It is experienced. It is accomplished. This group has set records the past two seasons, racking up sacks at a rate few defenses in NFL history have ever maintained.

The Broncos have to replace John Franklin-Myers in the starting lineup and a pair of contributors last year in Dre Greenlaw and P.J. Locke. They appear poised to do so ably, particularly on the defensive line, where several younger players have shown flashes in training camp.

This group is convinced it’ll break its own sack record again, though Joseph told them they don’t need to. They just need to perform and win games. If they create well more than last year’s 12 takeaways, all the better.

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ probable defensive two-deep come the fall.

Defensive lineman

Zach Allen | 99
6-foot-5, 285 pounds, 29 years old, 8th season, Boston College

Allen’s best two years came with close friend John Franklin-Myers playing next to him, so the challenge for the $100 million man and first-team All-Pro is pretty simple: Maintain his standing as one of the best in the business with some new faces around him.

Tyler Onyedim
6-foot-3, 292 pounds, 23 years old, Rookie, Texas A&M

The promising rookie may not crack the starting lineup right away, but he’s got the ability to play in the rotation in some form or fashion this fall. If injuries strike, Onyedim will need to be ready quickly.

Nose tackle

D.J. Jones | 93
6-foot, 305 pounds, 31 years old, 10th season, Mississippi

Jones just keeps going and going and going. He played some of the best ball of his career in 2025 and looks primed to keep it going this fall. Jones is a high-end run-stuffer and a critical, under-the-radar leader of the defense.

Eyioma Uwazurike
6-foot-6, 320 pounds, 28 years old, 4th season, Iowa State

The list of Broncos breakout candidates doesn’t go far before landing on Uwazurike. He’s had a monster training camp and appears ready to show it to the rest of the league. He’s a massive human, and he can move.

Defensive lineman

Malcolm Roach | 97
6-foot-3, 290 pounds, 28 years old, 7th season, Texas

Roach keeps adding to his repertoire. First he was a high-end run-stuffer. Then he added leader and culture-setter once he arrived in Denver. Now he’s a feisty pass-rusher, too. That adds up to a truly valuable player and person for Joseph’s group.

Jordan Jackson | 94
6-foot-5, 289 pounds, 23 years old, 2nd season, LSU

Every year Jackson is billed as a bubble player, and every year so far he’s made it and then found himself on the field. Sai’Vion Jones is a third-round pick from 2025, and maybe that ends up mattering here, but Jackson’s a better player at this stage.

Outside linebacker

Nik Bonitto | 15
6-foot-3, 240, 26, 5th season, Oklahoma

Bonitto has improved in each of his pro seasons and now has a $100 million-plus contract and a reputation as one of the most feared pass-rushers in the NFL. He’s probably already underpaid. If he takes another step forward this fall, look out.

Jonah Elliss | 52
6-foot-2, 246, 23, 3rd season, Utah

Elliss couldn’t stay healthy in 2025, but he’s had a terrific training camp this summer and looks primed to take a leap in his third pro season. He’s a naturally talented rusher who’s strong enough to handle run duties and versatile enough to play in the middle of the field some, too.

Outside linebacker

Que Robinson
6-foot-4, 243 pounds, 25, 2nd season, Alabama

One of the prime breakout candidates for the Broncos, Robinson showed tantalizing flashes as a rookie and now looks set to be a regular. He could start if Cooper is suspended. Dondrea Tillman figures to factor in here, too.

Inside linebacker

Alex Singleton | 49
6-foot-2, 240 pounds, 32, 8th season, Montana State

Fans may not have liked Denver’s ILB production last year, but you know who did? Vance Joseph. His opinion, obviously, is the one that matters. Singleton is cancer-free, healthy, back on a new two-year deal and is Joseph’s eyes and ears on the field.

Jordan Turner | 55
6-foot-1, 231 pounds, 24, 2nd season, Michigan State

Turner played special teams last year and is a player the Broncos think has developmental traits. Now he’s potentially a snap away from being counted on defensively.

Inside linebacker

Justin Strnad | 40
6-foot-3, 235 pounds, 30, 7th season, Wake Forest

Strnad put together the best year of his career in 2025 and landed a new three-year contract as a result. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s on the field rather than Singleton in some sub packages and, if so, if that means he wears the green dot.

Karene Reid | 47
6-foot, 226 pounds, 26, 2nd season, Utah

Reid made the team last year as an undrafted rookie primarily as a special teamer and could be next in line defensively after Levelle Bailey was injured in the preseason. Second-year man Jordan Turner could make a run and so could rookie Taurean York.

Cornerback

Pat Surtain II | 2
6-foot-2, 202 pounds, 26, 6th season, Alabama

Superlatives for Surtain almost don’t move the needle anymore. The best corner in football? Yeah. Four Pro Bowls, three All-Pro nods and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year? Yep. Hall of Fame track? Inarguably. He’s the best player on the team, and the most disruptive defense in the NFL is built around the idea that there are very few better on the planet.

Kris Abrams-Draine | 31
5-foot-11, 178 pounds, 24, 3rd season, Missouri

Every time Abrams-Draine has been thrown into action, he’s acquitted himself well. There’s little doubt he’d start for at least a handful – and maybe more than that – of teams around the league. He’s luxurious depth to have outside.

Cornerback

Riley Moss | 21
6-foot-1, 193 pounds, 26, 4th season, Iowa

Few Broncos have had better training camps than Moss. He is a terrific athlete and is wired for the job. If he plays a little smarter, a little less handsy and with a little more refined technique this fall, he’s not only going to make an elite pair with Surtain, but he could play his way into a massive payday.

Jahdae Barron | 23
5-foot-11, 200 pounds, 24, 2nd season, Texas

Who’s first up outside if the Broncos have a need? Barron or Abrams-Draine? The early bet is on KAD, but Barron has got a ton of work both outside and in the slot so far in training camp. The perimeter isn’t his strong suit just yet, and it occasionally shows against Denver’s deep receiver group.

Nickel

Ja’Quan McMillian | 29
5-foot-10, 183 pounds, 26, 4th season, East Carolina

McMillian went from undrafted to backup to one of the best slot men in football. He’s been a playmaking machine, made one of the great plays in Broncos playoff history with a game-saving pick against Buffalo in January and is the heartbeat of Denver’s defense.

Jahdae Barron | 23
5-foot-11, 200 pounds, 24, 2nd season, Texas

Barron’s most natural position is in the slot. He didn’t beat out McMillian as a rookie in 2025, and it wasn’t really even a competition this summer. Barron, though, will be used occasionally in the slot, certainly as Denver’s dime back. How many ways can Joseph find to get him on the field?

Safety

Talanoa Hufanga | 9
6-foot, 200 pounds, 26, 6th season, USC

Hufanga’s first season in Denver was a smashing success, both in that he played the entire year and that he brought a physical element to the back end of the defense. Hufanga’s played so much football but is still just 26 years old. Year 2 in Joseph’s system should be fruitful.

Devon Key | 26
6-foot, 208 pounds, 28, 3rd season, Western Kentucky

Midway through camp, Key looks like the next man in if either safety misses time. His defensive time in the starting lineup a couple years back wasn’t pretty, but coaches and teammates think he’s grown considerably as a player since then.

Safety

Brandon Jones | 22
6-foot, 191 pounds, 28, 7th season, Texas

Jones was playing really good football last year before a torn pec ended his season in December. He’s good in coverage, a sure tackler and yet another veteran in Denver’s secondary.

JL Skinner | 34
6-foot-4, 220 pounds, 25, 4th season, Boise State

Skinner has been a high-quality special teams player so far in his career but has not broken through as a reliable defender. This is a key autumn for him in that department. He played through a torn labrum last year. Eventually, this spot could go to veteran Taylor Rapp.

Punter

Jeremy Crawshaw | 16
6-foot-3, 205 pounds, 25, 2nd season, Florida

Crawshaw hit some big punts in the postseason, and this summer looks capable of jumping into the NFL’s upper echelon. He’s got major power behind the ball and has been steering it well, too.

A new one as of Wednesday: Just look at the club’s list of captains.

The Broncos voted the same eight players captain as last year and added first-team All-Pro special teamer Devon Key to the ranks for a total of nine.

The full list: Quarterback Bo Nix, cornerback Pat Surtain II, wide receiver Courtland Sutton, left guard Quinn Meinerz, safety Talanoa Hufanga, inside linebacker Alex Singleton, defensive tackle D.J. Jones, kicker Wil Lutz and Key.

The group has been remarkably consistent over the past three years. Nix, Surtain, Meinerz, Sutton, Singleton and Lutz have been named captain at least the past three consecutive years. For Sutton, it’s six straight seasons.

“There’s an immense amount of gratitude that comes from being named captain,” Sutton said. “To be able to have your peers and the guys you share work with, the locker room, practice, film, games, bus rides, flights, the whole nine — (the people) you share those moments with.

“For them to, not just myself but the rest of the guys that were named captains, to look at us and say, ‘we trust that you guys are going to help guide us in the right direction and we believe in you guys to be the anchor for us for the ship to be going the direction we want to go toward,’ I just have a lot of gratitude and thankfulness.”

Captains, Payton said, are decided by player vote. The team held a captains’ dinner Monday night after the results were finalized.

Sutton, 30, has now been a captain for more than a half-decade as he enters his ninth NFL season. He has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the past two years with Nix as his quarterback. Before that, he hadn’t topped 1,000 yards since 2019, his second season in the NFL. Sutton leads a revamped receivers room with Jaylen Waddle and an ascending Pat Bryant, along with Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Nix has evolved from a rookie quarterback who quickly gained his teammates’ trust in 2024 to a more vocal presence last year, clearly the foremost leader in the locker room going into his third season. Nix, 26, spent most of the offseason rehabbing a pair of operations to his fractured right ankle, but he’s been a full participant in the preseason and appears poised to hit the ground running this fall.

“I’ve gone from a little bit more of an action-based leader when I first got here — because, honestly, I was just trying to swim and not drown and just do my role and do my part on the team while leading by action,” Nix said. “But I feel like now, I can sort of lead a little more vocally because I’m a little bit more aware and have a few more things under my belt that I can fall back on.”

Surtain, 26, is a captain for a third straight season and is universally regarded as one of the best defensive players in football. Entering his sixth season, the cornerback has already been a first-team All-Pro twice and a second-teamer twice, including last year when he missed 3.5 games due to a partially torn pectoral muscle.

Singleton, 32, is a captain for a third straight season in Denver. He led the team in tackles with 135 last year despite playing through a twice-fractured thumb early in the year and then a testicular cancer diagnosis midway through the season. The Montana State graduate is set to start alongside Justin Strnad in the middle of the Broncos’ defense.

Jones, 32, is somewhat quietly one of the foremost leaders in Denver’s locker room. He is entering his 10th season in the league and his fifth with the Broncos. He’s been a steady presence not only as an elite run defender, but also as a calm leader who is straightforward in his approach on and off the field.

Hufanga, 27, was perhaps a mild surprise as a captain pick last year since he only arrived in the spring of 2025 via free agency from San Francisco. He set about earning trust quickly last year, though, playing in every game and racking up 106 tackles, a pair of sacks, and a career-high 11 passes defensed en route to earning second-team All-Pro honors. A second selection as captain, then, is not at all surprising.

Meinerz, 27, has established himself as perhaps the best guard in football, but getting comfortable as a leader has taken more time. He talked openly about the pressure he felt in 2024 when he was first named a captain shortly after signing a four-year, $72 million contract extension. Since then, though, he has developed his own leadership style and is, in many ways, the face of what is, overall, a highly experienced offensive line group.

Lutz, 32, and Key, 28, give the Broncos a pair of captains from their special teams ranks. Lutz has been the kicker on Payton’s teams for a decade now and he made a host of big kicks last year. Key, meanwhile, emerged as one of the game’s best core special teams players and was named first-team All-Pro in 2025.

Key’s election to captain was “overdue,” Lutz said, and Sutton commended the newcomer to the group.

“I probably don’t tell him this enough in person, but I tell all the other young guys,” about his story, Sutton said. “To watch him grow and mold into the player he’s become and then ultimately into this leadership role and captain role, man, it’s truly inspiring.”

Payton and several of the captains on Wednesday said the Broncos have a host of players who will lead despite not being elected captain.

“I was telling the guys after we got done with the dinner, whether you have the ‘C’ or don’t have the ‘C,’ everyone has the opportunity to lead,” Sutton said. “Everyone leads in their own way. You may not have the ‘C’ on your chest, but we all have moments where our leadership shows.”

“It’s very lucky. It’s so rare in our league to have what we have,” McGlinchey said.

The offensive line is a microcosm of a Broncos roster that’s predicated on continuity entering the 2026 season. With nearly the entire starting lineup returning, it’s difficult to parse through the roster to find any potential breakout players. For two straight seasons, general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton have zigged while the rest of the NFL zags. On average, only 56% of NFL players return to the same team from one year to the next, and just 35% of players return every two years, according to a study done by .

But there are always surprises in the NFL. To gauge who could emerge this season as an impact player for Denver, The Denver Post asked several Broncos which of their teammates could shock people in 2026.

Eyioma Uwazurike

The amount of love Uwazurike has gotten throughout camp will be music to both Broncos fans and the team’s front office. After John Franklin-Myers departed to the Tennessee Titans in free agency, it left a big hole in the middle of Vance Joseph’s defense.

Uwazurike felt prepared to fill the void. Last season, he told The Post he was “100% able to take over that role completely.” He’s looked the part this offseason, consistently disrupting plays during team sessions and repping alongside All-Pro defensive tackle Zach Allen in positional drills. His teammates have noticed.

“I’ll say Eni, bro. Eni’s had an amazing camp. He’s a guy that just disrupts,” wide receiver Pat Bryant told The Post when asked who could break out for the Broncos this year. “Like coach was saying, man, it����ap going to be hard to keep him off the field. Big guy. Moves very well. I’m excited to see what he does this year.”

A raw fourth-round pick in 2022, Uwazurike served a year-long gambling suspension that held him out in 2023 and then played a marginal role in 2024. He finally found consistent playing time in 2025, finishing the year with 39 tackles, five tackles for loss and five quarterback hits.

Known primarily as a run-stopping defensive tackle, Uwazurike took a lot of early down snaps last year. That freed up Franklin-Myers to be more effective on third downs, but Uwazurike has insisted he is not just a run stuffer. In his final season at Iowa State, he racked up nine sacks. The 320-pounder has some quickness to his game and worked on his pass-rushing repertoire this offseason. Fellow defensive tackle D.J. Jones called him “unblockable.”

“The leap he’s taking right now is pretty scary,” Jones said.

Payton also pointed to Uwazurike as a potential breakout player, saying he’s played “really well.”

Pat Bryant

Offensive coordinator Davis Webb dubbed Bryant as “Patty Ice” this offseason, and if you earn a nickname like that from a new signal-caller, you’re probably doing something right.

Bryant has arguably been the Broncos’ star of training camp, as he’s garnered praise from Payton, Webb, his fellow wide receivers, defensive players and the media. The second-year wideout out of Illinois is set to be Denver’s third wide receiver, behind Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle, by becoming much more comfortable in Payton’s system.

Safety Talanoa Hufanga, who’s had to help guard Bryant in training camp, said Bryant was “a role player” last year as a rookie, still learning Payton’s scheme.

“Watching his leap, you kind of could see it as the season went last year, but what he’s done through this camp, he’s really solidified himself and making a name for himself in this league,” Hufanga said.

Que Robinson

The second-year edge rusher might be the unproven player the Broncos are counting on this season. Robinson’s job got significantly more important after Jonathon Cooper was put on the commissioner’s exempt list. It seems as if he’s ready for the increased role.

Several players tabbed Robinson as their breakout player of the season. Bryant pointed him out and tight end Evan Engram said he’s had to “lock in” whenever he’s facing the linebacker in pass protection drills.

“The guy I’ve been super impressed with is Que Robinson, he’s been a force all camp,” Engram said. “He’s definitely growing as a player and he has a bright future ahead of him for sure.”

Sam Ehlinger and Bo Nix

While no players specifically pointed to Nix or Ehlinger, each quarterback got some love from their teammates. Cornerback Patrick Surtain II said Nix is “better than before, more sharp.”

“He’s ready to show the world what he’s about. Not that he already didn’t, but he’s ready to make a statement,” Surtain II said.

Payton said Ehlinger greatly improved this offseason. Ehlinger “earned” his spot on the 53-man roster despite being the third quarterback on the depth chart, Payton added. If Ehlinger has to play significant snaps this season, something disastrous likely happened in Denver, but Payton’s praise for the signal-caller is worth monitoring.

His father was a chef, including for the .

Jones himself knows his way around the kitchen, the smoker, whatever your palate desires.

The man, all 6-foot-flat and 305 pounds of him, knows what he’s talking about when it comes to eating.

He says the Broncos defense is going to feast this fall.

“We’ve got what it takes,” Jones said in August. “We’ve tasted it. Now it����ap time to cook the meal, eat it and take a break. You know how you eat a good meal, and you lay down after, take a good nap, then you wake up and go eat again? We’re about to eat again. It����ap time. We’ve got the numbers, we’ve got the men, we’ve got the willpower. We’ve got the free will to go do it.

“It����ap up to us, and we’re going to do that.”

The Broncos are seasoned, to be sure.

They return as many as 10 starters from Week 1 last year and must replace only John Franklin-Myers on the top line. So far in training camp, they look like they’ll do that with a combination of Malcolm Roach and a true breakout candidate in Eyioma Uwazurike.

For the most part, though, the core of this group is entering its fourth season under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. That includes Zach Allen and Jones up front, inside linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, outside linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper plus corners Pat Surtain, Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian.

It is a rare and enviable continuity the Broncos have built defensively.

“You’re not coming into camp kind of stressed about learning,” Singleton said. “That’s the hardest thing when you go to a new team or have new guys where you’re teaching guys, ‘Hey, this is our check in this situation.’ No, instead all 11 guys know.

“So, we’re one step ahead of where we would’ve been last year or the year before that at this time of the year.”

Really, the question for this group is whether it can stave off any hint of complacency that could accompany such continuity. That certainly wasn’t an issue last season, when Denver backed up a high-quality 2024 with an even better 2025. They jumped in rankings across the board, jumped from 10 wins in the regular season to 14, and broke their own single-season sack record by going from 63 to 68.

Can they make it three in a row? Defensive performance has tended to be more volatile in the NFL than offensive, but Joseph’s group so far has stayed sharp year-over-year.

“That����ap the really cool thing about this group is we’re just constantly trying to find new ways to get better,” Allen said. “It all starts with ‘V.J.’ He sets such a high standard. Yeah, we were good last year, but there were still a lot of things that we could have been better at and cleaned up. We want to be as consistent as we can be and play at the highest level that we can.”

Broncos coaches and players see the early stages of training camp as a kind of rite of passage. Despite the experience returning, part of the key to setting out on a new season is going through all of the basics. Every install gets a full explanation. Every page of the playbook gets a fine-tooth comb, regardless of how many times most of the players have been over it.

“When we’re installing, take those notes again,” Singleton said. “Rewrite the little basics of the calls because then, when the intricate stuff happens, and stuff happens during the game — the basic stuff is easy. That’s the stuff that’s already locked in; that’s muscle memory.

“Now you’re learning the nuances and all the stuff that really will define what we are this season on the critical plays during the season.”

Sometimes, though, second nature kicks in. They just can’t help it. An early August training camp day still features an array of checks and calls. You can go back over the basics, but once you’re on the field, the more advanced stuff is going to come out, too.

That, Singleton says, is part of preparing for what the Broncos will see later in the season.

One common theme over the past two seasons: the group has looked a little rundown in the stretch run of the regular season. Denver has given up 30 or more points eight times in 37 games over the past two seasons, including the playoffs. Six of those have come across 13 games played in either December or January.

The other major goal for the Broncos this fall: Take the ball away more. Head coach Sean Payton is adamant about it. Joseph knows it����ap important, too, though with a caveat: He’s going to play the way he plays — he talks frequently about making sure Denver is playing “good football,” which for him means a lot of match coverage. Sometimes that means fewer interceptions than teams that are more zone-heavy and consistently have more eyes on the quarterback.

The Broncos turned on the takeaway faucet in the postseason last year and beat Buffalo because of it. Then they snuffed New England for most of the AFC title game — the Patriots’ lone touchdown came on a 12-yard drive after a Jarrett Stidham fumble. If Joseph’s group is playing like that again in late January 2027, the Broncos are going to be right in the mix for a chance at a championship.

“It����ap a great unit, but they’re motivated, and they’re not satisfied with what we did last year,” Joseph said. “Our talks and meetings are always about, ‘It might not look like it did last year as far as all the numbers, but the play style should be the same and the end result can be the same.’ It can be different as far as where we ranked. That����ap not important for us.

“It����ap about winning games and getting back to where we were. It may look different, and that����ap OK, but the goal’s the same.”

As if the Broncos needed any reminder of how close they came last year, the NFL season kicks off Wednesday night with a Super Bowl rematch between New England and Seattle. Then, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams square off in Australia on Thursday night.

Denver plays all four of those teams this season and three of them by Week 6, but the Broncos have a long wait until Monday night, Sept. 14, before finally kicking off at Kansas City.

Tuesday marks six weeks since Broncos veterans reported for training camp. In that time, we’ve learned quite a bit about Sean Payton’s team. There also remain a handful of outstanding questions as prep for the Chiefs is set to kick into gear Monday and then really ramp up midweek.

Let����ap set the table as we head into the final week of the year without games that count on the menu.

What we’ve learned

Bo Nix has passed every test so far and looks primed for Week 1

When camp began in late July, Nix hadn’t opened up and ran in a practice setting since before he broke his ankle in January and had a follow-up procedure in April. It didn’t take long, though, for the third-year quarterback to show he felt good. Nix took every rep in training camp and he ran and cut hard off the right ankle. He showed no signs of any kind of rehab plan or workload moderation, outside of Payton mentioning that he likely still had scar tissue. The staff held him out of the preseason opener, but otherwise it����ap been full throttle for Nix heading into Week 1. And his teammates say he “is playing out of his mind.” The physically taxing part for all players is just beginning, but the summer has gone as well as it could have so far for Nix and the Broncos.

This should be the best collection of skill talent the Broncos have had in years

Camp featured glimpses of Denver’s offensive potential in 2026, but the whole No. 1 group has only played together in practice so far. Running back J.K. Dobbins didn’t play a preseason game snap and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle played six.

When this group hits the field for the first time against the Chiefs, though, it should be the most dangerous since Peyton Manning retired. Waddle’s arrival and Pat Bryant����ap ascension will certainly impact — and maybe transform — the wide receiver room. Payton and company have invested in the running back room and it finally appears to be in a good spot with Dobbins, RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman. The tight end room didn’t change much, but Evan Engram sees growth for himself, and the group could see residual benefit from the uptick in skill at the other positions. Bottom line: Nix and new play-caller Davis Webb have a lot to work with at their disposal.

The questions on defense are not where we thought they’d be when camp opened

The Broncos appear poised to cover the free-agency departure of John Franklin-Myers with players on the rise. Eyioma Uwazurike had one of the most impressive camps on the roster, Malcolm Roach continues to improve each year, and they pair with Zach Allen and D.J. Jones to make a high-quality top four. They’ll need Jordan Jackson to handle some snaps and rookie Tyler Onyedim to progress over the season, but this group looks ready to hit the ground running. When JFM got $21 million a year, it would have been a bit strange to think that safety P.J. Locke and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw would be the departures that left more lingering questions, but that����ap how it feels heading into Week 1.

Questions remaining

Will anybody get a contract extension before the opener?

Each of the past two seasons, the Broncos have inked a major contract extension with a defensive stalwart during Week 1 preparations. In 2024, it was cornerback Pat Surtain II. Last year, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto.

The Broncos don’t have the kind of obvious to-do list they did last year when Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen both also got extensions during camp, but they do have a big group of key players entering contract seasons. These things can change fast, but it����ap been quiet on the contract front so far. There’s been no solid indication that an extension is on the immediate horizon for Ja’Quan McMillian, Riley Moss, Uwazurike, Bandon Jones, Marvin Mims Jr., Ben Powers or anybody else. Deadlines spur actions, of course, and Payton has expressed interest in having multiple players on that list around long-term, but nothing has materialized.

Payton and owner Greg Penner have downplayed the impact that Nix’s impending extension eligibility, which begins next offseason, has on Denver’s contract decision-making from here forward. It����ap also true that the Broncos have spent a ton to lock up their core over the past two years. Still, if nothing comes over the next 10 days, Denver will enter the season looking like a team that could well be entering its last season with such extensive continuity.

When will Jonathon Cooper’s criminal case be resolved?

When veterans reported on July 29, Payton said the Broncos stood firmly behind Cooper and that he thought resolution could come “sooner than later.” Six weeks later, Cooper’s been arraigned on felony assault for strangulation and other lesser charges stemming from a pair of domestic violence-related arrests in June. He is not on the Broncos’ 53-man roster and is instead on the commissioner’s exempt list, which is essentially paid leave. His trial date is slated for mid-November, after nine Broncos regular-season games. The league could conclude its review of Cooper’s case for potential violations of its personal conduct policy before a trial starts, but neither the league office nor the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office appears to have much incentive to rush to a conclusion. Cooper’s in line to miss the opening portion of the season, but beyond that, there’s still uncertainty about what resolution looks like and if and when Denver’s starting outside linebacker might be back on the field.

How will Payton handle his new game-day role when they actually count?

The biggest outstanding question for the Broncos, really, is how Davis Webb will fare as a first-time play-caller. Particularly against a run of top-flight opponents out of the gate. Players and coaches are confident. So, too, is Webb. The interesting undercard is how Payton himself handles game days. He swears he’s not going to be like his mentor, Bill Parcells, who he said sighed or questioned many of his calls as games unfolded. He’s adamant this is going to work swimmingly and he won’t be tempted to take play-calling duties back. He’ll have “some suggestions, some mandates,” he said with a smile. New-look Gameday Sean in the preseason is one thing. How it looks in the regular season will be fascinating. There will undoubtedly be plenty of camera shots along the way to help tell the story.

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.

The NFL’s deadline for trimming rosters from 90 players down to 53 is now just a week away.

By the time Sean Payton’s team finishes its preseason finale against Minnesota on Friday, those decisions will be right in front of the coaching staff and front office.

Denver is widely regarded as having one of the deepest rosters in football. Even though losing players to waiver claims from other teams is relatively rare — there were 29 total waiver claims at the cut down last year and 27 the year before — the Broncos are the kind of team others around the league will be paying extra close attention to.

A year ago, they saw two players claimed — offensive lineman Xavier Truss and cornerback Damari Mathis — and a repeat performance this year would not be surprising.

So, that����ap the cat-and-mouse game for Payton, general manager George Paton and company. It����ap about putting together a high-quality 53-man roster but also about protecting as many players as possible while getting as many as you can through waivers and to the practice squad.

With that, here’s the Denver Post����ap penultimate roster projection. The last will come following Denver’s preseason finale.

OFFENSE (24)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

Current picture: Nix has been healthy, and Stidham has taken the lion’s share of the No. 2 reps in practice and in games. He wasn’t sharp in 30 snaps Friday night against the Packers. Can Ehlinger make a last-minute run at the job? And the bigger question for roster purposes is if they keep all three from the outset. The argument against is easy: It����ap a deep roster, and Denver has worthy options at other positions. The argument for, though, is compelling: At the game’s most important position, the Broncos have three players who have started and also been in the system for more than a year. Plus, there is no clear alternative at this point — no young practice squad candidate or somebody who’s been here in the Payton era — meaning if they lose Stidham or Ehlinger and at some point need to play the other, then the backup is someone off the street. Why take that risk with a Super Bowl contender?

Bubble player of interest: The rest of the field at roster cutdown time. Maybe there’s a young player out there the Broncos are hoping gets cut.

RUNNING BACK (3)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

Current picture: The top three are locked in and have the makings of the best Broncos backfield in a while. In this iteration, the Broncos approach veteran Adam Prentice and ask him to start the season on the practice squad. He then gets added to the 53-man roster after three elevations, if not before based on the team’s injury picture. Prentice, though, has been really good since he arrived at the end of camp last year. It’d be a real surprise if he wasn’t squarely involved from the outset. This is just a creative way of making it happen.

Bubble players of interest: Badie and McLaughlin. If Denver can get one or both through to the practice squad, they’ve got themselves nice depth. If not, there will be a ton of backs out there to sort through on the waiver wire.

TIGHT END (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Nate Adkins and Justin Joly

Current picture: Fairly wide open after the top two. You can put together several iterations, squint and see it being the way the 53-man shakes out to start the year. This quartet gives Denver a little bit of everything: The top two that are sure to make the roster, a player in Adkins who can play F and also fullback in a pinch and the fifth-round pick in Joly. It����ap contingent on Adkins getting healthy. He’s been in and out this summer. Dallen Bentley isn’t flashy, but he does the dirty work in-line. It may come down to who’s the player Denver feels best about sneaking through the waiver wire between Adkins, Joly and Bentley. Lucas Krull just keeps hanging around the picture, too.

Bubble player of interest: Caleb Lohner. The second-year man is in a bit of a tricky spot now. Maybe Payton’s spring praise was real enough that he gets back soon and makes the roster from the outset. Otherwise, from a roster perspective, could he be an IR candidate to start the year with a return designation? You only get so many, so they’d have to be counting on him playing at some point.

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

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

Current picture: Pretty much set… unless. Outside of a Devaughn Vele-esque trade from depth, this looks like a darn good quintet for the Broncos. We’ve all become accustomed to Lil’Jordan Humphrey starting the year on the practice squad and then playing a lot, but he legitimately deserves a roster spot the way he’s played this summer. Will it be there for him? Regardless, the role will be. As is, there’s a world in which Humphrey’s elevated from the practice squad early in the year and Franklin is a gameday inactive if everyone is healthy. Enviable depth in this room.

Bubble player of interest: Cam Ross. He got to run with the top group in the first preseason game. Then Friday night vs. Green Bay it was fellow undrafted rookie Dane Key. Kolbe Katsis has come on strong, too. Denver’s got options for the practice squad. There are a ton of receivers out there, but the Broncos could lose one of these guys at the roster cutdown.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, Kage Casey, Calvin Throckmorton

Current picture: What has looked like a rock-solid nine for the active roster has its first major question: Is Alex Forsyth going to get enough healthy time to make the roster and, even if he does, has Throckmorton just flat-out outplayed him for the No. 2 center job in camp? For now, we’re leaning yes to the second question regardless of the first. Forsyth has capital built up in the building, though. Payton calls him one of the smartest centers he’s been around. Throckmorton, though, can also play both guard spots, and that flex is valuable. Could be one of the tougher calls on the roster next week.

Bubble player of interest: Tyler Miller. They aren’t exactly household names, but each of the past two years the Broncos have lost a developmental tackle on the waiver wire at the roster cutdown. Last year it was Truss. In 2024, they lost Demontrey Jacobs but had to try to get him to the practice squad because they knew Frank Crum wouldn’t make it through if they waived him. Players are scarce at the position, and Denver knows how to develop them. The bet here is they’ll be quite happy to keep Miller if he makes it through.

DEFENSE (26)

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

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

Current picture: Denver looks well-situated to replace John Franklin-Myers and keep on rolling with Eyioma Uwazurike and Malcolm Roach. Those two plus D.J. Jones make for a top-flight run-defending group, and if Uwazurike rushes the passer as he has so far in the preseason, this group is going to be really dangerous. The question is if they take seven again like last year. And who would they leave off? If you’re looking for trade candidates in the next week, Jackson would have the chance to draw something real — like, a Day 3 pick rather than just a pick swap, perhaps — from a team that doesn’t have Denver’s depth. He’s made the roster cleanly the past two years and is having another good camp.

Bubble player of interest: Sai’Vion Jones. If you were going to leave somebody from the above group off the roster, Jackson and Sai’Vion Jones are the only two real options. Jackson’s proven he can handle a rotational role, so he’s got that going for him on a championship-minded team. Jones is bigger and stronger than a year ago. It����ap not yet clear he’s fully ready, but Denver also traded up into the third round to draft him just a year ago. It’d be a surprise to cut bait now, especially when there’s no indication they think he’s a lost cause.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, Dondrea Tillman

Current picture: Straightforward. This group has top-flight production and depth. There’s really no two ways about it. The major question is if Cooper will actually be on the roster Week 1. We’re keeping him on as a placeholder for now, but the reality is there’s a good chance he’s not. He could be suspended in the next eight days and, if the league is still reviewing at the roster cutdown. then perhaps the commissioner’s exempt list comes into play for the interim. Interestingly, the roster cutdown is Aug. 30, and Cooper is slated to be arraigned on domestic violence-related charges Aug. 31.

Bubble player of interest: Drew Sanders. A healthy training camp for Sanders would have made him a compelling bubble player. Perhaps he’s got one more run at it in him over the next week. But after a sack against the Falcons, he didn’t practice all week or play against Green Bay. On this roster, it����ap just going to be really hard to keep a guy who’s in and out as much as Sanders has been. He’s a scary one to let walk, though. If he ever stays healthy, he’s going to make plays.

INSIDE LINEBACKER (4)

Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock, Jordan Turner

Current picture: Still up for grabs behind the starters. Murdock is playing his way into a spot, and the Broncos love his smarts. Don’t overthink it and risk losing him. What����ap interesting is Turner has only been back a week or so off of NFI, but he jumped right into camp work with the top two units, and he was next up next to Reid in the game Friday vs. Green Bay. Denver liked his scout team and special teams work as a rookie last year. He’s going to be tough to leave off the roster. But Reid has been available and consistent all summer.

Bubble player of interest: Reid and Taurean York. Even after losing Levelle Bailey to injury, Denver has a bunch of interesting options. Not all of them can make the roster. Whichever two or three the team thinks can make it through waivers are the ones they’ll let go. But this group in general is worth trying to retain and develop through the season.

CORNERBACK (5)

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

Current picture: There may not be a better, deeper group out there. As long as they’re healthy. Riley Moss left the game Friday with an injury to his ribs, though Payton said he was doing “good.” If he missed any time, that might change the calculus here. Otherwise, the top trio is top-flight, and Barron pairs with Abrams-Draine to provide capable backup and sub play across the board.

Bubble player of interest: Reese Taylor. He’s not a talked-about player, but Taylor was going to make this 53-man projection until the Broncos signed veteran safety Taylor Rapp on Thursday. He still could, depending on how numbers shake out at other positions. Taylor was on the active roster down the stretch last year, is playing on the top line of several Denver special teams units currently and knows the systems for both Vance Joseph and Darren Rizzi.

SAFETY (5)

Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner, Taylor Rapp

Current picture: Maybe it����ap as simple as starters, special teamers and Rapp. It����ap hard to imagine Rapp would have signed when he did without some indication Denver planned to carry him on the roster to start the season. He’s played in 93 games in his career but tried to battle through a knee injury early last year, didn’t play great through six games and then was put on injured reserve. Key and Skinner are high-level special teamers, and the staff says it trusts Key to play defense if needed.

Bubble player of interest: Tycen Anderson. In this situation, it comes down to Anderson vs. Skinner for a special teams-dominant role, and Skinner wins out via training camp performance and also the production in years past here.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

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

Current picture: Pretty much set in stone outside of injury.

Bubble player of interest: Luke Basso has been in camp as a long-snapper, but STC Darren Rizzi said part of the reason is just to take reps off Fraboni during camp. Perhaps more interesting: Could Ross or another young player challenge for time as a returner?

Then Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers showed him the light.

Uwazurike, a 2022 fourth-round pick out of Iowa State, was starting to work his way into the Broncos’ rotation for the first time in his career and the first time since missing all of 2023 due to a gambling-related suspension.

Uwazurike has confidence in his own game. That����ap easier when you’re 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds. He’s strong, he’s got athleticism. He calls himself a good pass-rusher.

But how do you deploy that?

“It����ap not just knowing how to do moves against people,” Uwazurike told The Post. “It����ap knowing, ‘OK, this guy likes to set this way. This guy likes to shoot his hands this way. This center leaves this little bit of air here when he does this. Then this is where we need to attack at.’

“Every week we’re switching up moves and going based off what certain teams did. It����ap different than doing one-on-ones in practice. Learning from them and watching them do that last year, that was everything.”

Uwazurike saw first-hand what that preparation looked like. He learned what to look for.

“Zach, the notes that Zach takes, he knows the opponent����ap middle name,” Uwazurike said. “He knows everything about them. He dissects everything down on how to pass-rush vs. a certain person, a certain team, how the o-line slides.

“They definitely school you when it comes to studying. It����ap been good to learn.”

This fall, he just might get the chance to put it all to work.

Uwazurike has been one of the breakouts so far in Broncos training camp. He’s been disruptive against the run and the pass. Regardless of who he lines up against.

“The leap he’s taking right now is pretty scary,” defensive tackle D.J. Jones said recently, calling Uwazurike, “unblockable.”

Which raises an interesting situation as the regular season approaches: The Broncos have several high-profile players entering the final year of their contracts this fall. Most of the attention has been on whether players like Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian will receive contract extensions this summer. Same for safety Brandon Jones and wide receiver Marvin Mims, Jr.

However high Uwazurike is perceived to be externally on the priority list, it����ap probably not high enough.

The 28-year-old says he’s not thinking about whether it����ap a possibility in the coming weeks. Instead, he’s focused on what ultimately makes him valuable.

“All I can do is learn and — I feel like what I’m doing now in camp, learning from the guys in front of me and all that, that����ap what����ap going to help me get to that point,” Uwazurike said. “Money is made here. Money is made in practice and in the film room. That����ap my main focus. If I do all of that right and play as hard as I can, then whatever comes for me is whatever comes for me.

“That����ap all I can do. That has to be the mindset.”

Uwazurike has seen that approach work for his teammates. Franklin-Myers last year played well for the Broncos and parlayed it into a $21 million per year deal with Tennessee.

The since-departed defensive lineman, though, went out of his way to help Uwazurike.

One misconception about Uwazurike is the notion that he’s always been a run defender first. Really, he says, he thinks of himself more as a rusher. He’s learned the art of stopping the run and, in 2025, did so at a high level.

He got those chances, in part, because of Franklin-Myers.

The veteran saw enough from Uwazurike to go to defensive line coach Jamar Cain and tell him that Uwazurike should take some of his early-down work and help keep JFM fresh for pass-rushing situations.

“There’s a difference between people saying ‘I know that you can do it,’ and actually doing it and showing it,” Uwazurike said. “That����ap what it was. The season before that, my first season with JFM, it was constantly ‘I know you can do it,’ this and that.

“Last year, it was, let����ap put it on film. Let����ap put it on film, let����ap stop some runs and actually show that you belong.”

Franklin-Myers went to defensive line coach Jamar Cain, Uwazurike said, and vouched for Uwazurike to play early downs.

“It allowed him to have more pass-rush opportunities,” Uwazurike said. “When you have that chemistry and stuff opens up like that, it allowed us to be how productive we were last year. More bodies in the game, more air for JFM.”

Now with JFM gone, there is playing time up for grabs. Malcolm Roach is undoubtedly going to take some of that. Uwazurike likely will, too. Jordan Jackson and young players like Sai’Vion Jones and Tyler Onyedim could also force their way into the mix.

Uwazurike, though, looks primed to play a major role.

“He’s always been a big man. Now he’s leaned out, he’s moving very well,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said recently. “He’s powerful. … It����ap been fun to watch him improve.”

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.

Sean Payton’s team took the field six straight days — the last without him and several others as they traveled to Ohio for Drew Brees’ induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame — and came out the other side with a lot of work banked.

A week from now, Denver will have already played a preseason game at Atlanta.

The roster cutdown is three weeks away.

The Broncos open their season on Monday Night Football at Kansas City in 36 days.

OK, that����ap still a ways out, but the countdown is now on.

Jobs aren’t won and lost in the first week-plus of camp, but we’ve seen a lot of the Broncos and learned a lot, too.

Here are nine quick thoughts after 10 days on the field.

The Broncos offense is going to feel… different.

It����ap not yet clear how, but it����ap become increasingly clear that Denver’s offense is going to look and feel different with Davis Webb at the controls. Players talk about slightly different formations, slightly adjusted routes, more motion and changed assignments. Webb, Payton and company must decide what they want to hang their hat on in the run game, and that answer hasn’t availed itself to onlookers yet. Webb himself talked about offensive identity taking the early part of the season to form. But the notion that this is just going to be Webb calling plays off Payton’s sheet feels off. There might be plenty of Payton stuff to go along with some fresh ideas, but it will be with Webb’s spin, tempo and sequencing.

“I feel like Davis is doing a really good job of communicating with me and not over-communicating, but just give me a few things here and there,” quarterback Bo Nix said recently. “Reminders, little things about a play, like, ‘Hey, don’t forget this. Hey, remember you have this.’ So I think that����ap going to be great as we go with that communication in my ear.

“He’s been waiting for this moment for a long time. He’s been preparing for this, and he’s really put us in a good spot.”

“He’s got a bunch of wide-open concepts in practice because of shifts and motions,” Joseph said Saturday. “He’s worked very hard from the spring to now to put together and it looks really good. … The shifts and motions and the window dressing pre-snap has been good for all of us to see.”

The Broncos defense is going to look mostly the same

Vance Joseph’s defense, on the other hand, doesn’t have much need for change. Joseph has most of the same players back, and they know what they’re doing. It����ap been PhD ball for a veteran, cohesive group early in camp. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Joseph will tweak and adjust because you have to in the NFL, but this recipe hits just fine.

“You’re not coming into camp kind of stressed about learning,” veteran linebacker Alex Singleton said. “That’s the hardest thing when you go to a new team or have new guys where you’re teaching guys, ‘Hey, this is our check in this situation.’ No, instead it’s, all 11 guys know.

“So, we’re one step ahead of where we would’ve been last year or the year before that at this time of the year.”

Ehlinger has a real shot at the No. 2 QB job

Sam Ehlinger’s had two days running the No. 2s so far in camp, which may not seem like a lot, but it����ap two more than he got in all of last year’s camp. After the first, Payton said, basically, nothing to see here. It looks like something to see, though. In fact, it feels like Ehlinger’s making a real run at the gig. The Broncos like both Ehlinger and Jarrett Stidham and could keep all three on the 53-man roster despite a deep group and a good argument for keeping an extra guy somewhere else. But if Ehlinger plays well in the preseason — remember, he was pretty darn sharp last year — the Broncos will have a decision to make. Plus, if you’re toying with the idea of change after one guy has had the job for three seasons, you might just be looking for a reason to change.

Uwazurike might be a real problem for opposing offenses

The biggest loss on Denver’s defense was supposed to be John Franklin-Myers. It may still be, but the Broncos’ defensive line has been rolling so far in camp. Nobody in that group looks primed for a bigger leap than Eyioma Uwazurike, whom veteran D.J. Jones recently called “unblockable” and “scary.” Uwazurike is a force against the run and has budding pass-rush potential.

“I’m proud of him because, you guys know this, in our sport, any sport really, to just be out for a year can be difficult,” Payton said of Uwazurike, who was suspended for the entire 2023 season for violating the league’s gambling policy. “He’s really come back, developed. He’s strong, he’s big, and he’s having a real good start to camp. So I think you have to look at it as one less year than what����ap listed because of the year out.

“He’s doing really well.”

Malcolm Roach has seen an uptick in pass-rush reps, too. Can they generate consistent pressure in real games? Time will tell on that, but those two plus rookie Tyler Onyedim and second-year man Sai’Vion Jones — he’s stronger this summer but might have already fallen behind the rookie — look poised to fill the substantial gap JFM left.

There are two major questions on defense, even if they don’t seem pressing

Funny enough, while the d-line looks capable of covering up for JFM, the two biggest question marks on Joseph’s defense now are who replaces Dre Greenlaw at ILB and P.J. Locke at safety. You might say, what����ap the big deal? A No. 3 inside ’backer and a No. 3 safety can’t be that hard to figure out. Greenlaw played 324 snaps, though, and Locke played 173 after Brandon Jones was hurt. Of the Broncos’ four starters at linebacker and safety, only Justin Strnad has not dealt with a serious injury in the past two seasons.

Right now, the next man in at each spot looks like Levelle Bailey at ILB and Devon Key at S. Will that be the case come Sept. 14? Key’s in a strong position, but Bailey may have to fend off rookie seventh-rounder Red Murdock, who’s starting to make plays more consistently as camp moves toward its third week.

Bryant is making an early claim as Denver’s third wide receiver

Troy Franklin had 104 targets last year. Marvin Mims Jr. is putting together the best training camp of his career so far. But Pat Bryant, the second-year player out of Illinois, looks like the man. He makes plays day in and day out, and he’s got a complete skill set. He’s tough in the middle of the field. He can run after the catch. He’s Denver’s best blocking receiver, too. That����ap the profile of a guy who is going to play a lot. “It’ll be easy creating his role,” Payton said despite talking repeatedly about how stiff the competition is at receiver.

“It����ap healthy competition is what we like to call it,” Bryant said Friday. “At the end of the day, everybody’s job is on the line, but to come out here and compete, push each other, make sure everybody’s doing their job, helping each other out when it����ap needed. At the end of the day, we all have the same goal: let����ap go out there and win.”

There’s another wrinkle here: Courtland Sutton has no guaranteed money left after 2026. The Broncos will have to pay Jaylen Waddle sometime either next year or not far beyond. Denver’s been holding Sutton back this week in camp as part of a “load-management” protocol. Is a dip from 86% playing time next?

Lohner had a golden chance to make a push, but is missing out

Payton spoke glowingly about the second-year tight end who played just a handful of college snaps earlier this spring, but Caleb Lohner has yet to practice due to injury. He’s watched from off the field in recent days with a boot on his left foot. Perhaps he’ll be back to turning heads soon, but for now it����ap a missed opportunity because the Denver tight end room looks wide open.

Adam Trautman and Evan Engram have big roles, but there are just not a ton of splash plays and the rest of the room is a bit of a jumble. If Lohner gets back to being a rugged blocker with some athleticism in the passing game, he could still be a 2026 surprise.

Denver’s got real depth on the edge – and is clearly standing behind Cooper

The Broncos sent a clear message at the outset of training camp that they’re standing behind Jonathon Cooper — he’s facing a felony assault charge and other lesser charges related to a pair of domestic violence arrests in June — and Payton indicated the club believes there may be a resolution to the proceedings soon. Even if that happens, Cooper will still be subject to a potential NFL suspension. Regardless of his status at the start of the regular season, the Broncos have enviable depth on the edge. Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman are trusted rotation members from a year ago, Que Robinson has played well in camp so far, and Drew Sanders is healthy, as well.

Payton thinks he finally has the Broncos running back room right

Payton and Co. really muddled through the first two years of his tenure here at running back. A 2025 overhaul brought in J.K. Dobbins via free agency and RJ Harvey via the draft, but the group never felt like it quite fit together neatly, and then it fell off a cliff when Dobbins was injured. Now with rookie Jonah Coleman added to Dobbins and Harvey, Payton’s got a trio he loves. “We’re a lot further along in that position group than maybe — well, I know we are (better) than three years ago.”

Coleman’s made quite an impression in the building already as a rookie. Whether he or Harvey ends up the third down and two-minute back remains to be seen, but Denver’s got talent and depth rather than one or the other for the first time in Payton’s tenure.