (230). Black averaged 5.6 per carry and, though he wasn’t used at IU in the passing game, he did have 44 catches and six receiving touchdowns his last two years at James Madison.

At Indiana’s pro day, Black reportedly ran 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and jumped 37.5 inches vertical. He’s taken a top-30 visit with the Broncos. Black isn’t a prototypical third-down back, but he could carry some of that load and would be an intriguing fit with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.

Round 6, Pick No. 197: USC safety Bishop Fitzgerald

In looking for safety depth, the Broncos here lean on the connection to USC in new defensive backs coach Doug Belk. Belk had Fitzgerald, an undersized safety, in his room for one year after Fitzgerald transferred from NC State.

Checked into the combine at 5-11 and 201 pounds and ran 4.55 in the 40-yard dash. He produced takeaways throughout his college career, with five interceptions in 2025 for USC and five combined in two seasons at NC State before that.

Denver’s got special teamers galore in its safety room behind starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones. Fitzgerald could add to that and perhaps push toward more.

Round 7, Pick No. 246: North Carolina cornerback Marcus Allen

Round 7, Pick No. 256: Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson

Round 7, Pick No. 257: IPP outside linebacker Josh Weru

In the seventh round, as Paton said last week, teams are often trying to get a jump on post-draft free agency. If you don’t think you’re going to win a battle for a player or don’t want to risk a bidding war in the post-draft chaos, this is the time.

Denver’s had success recently in the seventh round, finding contributors in WR Devaughn Vele and OL Alex Forsyth, plus players with still-interesting development arcs in OL Nick Gargiulo and TE Caleb Lohner.

In this rendition, a trio of seventh-rounders begins with Allen, who is 6-2, ran 4.5 in the 40, and comes from a program now led by a coach Payton really respects: Bill Belichick.

Denver’s receiver room looks pretty darn full, but Henderson is a receiver plus a special teams asset. He’s a good returner — even if Marvin Mims Jr. doesn’t see an uptick in playing time, NFL teams have realized you need two good ones given the kickoff rule’s evolution — and can handle other duties, too.

Mr. Irrelevant? Try Mr. Freak. Weru hasn’t gone mega-viral like IPP classmate and defensive lineman Uar Bernard, but make no mistake, he’s a ridiculous athlete. The 6-4, 244-pounder reportedly ran 4.45 in the 40 and jumped 41.5 inches vertical at the HBCU showcase. He’s training with Javon Gopie, who also works with Nik Bonitto and trained Que Robinson last spring. Gopie told The Post recently, “I think he’d be a no-brainer fit in (the Broncos’ scheme).”

The Broncos head coach and general manager are set to spend most of the first four weeks of April sequestered in front of a big screen in Denver’s team room, clickers in hand, watching tape of draft prospects.

Tape, tape and more tape.

“(Wednesday) morning at 7:30 a.m., we enter that team meeting room and we’re in there for the next 26 days,” Payton said Tuesday.

Last spring, they spent so much time sitting in chairs next to each other that Payton copped to accidentally drinking out of his general manager’s water bottle instead of his own.

“You break for lunch and you break for dinner,” Payton said a week before Denver selected Jahdae Barron at No. 20 overall last spring. “You go through the rounds and others will come back in with (information) — maybe we hand two scouts and two coaches a clump of outside linebackers or a clump of nose tackles.”

There are layers to the strong relationship that has grown between Payton and Paton over the past three-plus years, but their shared love of evaluating players is at the center.

Spring weather on the Front Range can be invigorating, but for Paton and Payton, April beauty is identifying a mid-round pick who becomes an impact player.

“You are dying to fall in love with guys,” Payton said last year.

This spring, of course, the Broncos will be waiting quite a while to make their first pick. After trading their first-round pick and more for star receiver Jaylen Waddle, Denver is not currently on the board until No.  62 overall, the 30th pick of the second round, which arrives on the draft����ap second day.

That����ap familiar territory for Paton, though, who will be operating without a first-rounder for the third time in six drafts as Denver’s general manager.

“Obviously, we’re focused on 30 in the second (round),” Paton said Monday at the NFL’s spring meetings. “We’ve fortunately been there before — I think two different times. We have a good feel for that. We can hone in.”

Paton was careful not to rule out trading up from No. 62, but Denver has depleted draft capital after the trade. Packaging No. 62 and one of its fourth-round picks (Nos. 108 and 111) might allow the team to slide up a few spots and dealing both could potentially get the Broncos to the middle of the second round. Denver could dip into its haul of 2027 picks and is in line for potentially two compensatory selections, too.

Overall, though, Payton and Paton are in for a long wait.

“We have a pretty good feel for that realm,” Paton said.

When they finally do arrive on the clock, here are the positions the Broncos find themselves most in need of adding to.

The Broncos still need a mismatch tight end

Maybe the term “Joker” has finally fallen out of vogue in ����apountry, but the value of that player — a mismatch in the middle part of the field — most certainly has not. Not to Payton.

“Every year,” Payton said earlier this year at the NFL Combine. “We’re always looking for the tight end or running back that has those traits. They’re hard to find, though.”

Particularly so for the Broncos and particularly so at tight end.

Denver thought it might have found one in veteran Evan Engram last year. The results? More OK than wow. Even if Engram fares better in his second season with the Broncos, the club needs a young playmaker at the position. Noah Fant flashed at times, but this has been a sore spot more or less since the days of Julius Thomas more than a decade ago.

Payton and Paton will be dying to fall in love with a tight end from a 2026 group that doesn’t have the same star power as last year, but that is deep and diverse from a skill-set and body type perspective. Is there a big guy with blocking chops that they see untapped receiving potential in? An undersized pass-catcher who can be a stout blocker with a bit of fine-tuning?

“There are some really good prospects, but I’m anxious to see who they are because right now I just know the names,” Payton said. … “Hopefully we can get to know them and possibly have a target in there.”

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has only Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq (No. 14 overall) , so perhaps Denver will have its pick of any tight end after Sadiq at No. 62, but Vanderbilt����ap Eli Stowers and Ohio State’s Max Klare are among a group of others who could come off the board around the Broncos’ first pick. Denver is doing its diligence on tight ends, including hosting NC State’s Justin Joly on a visit this week.

Sean Payton likes Denver’s running backs, but…

The Broncos are no strangers to taking a running back late in the second round. They did it just last year when they grabbed RJ Harvey at No. 60 overall.

Harvey had a productive rookie season, accumulating 12 total touchdowns and 896 offensive yards. He struggled to consistently produce as a rusher when called upon to be Denver’s lead back in the wake of J.K. Dobbins’ Lisfranc injury in November, but he undoubtedly has explosive ability.

Denver re-signed Dobbins and believes Harvey, a dynamic pass-catcher, will only trend upward in Year 2.

“We love the way RJ played,” Payton said Tuesday.

The day before, Paton called Harvey, “an explosive player and an explosive receiver out of the backfield. A matchup problem. He is going to get better as a runner. He got better as the year went on.”

Both men called the position one Denver could address in the draft or over the summer and pointed out that, this time a year ago, neither Harvey nor Dobbins (a June signing) were on the roster.

Whether it����ap in the second round or later, though, the Broncos could use more youth and overall dynamic ability in their room.

Offensive line isn’t a need right now, but could become one quickly

There’s an argument to be made for inside linebacker or safety as Denver’s next priority, but the Broncos have addressed each of those positions in some way over recent weeks. The Broncos signed safety and special teamer Tycen Anderson to a one-year deal. That����ap not a long-term defensive solution, which Denver could certainly still use and may look to the draft to address. Payton said this week that edge Jonah Elliss would get a look playing inside linebacker, too. Now the Broncos have Elliss, Jordan Turner, Drew Sanders, Levelle Bailey and Karene Reid behind their starting duo inside. Not much proven production defensively, but several options to sort through.

Meanwhile, the offensive line is one of the more fascinating groups on the roster.

Denver’s is one of the best in the business, and is poised, if healthy, to continue that run in 2026 and perhaps beyond.

The group has a back-to-back first-team All-Pro right guard in Quinn Meinerz and a newly extended center in Luke Wattenberg. Both tackles, Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey, played at a high level in 2025, with Bolles being named a first-team All-Pro.

Left guard Ben Powers is entering the final year of his deal in 2026 and, with the caveat that things can always change, looks likely headed into his final season with the Broncos.

�ٱ�Ա������retained Alex Palczewski with a two-year deal, and he could end up being the primary backup at three positions — LG, RG, and RT — in 2026 and then slide into Powers’ spot beyond that. Easy, right?

Well, yeah, as long as everybody else stays healthy. McGlinchey has had injury issues in the past, though he was mostly healthy in 2025. Bolles’ longevity is impressive and he’s shown not even a hint of decline from his perch as one of the premier athletes at left tackle.

And yet, Bolles and  McGlinchey will be 34 and 32, respectively, when Week 1 rolls around.

They could each play multiple more years at a high level or age could start to catch up with either or both quickly.

The Broncos, then, are in an enviable position but also one that carries perhaps more risk than first glance might suggest.

They have developmental options in the pipeline in Palczewski, tackle Frank Crum, center Alex Forsyth and a wild card in Nick Gargiulo and they have built that depth using only seventh-round picks and undrafted free agency signings.

In fact, seventh-rounders Gargiulo (No. 256 in 2024) and Forsyth (No. 257 in 2023) are the only linemen Denver has drafted since Payton arrived as the coach.

Before them, Paton selected Wattenberg in the fifth round in 2022 and Meinerz in the third round in 2021.

That����ap four straight draft classes since 2021 in which only linemen were taken on Day 3. The Broncos currently have only one Day 2 pick this year, so that run could well continue. But offensive line — guard or tackle — feels like a real possibility, be it at No. 62, early in the fourth round, or somewhere in between, depending on how Paton and Payton maneuver with their picks.

A guard could push ‘Palcho’ and Crum further toward being the heirs apparent at each tackle spot. A tackle could line Palcho up as the left guard of the future. Either way, a young, talented player in the room would be a welcome addition, regardless of exactly where he plays or how good the Broncos’ room still looks on paper.

In his coaching education, Sean Payton had always been taught — as he’s said multiple times during the past year — that a team’s offensive line “permeates the building.” But even in 2022, before Payton arrived, the Broncos’ front office was set on rebuilding through their offensive front, as former assistant general manager Mougey told The Denver Post in Indianapolis last week. It was no coincidence in 2023 that Denver immediately shelled out for two of the top names on the offensive-line market: Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers received two of the largest four OL deals in 2023’s free agency. Never mind the looming albatross of Russell Wilson’s cap hit.

“Getting McGlinchey and Powers, and keeping the continuity there on the offensive line, and then starting to build that defensive line — I think that’s been a big part of their success,” now-Jets general manager Mougey said, “that maybe people talk about, maybe they don’t, I don’t know.”

Entering Year Three of an ascension around quarterback Bo Nix, the Broncos still haven’t budged on that offensive-line continuity, even as individual pieces of that front age. On Wednesday, a source told The Post that they suspected Denver was shopping the 29-year-old Powers on the trade market, as the Broncos hadn’t put a proposal to restructure his contract in front of the offensive lineman despite a sizeable $18.2 million cap hit in 2026. On Thursday night, though, Denver got back to Powers and let him know they had no plans to move him or touch his contract, sources said.

That’ll mean the Broncos will likely head into 2026 with a third straight season of the Garett Bolles-Powers-Luke Wattenberg-Quinn Meinerz-McGlinchey starting unit on the offensive front, a rare development in the modern NFL. That’s valuable inside Denver’s building, especially for third-year Nix’s continued development, and is the reason Denver hasn’t cut Powers (which would save $8.4 million).

“It’s hard to find those type of players in free agency every year, or without paying a hefty fee,” Payton said in late November. “So, keeping that continuity, I think, is important.”

In due time, though, offensive-line coach Zach Strief’s room will undertake a necessary changing of the guard. It, perhaps, has already begun. Denver re-upped on a two-year deal Thursday with versatile reserve Alex Palczewski, who started 10 games in place of Powers as the veteran guard recovered from a bicep tear in 2025. There’s a definite possibility the 26-year-old Palczewski pushes Powers for his starting left-guard spot in 2026.

The Broncos will have to take a hard look, too, at replenishing their offensive-line depth this offseason to grow more Palczewski-types. Denver could save over $37 million in cap room by cutting or moving 31-year-old right tackle McGlinchey and left tackle Bolles, as creating room on their payroll becomes increasingly important in the years before a potentially massive extension for Nix after the 2027 season. Powers, of course, will hit free agency after this season.

And Payton may have dropped a hint as to the Broncos’ plans this April at that spot, speaking at the NFL Combine.

“Historically speaking, for me, we’ve always invested maybe early draft capital for that position,” Payton said. “It����ap hard to find those guys and the defensive linemen in free agency, this time of the year. There are certain positions that are abundant, but that����ap one that����ap tough.”

Historically speaking, then, Denver’s due to invest in the offensive line this draft. The Broncos have taken two offensive linemen — Alex Forsyth and Nick Gargiulo — in Payton’s three drafts in Denver, and never used more than a seventh-round pick on their front.

The Broncos are high on rising third-year tackle Frank Crum, who filled in capably in spot snaps in 2025 when McGlinchey was temporarily banged up. At present, though, Denver will enter training camp in 2026 with futures signee Nash Jones as the only offensive lineman on the roster who will be younger than 26 years old. That’s a potential issue.

To wit, there’s a host of intriguing, athletic options that’ll be on the board for the Broncos in this 2026 draft, sitting at the back of Rounds 1-3 and with two picks in Round 4. Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor ran an impressive 4.91-second 40-yard-dash at the combine in Indianapolis, and could be an early-round fit as a toolsy, developmental tackle. Look at Kentucky’s Jalen Farmer or Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis as intriguing Day 2 options, too, who could be impact run-blockers in Denver’s outside-zone schemes.

Payton said at the combine, too, that his offseason must-haves were the “same every year” — but noted that “you want to make sure you’re looking closely at your offensive line.” And if the Broncos want to extend their Super Bowl window, they’ll need to soon find fresh young talent to sit in the wings behind a stable front.

Notes

No-brainer returners. The Broncos are bringing back exclusive-rights free agents Devon Key, Dondrea Tillman, Tyler Badie and Jordan Jackson, a source confirmed to The Post Thursday. All will receive one-year deals at the league minimum, making for some obvious decisions for Denver. Safety Key was an All-Pro special-teamer in 2025, and Tillman was a key member of their outside-linebacker rotation for a second consecutive year.

Badie, meanwhile, wasn’t a popular man in ����apountry after dropping four passes in 2025, but was excellent as a pass-blocker as Denver’s third-down back in 2025. Jackson, an Air Force product, has provided rotational defensive-line depth for the Broncos for the last two seasons.

A first top-30 visit. Denver hosted Mizzou defensive lineman Chris McClellan for a pre-draft 30 visit on Friday, a source told The Post. McLellan posted a picture inside the Broncos’ facility to his Instagram story. He’d be an interesting young piece to add to a room set to lose John Franklin-Myers. The 6-foot-4, 313-pound McLellan had six sacks and eight tackles for loss for Mizzou last year.

The thing about windows, though, is that they close. Denver has two more seasons before it has to start thinking about a massive extension for quarterback Bo Nix, which will put considerable strain on their long-term cap. It’s no secret. The world knows it. Those inside the Broncos’ facility know it. Their time to strike is now, heading into 2026 free agency with roughly $28 million in current cap room — — and plenty of levers to pull to create more space and throw money around in the market.

It’s also no secret that the Broncos need more skill talent. They need to add a running back, tight end, and potentially wide receiver. They need a linebacker either in free agency or the draft, and quietly have some options at safety. In January, owner Greg Penner described Denver’s approach with a phrase that’ll come to define this offseason, whatever size of swing the front office takes: “We’ll be opportunistically aggressive.”

The legal tampering period of free agency, when teams can officially make contact with players and agents, begins at 10:00 a.m. MT Monday. New contracts can officially be signed come 2:00 p.m. MT on Wednesday. Here’s The Denver Post’s position-by-position Broncos guide to 2026 free agency, informed via numerous conversations with NFL agents and sources across the past two weeks.

Quarterback

Who Denver has: QB1 Bo Nix, QB2 Jarrett Stidham

Who Denver could lose: QB3 Sam Ehlinger

What Denver needs: Another QB in the room, and to re-sign Ehlinger

Key market options (former team in parenthesis): Zach Wilson (Dolphins), Sam Howell (Eagles), Teddy Bridgewater (Buccaneers)

This will depend entirely on whether the Broncos actually shop Stidham, and potentially save themselves $6.5 million in corresponding cap room. If they trade Stidham to a quarterback-needy team for some draft capital, Denver could easily look to re-sign Ehlinger and promote him to Nix’s official backup, after Ehlinger stuck to Davis Webb’s hip in 2025. The Broncos would clearly need another name to push Ehlinger in such a circumstance, though.

If that wouldn’t be a young draft pick, the Broncos could look to bring back Zach Wilson, who was part of a tight-knit group with Nix and Stidham in Denver in 2024. Paton also did plenty of work on longtime backup Howell in the 2022 draft, and former Bronco Bridgewater was Sean Payton’s trusted backup in New Orleans in 2018 and 2019.

Running back

Who Denver has: RB1/RB2 RJ Harvey, RB3 Tyler Badie (likely to sign ERFA deal)

Who Denver could lose: RB1/RB2 J.K. Dobbins, RB4 Jaleel McLaughlin

What Denver needs: A true RB1 or Harvey complement, and depth

Key market options: Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks), Travis Etienne Jr. (Jaguars), Rico Dowdle (Panthers), Tyler Allgeier (Falcons), Kenneth Gainwell (Steelers), Emanuel Wilson (Packers)

Here’s the spot that’ll draw the most buzz next week. The Broncos have already been connected to some of the top names on the market, clearly needing an upgrade in the room even if Denver brings back Dobbins on the cheap; the oft-injured veteran simply can’t be relied upon to play a full season. The Seahawks elected not to give Walker a one-year, $14 million franchise tag after a Super Bowl MVP, and the star RB could easily command upwards of $12 to $14 million on the market.

Would Denver swing on that price, though? Walker wasn’t good in pass protection last year (two sacks and nine pressures in 51 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF), and the Broncos need a third-down back whom Nix trusts. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound Etienne is a highly intriguing fit for Denver, a bigger back who’s dynamic in the passing game (six receiving touchdowns in 2025). The 25-year-old Allgeier is a power back without excessive tread on the tires who could be available at a lower price, but expect Denver to look elsewhere.

Don’t be surprised if the Broncos walk away with Dobbins, Harvey and a supplemental piece instead of swinging big here. Wilson is an interesting name, a 226-pound RB who ran for 496 yards in Green Bay last season.

Wide receiver

Who Denver has: WR1 Courtland Sutton, WR2 Troy Franklin, WR3 Pat Bryant, WR4 Marvin Mims Jr.

Who Denver could lose: WR5 Lil’Jordan Humphrey

What Denver needs: A high-upside complement to Sutton, or at least another trustworthy WR4/5 option

Key market options: Alec Pierce (Colts), Jauan Jennings (49ers), Wan’Dale Robinson (Giants), Rashid Shaheed (Seahawks), Mike Evans (Buccaneers), Stefon Diggs (Patriots), Romeo Doubs (Packers), Jahan Dotson (Eagles), Jalen Nailor (Vikings)

The Broncos like their current receiver room. The Paton-Payton braintrust has made that clear this entire offseason, and their firing of receivers coach Keary Colbert and hire of longtime Payton associate Ronald Curry signal that Denver believes in unlocking the potential of its current group rather than needing a drastic personnel overhaul. That being said, they need to add a piece here, whether in free agency or via a deep draft class.

Pierce is the true difference-maker on the market. There are few in the NFL like him, a 6-foot-3 deep-ball extraordinaire who racked up 1,003 yards last year on 21.3 yards per catch. Denver got an up-close look at him in a Week 2 loss to Indianapolis. But one agent The Post spoke with pinpointed Pierce’s likely market value at $27 to $30 million, which would be a steep price for a team already giving Sutton $23 million yearly. Don’t expect Denver to get into a bidding war for him.

The rest of the market is somewhat iffy. Jennings has the frame (6-foot-3), blocking prowess and red-zone ability (nine TDs in 2025) that Payton would love. Robinson will likely land somewhere in the $10 to $15 million range, and would bring a high-volume slot weapon that Denver doesn’t currently have.

Doubs is a definite potential fit for the Broncos here; Denver has interest in the former Green Bay receiver, an NFL source told The Post. He’s a big-bodied target who doesn’t demand the ball but has good red-zone production and can play in a variety of alignments. Keep an eye on Dotson as a potential depth piece, too, as Dotson’s agency CAA also represents Nix. He’s a former 2022 first-round pick whose production stalled out in Philadelphia, but he can block, play from the slot and hasn’t dropped a pass since 2023.

Tight end

Who Denver has: TE1/TE2 Evan Engram

Who Denver could lose: TE1/TE2 Adam Trautman, TE3 Nate Adkins, TE4 Lucas Krull

What Denver needs: A legitimate in-line TE who can complement Engram as a pass-catcher, and stay on the field on any down

Key market options: David Njoku (Browns), Isaiah Likely (Ravens), Cade Otton (Buccaneers), Chig Okonkwo (Titans), Dallas Goedert (Eagles), Daniel Bellinger (Giants), Charlie Kolar (Ravens)

Denver can’t simply run it back from 2025 and expect better production from Engram, who caught 50 passes for 461 yards in 2025, under new play-caller Davis Webb. The Broncos need a versatile weapon whom they trust as both a blocker and a matchup-threat receiver. Otton might just be that guy: he played in-line (attached to the offensive tackle) on nearly half his snaps in Tampa Bay in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus, and has caught 59 passes in each of the last two seasons.

Otton’s yearly value has been pinpointed in NFL circles somewhere around Jake Ferguson’s four-year, $50 million extension with Dallas in 2025. If Denver wants to spend at TE, he and Likely would be the most well-rounded options on the Market. Njoku and Goedert are likely past their primes, and Okonkwo’s not a blocker.

Bellinger had 88 yards and a touchdown for the Giants against Denver in Week 7, and is seeking $7 to $8 million yearly. Kolar is the most intriguing upside swing here, a 6-foot-6 blocker who was stuck behind multiple TEs in Baltimore in the receiving game.

Offensive line

Who Denver has: LT1 Garett Bolles, LG1 Ben Powers, C1 Luke Wattenberg, RG1 Quinn Meinerz, RT1 Mike McGlinchey, OL2 Alex Palczewski, OT2 Matt Peart, OT2 Frank Crum, C2 Alex Forsyth

Who Denver could lose: Nobody

What Denver needs: Maybe another swing tackle

Key market options: Wide-open

Denver doesn’t need to spend here, with its current starting offensive line set again for 2026. The Broncos could always look to cut or deal Powers to create cap room and have a ready successor in Alex Palczewski, whom they inked to a two-year extension Thursday. It’s more likely they look to the draft to bolster depth here, although they could certainly cut Peart to save over $3 million in cap room and target another backup tackle in free agency. Players like former Vikings veteran Justin Skule or Seahawks backup Josh Jones could be good value there.

Defensive line

Who Denver has: DE1 Zach Allen, NT1 D.J. Jones, OLB1 Nik Bonitto, OLB2 Jonathon Cooper, DE/DT2 Eyioma Uwazurike, DT2 Malcolm Roach, OLB2 Jonah Elliss, OLB2 Dondrea Tillman (likely to sign ERFA deal), OLB3 Que Robinson, DE/DT3 Sai’vion Jones

Who Denver could lose: DE1 John Franklin-Myers, DE/DT3 Jordan Jackson

What Denver needs: A cheap, productive interior defensive lineman to push Uwazurike, Roach and Jones

Key market options: Logan Hall (Buccaneers), David Onyemata (Falcons), Calais Campbell (Cardinals), Sebastian Joseph-Day (Titans), Rakeem Nunez-Roches (Giants)

The Broncos already have massive amounts of money tied up in their defensive line, and Franklin-Myers is already all but gone. His likely landing spot is Tennessee, where recently-acquired defensive end The thinking from agents who spoke with The Post is that Denver could bring in depth to help supplant Franklin-Myers, but will likely rely on its pieces already in the building to fill the void.

Ironically, the Broncos’ movements in the defensive-line market will depend on Franklin-Myers’ own movements. Agents are completely across the board on projecting Franklin-Myers’ yearly value in a weak class; one suggested $12 to $14 million, one suggested $16 to $18 million, and one went as high as $20 to $22 million. If teams end up bidding closer to that higher end, it could price the Broncos out of what they’d be willing to spend for another body in the room. Onyemata, Joseph-Day and Nunez-Roches could all offer cheap, veteran depth.

Inside linebacker

Who Denver has: LB1 Dre Greenlaw, LB2/LB3 Karene Reid, LB2/LB3 Jordan Turner, LB2/LB3 Levelle Bailey, LB2/LB3 Drew Sanders

Who Denver could lose: LB1 Alex Singleton, LB1/LB2 Justin Strnad

What Denver needs: An instant-impact starter, or at the very least a high-end LB3.

Key market options: Devin Lloyd (Jaguars), Nakobe Dean (Eagles), Quay Walker (Packers), Quincy Williams (Jets), Kaden Elliss (Falcons), Alex Anzalone (Lions), E.J. Speed (Texans), Bobby Okereke (Giants)

It’s a great year to need a middle linebacker. Denver could certainly look to a strong draft class to address this spot. But an NFL source who met with Denver at last week’s NFL Combine told The Post that the Broncos will have a “significant appetite” in the free-agent linebacker market.

That could mean they’ll take a monster swing on Lloyd, a 2025 All-Pro and the kind of playmaker that Vance Joseph would have a field day with in the middle of Denver’s defense. It could also mean they’ll re-sign Singleton as their green-dot defensive leader — he’s been pinpointed by multiple NFL sources at somewhere between $5 to $8 million yearly — and add another piece to compete for a starting job. Strnad is likely headed for new pastures, as he told The Post after the season he wouldn’t be back in Denver unless it was in a clear starting role.

The Broncos have interest in Anzalone and Speed, sources said, both potential green-dot options or LB3 pieces who will come in below the top of the market, where NFL sources pinpointed Lloyd likely to come in between $15 and $17 million annually. Dean is another interesting and versatile option who told The Post at the Super Bowl he likes watching the Broncos’ defense and would be interested in Denver in free agency if the price was right.

Secondary

Who Denver has: CB1 Pat Surtain II, CB1 Riley Moss, NB1 Ja’Quan McMillian, NB2/CB2 Jahdae Barron, CB2 Kris Abrams-Draine, S1 Talanoa Hufanga, S1 Brandon Jones, S2 Devon Key (likely to sign ERFA deal), S2 JL Skinner

Who Denver could lose: S2 P.J. Locke

What Denver needs: A third safety to replace Locke and potentially push Jones

Key market options: Tony Adams (Jets), Dane Belton (Giants), Kyle Dugger (Steelers), Andrew Wingard (Jaguars), Alohi Gilman (Ravens), Ifeatu Melifonwu (Dolphins), D’Anthony Bell (Panthers), Rodney Thomas II (Colts)

A notable Broncos development to track in free agency: Denver has expressed interest in adding a safety, several NFL sources told The Post this week. Locke is likely headed elsewhere after a nice fill-in stretch for the injured Jones late in 2025, and the Broncos want to add another piece to replace him, as Hufanga and Jones are both injury risks. Wingard is a name to watch here, a seven-year Jaguars veteran who recorded 84 tackles and nine passes defensed as a full-time starter in 2025.

The Broncos also did work on Melifonwu in last year’s free agency, and Denver tracked Bell’s status on the waiver wire as the Seahawks pulled him between the practice squad and active roster in 2025, sources said. At the very least, expect Denver to sign a depth safety who can also be a special-teams contributor.

Special teams

Who Denver has: K1 Wil Lutz, P1 Jeremy Crawshaw, LS1 Mitchell Fraboni

Who Denver could lose: Nobody

What Denver needs: Nothing

Key market options: Wide open

Denver need not spend much time here on specialists.

Bo Nix’s season is officially over.

The Broncos finalized those expected moves for their starting center and starting quarterback Saturday, according to the league’s transaction wire.

Denver put Nix on injured reserve after he broke a bone in his ankle last week and had surgery to repair the injury Tuesday. They activated Wattenberg from injured reserve to take Nix’s roster spot, putting him in line to start for Denver on Sunday against New England in the AFC Championship game.

Wattenberg, who signed a four-year, $48 million extension earlier in the season, was a full participant in practice all week. That sets the stage for him to jump back into the starting lineup. Fellow center Alex Forsyth, who started the past three games in Wattenberg’s place, is questionable with an ankle injury.

Nix has been ticketed for injured reserve since breaking a bone in his ankle in the waning seconds of overtime against Buffalo last week. The Broncos typically make IR placements on Saturday and followed the same procedure with their starting quarterback.

Bandy, Moore up. In addition to those moves, Denver is elevating veteran wide receivers Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore from the practice squad.

Bandy has been the next man up at receiver for the Broncos because of his ability to play every spot. He caught a touchdown against Green Bay, the first of his career.

Moore was also elevated for the Divisional game against Buffalo but was inactive on game day.

Moore has not yet appeared in a game for the Broncos since signing earlier in the season, but he brings speed to the equation. Broncos second-year receiver Troy Franklin (hamstring) is questionable to play Sunday. If he’s unable to go, Moore could slide into Denver’s receiver rotation with Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr. and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Hollins back for NE. New England, meanwhile, activated wide receiver Mack Hollins (abdominal) from injured reserve Saturday and put defensive tackle Eric Gregory on IR. The Patriots also announced DT Joshua Farmer and RB Terrell Jennings had been downgraded to out and did not make the trip to Denver.

The adrenaline of a 33-30 overtime win over Buffalo began to fade Saturday evening, but so much more sat right there for the Broncos offensive lineman to consider.

The week ahead. The AFC Championship Game at Empower Field. A trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

As Forsyth pulled out of the stadium, however, he went the wrong way.

Road closed ahead. Standstill traffic.

He sat with his thoughts. Then his phone buzzed.

A group message lit up with a text from a friend.

Bo Nix broke his ankle. Out for the season.

Forsyth assumed his friend had bad information.

“I figured it was one of those fake football accounts,” he told The Denver Post this week. “I was like, ‘Nah, I think you got fooled.’”

Forsyth had just seen Nix in the postgame training room. The third-year center has ankle issues himself, missed 16 snaps Saturday and was evaluated again after the game. He talked with Nix, a teammate in Denver for two years and at the University of Oregon in 2022, briefly about the game while waiting around the X-ray room.

“I didn’t think anything of it,” Forsyth said. “I’ve played with Bo since Oregon, so I know when something’s wrong. I couldn’t tell or anything.”

Nix didn’t yet know he’d broken a bone in his right ankle, though he suspected something was wrong. He didn’t yet know he’d have surgery less than 72 hours later. That there was no way he could continue playing this year.

It all turned out to be true. Forsyth’s friend was right.

Teammates and coaches found out in myriad ways.

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi was driving home with his son, who told him. He, too, thought bad information must have somehow spread.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey was on his way to the parking lot when a teammate told him.

“It broke my heart a little bit,” said the wide receiver, who hours earlier hauled in a touchdown from Nix against the Bills.

Fellow quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger were in the training room with Nix while he was evaluated and the imaging was done. They each described the moments that followed as “devastating.”

Head coach Sean Payton, his team scattered to the wind, decided to announce the news to reporters right away Saturday night. He did so because he knew the injury wouldn’t stay quiet until a Monday morning team meeting, but in the process, he also seized an opportunity to set an immediate tone.

Payton didn’t just say Stidham would be fine. He pushed his chips to the middle of the table right away.

“Just watch,” he said defiantly of his No. 2. In the days since, Payton’s confidence has sometimes veered toward bravado.

Part of that really is about belief in Stidham. Much of it, though, is because Denver is not scrambling this week trying to figure out how to approach life without Nix. Really, Payton and the Broncos front office have spent the past three years assembling a team and an operation built for this exact moment. Now comes the biggest stress test to date on the biggest stage yet.

‘Hurricane proof’

Payton often talks about identifying players who are “hurricane proof.”

He attributes the metaphor to legendary University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban.

“Toughness really is not necessarily about physical, but the mental and how much you can take,” Payton said earlier this season. “And (Saban) likened it to hurricane windows. You can get the 139s, the 150s or the 189s. Obviously, if you go up, they cost more.”

Finding the right players, Payton said, is “finding the 189s.”

In November, Payton implored reporters to pick a Super Bowl team. Any of them. They all go through storms.

“They come every season,” Payton said then, providing an ominously accurate forecast.

Denver at the time had just lost running back J.K. Dobbins to a foot injury. All-Pro corner Pat Surtain II was out with a pectoral strain, too. That����ap bad weather, to be sure, though Denver had won seven straight and would ultimately run that streak out to 11.

Stunningly losing your quarterback 60 minutes from the Super Bowl isn’t a squall.

It’s the eye wall of a Category 5.

Payton, however, thinks his team will come out the other side Sunday still standing.

He built the Broncos that way.

“It starts with really the right type of DNA that you’re bringing in,” he said in November. “You’re bringing in these guys with grit, toughness, football I.Q.. Generally speaking, those are hard-weathered players that can withstand the storms that come in our league.”

Hard and dark times

When Payton arrived in Denver in early 2023, he promised players on the roster one thing: The past did not matter. Everybody would be evaluated on what he, his staff and the front office saw with their own eyes going forward.

Some talented players didn’t last more than the first season, like 2020 first-round receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Some who’d been leaders under previous coaches did not work for Payton, like guard Dalton Risner and safety Justin Simmons.

Others, though, found their way through the chaff and into the light.

One example: 2023 undrafted rookie Jaleel McLaughlin. The North Carolina native spent part of his childhood in and out of homelessness. He played Division II and then FCS football. His pre-dawn workouts became the stuff of legend.

Payton liked the tape. He loved the rest.

“I heard the report on how he arrived at being a candidate to be in the NFL,” Payton said. “Then the question was, ‘Is he good enough?’ That question has been answered.”

Talent and traits matter. There is a performance baseline that is required to make it in the NFL. But to Payton, once that line is satisfied, grit is a differentiating factor.

That����ap how nickel Ja’Quan McMillian, undrafted in 2022, went from early bench player for Payton to starting nickel to now one of the premier slot men in the game.

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, this week, acknowledged to The Post that McMillian doesn’t hit the physical thresholds Denver sets for defensive backs.

“He’s undersized,” Joseph said. “He’s fast but not really fast. But he was always tough and smart and the ball always found him. That����ap his best trait. Having him here for three years, you watch him and how much he’s overcome, first with his physical traits. But he’s so tough mentally and he’s so smart.

“When things get hard and dark, he’s at his best. You need guys like that. Sometimes you have guys who are really, really good athletes, they’re the perfect profile, but when things get tough, those traits go away.”

The Broncos prioritize players like McMillian and McLaughlin. They, like everybody, need elite talent and they have it in Surtain, OLB Nik Bonitto, DT Zach Allen, RG Quinn Meinerz and others. But they’ve managed to collect high-end players who are “like-minded,” as Allen describes it, and then fill in the roster based on a willingness to sacrifice on talent or traits for players they believe fit their mental mold.

“Sean’s done a good job of finding players like that,” Joseph said. “Guys who love football. Guys who just earn their way. Our defense is full of them. Malcolm Roach has earned his way. Not a profile guy by any means. Undersized for a defensive lineman. But just tough, smart and the energy is so positive every day.”

The Grit Lab

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his 1841 essay, “Self-Reliance,” that “an institution is the lengthened shadow of one man.”

If the Broncos’ football operation is an institution, Payton casts the shadow.

He is obsessive about winning. “Maniacal,” he’s said multiple times, about any detail he deems as being even remotely potentially impactful to that cause.

That does not mean everything he does is right, that he handles every situation with aplomb or that those tendencies can’t sometimes get in his own way.

What it does provide, though, is clarity.

Once a goal is set forth, it does not go back to the shelf. Once a standard is set, it cannot be lowered.

The wrench turns only one direction.

In 2023, Payton’s first year, he said he’d be “pissed” if the Broncos didn’t make the playoffs.

The next year, he stiff-armed any notion that carrying $53 million in dead salary cap from Russell Wilson’s contract and playing a rookie quarterback should dampen expectations for his team. He reminded everyone about those dead cap charges after Denver made the playoffs, but never used them to head off a potential step back because he never believed a step back would come.

“When you have like-minded people, excuses aren’t going to be an option,” Allen said. “That����ap why the past two years have been so good is because we’ve been able to bring in like-minded people. Guys really, genuinely enjoy spending time with each other and the more time you spend here, the better you’re going to be.”

Players can sharpen skills, get stronger or become more familiar with schematics, to be sure. But they can also learn to become grittier. More hurricane-proof.

Payton said as much Thursday, citing , a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of the 2016 book, “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.”

“Obviously, it����ap something that I think is learned to some degree,” Payton said. “It����ap not like, ‘Oh, I was just born with grit genes.’ It can be developed.”

It can be developed, Duckworth contends, not just in individuals but in organizations.

Duckworth, who teaches a course at Penn called “Grit Lab,” hasn’t worked with Payton previously but she’s been rooting for Denver in the playoffs because she is friends with — and has received research funding from — Broncos owner Carrie Walton-Penner.

In 2018, Duckworth co-authored an article and wrote that “restlessness with the status quo and an unrelenting drive to improve” are fundamental to organizations with grit and that, “clarity around high-level goals can be a competitive differentiator.”

Payton believes that in Year 3, his Broncos have all of that.

The next challenge

Ultimately, none of this may matter Sunday against the Patriots.

Nix’s loss is a big one, no matter how resolved the rest of the group is.

The gambling company Circa Sports earlier this week installed New England as a 5.5-point favorite and its risk manager, Jamey Pileggi, determined the Broncos would have opened as 1.5-point favorites had Nix not been injured.

That’s a 7-point swing. Ten of Denver’s wins this year have been by that margin or less. Six of the NFL’s 10 postseason games thus far have been, too.

The Patriots matched Denver’s 14 regular-season games and have dominated the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston so far in the playoffs.

Amazingly, only a Week 1 loss to Las Vegas, the worst team in football, produced the tiebreaker that put this game in Denver rather than Massachusetts.

Head coach Mike Vrabel’s team is balanced, explosive and led by quarterback Drake Maye, a 2024 NFL Draft classmate of Nix’s who authored an MVP-contending season.

They’re good. They’re favored. Most expect they’ll win.

What had become clear over the course of 12 one-score wins, though, is that the Broncos do not rattle easily.

What has crystallized in the hours and days after Nix’s injury is that they will not rattle even in the aftershock of one of the most surreal post-game emotion swings a group could endure.

Certainly, if the Broncos bow out, players and coaches will wonder what might have been. They will remember the year they had such a golden opportunity and when it changed just that fast, so close to the finish line.

Right now, though, Payton is betting he’s built a fortress impenetrable to such thoughts as long as there is still an opponent ahead.

“Anything that����ap like, ‘imagine if we had this,’ that never crosses anybody’s mind,” Allen said.

Payton showed up Monday morning for a team meeting, the first time the group had been together since Nix’s injury, and told them that Sunday would be determined not by how Stidham played, but by how everybody else did.

He projected confidence, just like he did Wednesday when he implored Broncos fans to be loud and said they’d have “plenty of time to rest after this one. Two weeks.”

From the first days of training camp this year, Payton talked about this team as one that could make a championship run. He didn’t guarantee it, but he said he wanted the group to be comfortable thinking and talking in those terms.

For as much as the earth moved beneath the Broncos’ feet in the hour after Saturday’s win, the reality at hand Sunday did not.

Two teams are left in the AFC. One of them is going to the Super Bowl.

Payton, seemingly, hasn’t even considered the possibility of the Broncos not being that team. His lengthened shadow envelops the locker room entirely.

“He just knows what he’s got,” Humphrey said. “He knows what kind of coach he is, he knows what type of players he has in this locker room and he doesn’t think it matters what the situation is.

“We can go out there and handle business.”

Or, at least one of them.

Teams have had success throughout the season throwing the ball to tight ends, who often end up in coverage matchups against Joseph’s defense this season.

The Broncos in the regular season gave up the seventh-fewest passing yards overall but the sixth-most to tight ends. The numbers for opposing running backs are more moderate, but there have been instances of major hits against the defense out of the backfield, including long touchdown receptions by Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs and Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley.

Joseph has a logical answer for why teams test his middle-of-the-field players.

“Our corners are really good players,” he said, referring to the starting pair of Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss plus nickel Ja’Quan McMillian. “Pat, obviously, the best in football in my opinion. And Riley is always close. Sometimes, in (defenses’) minds, their better matchups are with backers and safeties. They can control the leverage, which is smart. So we understand that.”

That approach, Joseph said, is nothing new.

“That’s been that way for two years now,” he said.

It will likely be that way again on Sunday in the AFC championship. New England’s offense is balanced and features a high-quality tight end in Hunter Henry (768 yards and 7 TDs in the regular season) and a pair of capable backs in TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, who combined for 67 catches.

The onus isn’t just on inside linebackers like Alex Singleton, Dre Greenlaw and Justin Strnad or safeties Talanoa Hufanga and P.J. Locke, though they do have to make their plays in coverage.

Joseph said it’s on him to put those players in more advantageous situations, too.

“Having certain calls to help our ‘backers and safeties cover these guys is always important,” he said. “But also putting (tight ends and running backs) in certain structures where it����ap pressure structures where they have to block first before they go out. You can cover a back or tight end with certain structures. He can’t leave until he blocks first. So, absolutely.

“It����ap tough to find tight ends, especially on first and second down. But on third downs, that����ap the matchup they want because they get the leverage they want. That����ap just football. It����ap always been that way for my defense. We understand that.”

Joseph, Bonitto up for awards. Joseph and edge Nik Bonitto each were named finalists for awards on Thursday and Joseph won one, too.

The defensive coordinator won the Pro Football Writers Association of America’s assistant coach of the year award and was named a finalist for the same award given by the Associated Press.

“It����ap cool, but I go back to the players and the coaches and the entire team,” Joseph said. “When you win games in this league, coaches get rewards and players get rewards. It����ap a team game. It speaks to our team winning.

“The more we win around here, the more people will get rewarded for doing their job.”

Bonitto was named one of five finalists for the AP’s defensive player of the year award, which Surtain won last year.

“I’m super excited when I saw that news,” head coach Sean Payton said Thursday. “They’re two great candidates. Vance has been outstanding and a big reason we’re here. Then Nik, with the season he’s had — you know how I feel when they do these voting things every once in a while.

“Bonitto is an All-Pro player and a Pro Bowl player, and I’m happy for both of them.”

Bonitto finished one vote shy of earning second-team All-Pro from the AP last week and was seventh in voting among outside linebackers. But his 14-sack campaign was enough to land him among the top five for an award given to the best defensive player in football. Go figure.

Broncos’ health trending up. Every player on the 53-man roster except for quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) practiced Thursday. Nix is a mere formality on the team’s injury report before he is transferred to injured reserve, likely Saturday.

Rookie receiver Pat Bryant (concussion) was upgraded to a full participant, meaning he’s set to clear the concussion protocol and be cleared to play Sunday. Bryant wore a Guardian Cap during practice on Thursday, while other players did not. He could wear one during the game on Sunday.

Elsewhere, the rest of the injury report looked the same. Among active roster players, WR Troy Franklin (hamstring) and C Alex Forsyth (ankle) were again limited.

Among the quartet of injured reserve players who are practicing, RB J.K. Dobbins (foot) was limited, while C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), LB Drew Sanders (foot) and TE Lucas Krull (foot) were full participants.

Denver and New England will report game statues Friday afternoon.

Over the past couple seasons, the unit has self-imposed a fine system among its members, with levies assessed for violations such as missed assignments, penalties, mental errors, and for any actions perceived as putting a spotlight on the O-line.

All the money accumulated in the fine pot goes toward the unit’s group vacation following the season, which took them to Mexico in 2024 and Las Vegas in 2025.

“The rule is really anything that brings attention to yourself gets fined, because the O-line way is to not do so,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “It brings us closer together, and it’s all in good fun. It’s never intended (to be divisive), or to truly get under each other’s skin.

“It’s all about holding each other accountable for the mental stuff, and most of the other stuff that’s finable is all fun and games. And it certainly makes the trip better on the back end of the year.”

The fine system has a treasurer, center Alex Forsyth, as well as a “bell-ringer,” the player designated with ringing a physical bell that resides in the offensive line room when errors are discovered during film review. That duty falls to practice squad guard Calvin Throckmorton.

If a player disagrees with a fine, the unit also has a “sensitive fine.”

“If you say anything back after the bell-ringing, you’ll get fined again,” left guard Ben Powers said with a laugh.

Offensive linemen can also be fined for being seen talking with any of the team’s “suits,” such as general manager George Paton or members of the team’s ownership group. Plus, Powers says that if an offensive lineman is touched by head coach Sean Payton at any point during a game, that is also subject to a fine.

“You’ve got to take a picture of any (lineman) that’s seen with any of the suits, and then that evidence is brought to the Kangaroo Court,” McGlinchey said. “And once it gets there, I’ve never seen somebody win an appeal.”

Powers says fines are usually in the range of $50 to $100, and that money is eventually used on costs such as hotels, dinners and activities for the annual vacation. The location and timing of this year’s trip are to be determined, partly because of the Broncos’ aspirations for a deep playoff run starting on Saturday against the Bills in the AFC divisional game at Empower Field, and also because the unit has been busy in the family department.

The wives of McGlinchey and Powers are both expecting children in the coming weeks, while center Luke Wattenberg and tackle Frank Crum both recently welcomed a child.

“Hopefully we’ll decide on the trip on Feb. 9, the day after the Super Bowl,” McGlinchey said.

While Powers explained that the fine system “brings (levity) to a hard job,” he and McGlinchey say it’s also been a factor in developing the culture that turned the Broncos’ front into one of the best offensive lines in football over the past two playoff seasons.

This season, Denver’s offensive line as the best in football as the Broncos were the league’s most efficient pass-blocking unit for the second straight year.

The Broncos’ O-line allowed 23 sacks in ’25, tied with the Rams for a league-low. Denver’s 3.6% sack rate was the NFL’s best, and drastically better than the league average of 6.9%. And the Broncos allowed 186 pressures for a pressure rate of 27.7%, according to Next Gen Stats, which ranked 3rd in the NFL.

That consistent protection allowed quarterback Bo Nix to flourish in his second pro season, plus the front enabled the Broncos to run the ball when they needed to in critical situations en route to going 14-3 to earn the AFC’s top seed. Denver’s O-line did all that despite dealing with a couple of key injuries.

Powers suffered a torn bicep in the Week 5 win in Philadelphia before returning to the lineup on a snap count on Dec. 21 against Jacksonville, and resuming a full-time role in the regular season finale against the Chargers. Alex Palczewski filled in for Powers and rotated with him in Powers’ first couple of games back. Plus, Wattenberg suffered a late-season shoulder injury that led to him being placed on injured reserve; Forsyth has played center since.

“That’s what makes this group special, is the next man up has been able to fill in and be so productive,” Powers said. “There hasn’t really been a drop-off, so that has made our unit be able to continue to play well.”

Right guard Quinn Meinerz and left tackle Garret Bolles, whose 90.8 PFF pass-blocking grade was the highest among all tackles, Meinerz said the distinction “means more about our entire group than individually.”

“That is an award that has (me and Bolles’) names on it, but it’s a team award,” Meinerz said. “… We did a really good job this year protecting Bo during the season. We’ve been an efficient O-line that wants the weight on our shoulders.

“… Offensive linemen don’t necessarily love the individual recognition (as the fine pot underscores). I want to be recognized as our unit, and this Denver Broncos offensive line has played a really good season. Now, we have to do the same in the playoffs.”

Head coach Sean Payton said as much Friday after the team wrapped up what he described as an OTA-style practice.

“Yeah, I think you’ll see most everyone back,” Payton said.

That response was to a question specifically about inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who missed the Broncos’ final two regular-season games with a hamstring injury and was one of the only players not on the field during a brief portion of Friday’s workout open to reporters.

Among the others who weren’t spotted: Tight end Nate Adkins (knee) and defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers.

Franklin-Myers, Payton said, “is having a baby. Well, he’s not having a baby.”

Safety P.J. Locke (leg) was on the field and so, too, were left tackle Garett Bolles (ankle) and center Alex Forsyth (ankle), each of whom left the season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers but returned later in the game.

Could that also include running back J.K. Dobbins, who has been on injured reserve since mid-November with a Lisfranc injury in his foot?

“No comments on him yet, but he’s getting close,” Payton said.

When Dobbins was first injured, a source close to him said the best-case scenario for his return was if the Broncos made the Super Bowl. Since then, Dobbins has told people in the building he thinks he can be back sooner and Payton hinted at a potential postseason return without saying exactly when that might happen.

What����ap not clear when Payton said “most everyone” will be back is whether he also meant players who are currently on injured reserve.

A quick rundown of return eligibility for those players: Dobbins and tight end Lucas Krull (foot) are eligible to return at any time. Safety Brandon Jones (pectoral) is first eligible after this weekend’s wild-card action, while center Luke Wattenberg (shoulder) must miss the divisional round but is eligible to return for a potential AFC title game week.

None of those eligibility deadlines necessarily means the player will be ina position to return, though a source said Krull is ready to start practicing as soon as Wednesday and Payton has previously said Wattenberg’s injury was “right at” four weeks, indicating he could be back when first eligible.

Schedule options. Payton on Friday said he thinks Denver is in line to play Saturday, Jan. 17, if either of the AFC wild-card visitors wins Sunday.

If No. 6 Buffalo wins at No. 3 Jacksonville or the No. 7 Los Angeles Chargers win at No. 2 New England, Payton posited, the Broncos are in line to play Saturday of divisional weekend.

If the higher seeds win both games, Denver will play the winner of Monday night����ap No. 5 Houston at No. 4 Pittsburgh. That game would be played Sunday, Jan. 18.

“It����ap hard to gauge how these other games are going to go, not having really spent much time looking at New England,” Payton said. “(We’ve) seen Jacksonville. So it����ap one of those where you just, you’re working while you watch them. You’re working on each plan.”

Lively Friday session. Payton said Friday’s practice was mostly “good on good,” rather than trying to anticipate which opponent Denver might play next weekend.

He told his team he didn’t want the session to just be a time-filler. To that end, the coach had plenty to work through.

Asked if the Broncos intentionally played conservatively offensively the last two weeks of the season against backup quarterbacks, Payton said, “I’d like to say that, but obviously you guys know me well enough. We’re going to have to play better. I’d love to say that we pulled a bunch back, but the tape from last week wasn’t real good offensively. It wasn’t great at Kansas City, either. Good enough to win that game. But no, we’ve got to be sharper.

“As we get to these next games, here, we’re going to see good teams that can score and good defenses,” Payton continued. “That’s why I said to the team, ‘Look, I don’t want to go out and just fill in today. Fill in time.’ I’ll be honest with you, our third-down numbers, both sides of the ball, bother me. We can improve there. These games are going to come down to two-minute. I want those to be competitive. And I want to work red zone offense and defense.”

Added right tackle Mike McGlinchey, “It was good to get the body right, get some treatment and workouts in during the week and then today was a good, clean day to kind of knock the rust off. We got some long individual work in and then compete a little bit. It was good.”