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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“So that����ap always a challenge.”

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

Changes from last week’s projection are italicized.

OFFENSE (24)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

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

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

RUNNING BACK (3)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

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

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

TIGHT END (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Nate Adkins and Justin Joly

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

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

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

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

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

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

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

DEFENSE (26)

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

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

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

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

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

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

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

INSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

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

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

CORNERBACK (5)

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

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

SAFETY (4)

Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner

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

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

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

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

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

Hard deadlines approach.

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

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

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

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

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

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

It����ap a bubblelicious weekend.

Here are five storylines to watch.

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

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

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

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

Looking for clues at linebacker and tight end

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

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

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

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

QBs Sam Ehlinger, Jarrett Stidham again take center stage

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

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

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

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

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

Any conspicuous players held out of the game?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For Red Murdock, picked by the Broncos with the final selection of April’s draft, the degree of difficulty is even higher.

Murdock, Mr. Irrelevant in the draft but hardly so in the eyes of Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, has been on a true crash course since arriving in town this spring.

All of Denver’s linebackers learn both of the inside spots, but Joseph and the Broncos’ defensive staff gave Murdock the task of learning to call the defense on the field from the moment he arrived in town.

Murdock got plenty of run in his preseason debut Friday night in Atlanta. The former University of Buffalo great played 47 snaps, 13 more than anybody else on Denver’s defense. He made eight tackles, too, double anybody else who played for the Broncos.

The early results: Quite encouraging.

“I thought Red did a great job of controlling the huddle, making the calls and making the checks,” Joseph said Tuesday. “That����ap his strength, man, he’s super smart. I want him to turn it loose more often than not. … Things move and we’re in the right fronts and the right coverages. That����ap his strength right now and the play-making will come with time.”

Joseph is already challenging Murudock to make more plays, along with all of the between-the-ears responsibility he’s carrying in his first training camp. The Broncos’ veteran coordinator predicted that Friday night against Green Bay, “you’ll see more play-making from Red.”

The competition for roles behind starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad looks to be wide open. Levelle Bailey went down with a fracture in his lower leg Friday, but there are still four players squarely in the mix: Murdock, fellow undrafted rookie Taurean York, and a pair of undrafted second-year players in Karene Reid and Jordan Turner.

Turner came off the non-football injury list last week and right away jumped into work with Denver’s top two groups, though he did not play against Atlanta. Reid made a great break on a ball that led to Jahdae Barron’s pick-six. Murdock and York both made plays themselves, too.

In practice, Joseph said, all of them get time playing both spots.

“Everyone behind Alex and Justin is training at Mike and ‘Mo.’ And dime,” Joseph said. “It has to be that way for the gameday roster.”

Not everybody regularly calls all the plays on defense, though. That will be an interesting responsibility on gamedays, too. Singleton has called the defense when healthy his entire time in Denver. If Strnad ends up playing in dime or some nickel packages instead of Singleton, he may call some in those situations, too, or that duty could fall to nickel Ja’Quan McMillian.

Down the roster, Murdock and York have played next to each other a lot. They’ve developed a bond that dates back to the Shrine Bowl in January.

“Shrine Bowl, I was in a boot and we were still collaborating together,” Murdock told The Post earlier this month. “Trying to see certain things and helping him make plays in practice and stuff like that, because I wasn’t able to play.

“But now, we’re two guys that love ball.”

Murdock called the competition “fierce,” but said he doesn’t worry about how roster spots shake out.

“I can go to sleep peacefully knowing I gave it my all, we all gave it our all, and the Broncos are getting the best linebackers they can get,” he said. “Also, all of us emptying the tank pushes each other to be better. Anybody slacking, anybody going through the motions, it����ap going to be so evident on tape, the way that we play football here in Denver.

“You can’t be slacking at all. Every rep is very intentional, from physical intensity to mental.”

Joseph thinks the physical part will come with Murdock. The mental part? He’s already proving that on a daily basis.

“It����ap his college tape. It����ap the draft eval,” Joseph said. “He was a smart football player that punched the ball out a lot and we’ve seen that in practice. To be a Mike ’backer in this league, it����ap more than the physical traits. It����ap your mind. That part he has.

“Now we have to use his mind to make more plays.”

Head coach Sean Payton made a brief appearance early in the walkthrough portion of the proceedings, but he and a contingent of more than a half dozen Broncos staffers and players are heading to Canton, Ohio, to be part of Drew Brees’ enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

Payton will miss the team’s Saturday practice as well.

“I honestly didn’t even realize that he left,” Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant said. “Around this time (of camp), you just kind of hone in on what we got going on at practice. … It����ap just the standard around here, whether he’s here or not.”

Brees and Payton arrived in New Orleans together in 2006 and spent 15 years together, including a Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2009. The coach will present his former star quarterback during the Saturday induction ceremony.

Traveling to the Hall of Fame along with Payton from the Broncos: Kicker Wil Lutz, offensive line coach Zach Strief, senior defensive assistant Joe Vitt, offensive quality control coach Willie Snead IV, strength coach Dan Dalrymple, and VP of player health and performance Beau Lowery.

Payton’s absence left defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in charge of the practice, but he is an overqualified substitute teacher.

“I saw (Payton) during the warmup,” Broncos defensive back Ja’Quan McMillian said. “I really honestly didn’t notice it before. I didn’t see him. I was just focused on what I was doing. But just having (Joseph), I went up to him and said head coaching looked good on him. He gave us some words at the end of practice that were inspirational.”

Joseph rose through the ranks as a defensive assistant before landing the Broncos’ head-coaching job in 2017. After going 5-11 and 6-10 in two seasons, Joseph was fired by the organization on Dec. 31, 2018.

He returned to the Broncos as Payton’s defensive coordinator in 2023. After a rocky start that season, Joseph has helped turn Denver’s defense into one of the best in the NFL.

The guy his players call “VJ” was named the NFL’s assistant coach of the year in January after the Broncos allowed the second-fewest yards and third-fewest points en route to a 14-3 record in 2025.

Joseph became a hot name during the NFL’s coaching carousel. He interviewed with five teams for their head coaching positions during Denver’s run to the AFC championship game, but ultimately is returning to the Front Range for his fourth season in charge of the Broncos’ defense.

He’s been the top boss before, but a couple of days running the show for a team with Super Bowl aspirations certainly can’t hurt.

“I think we’ll definitely see ‘VJ’ be a head coach (again) at some point,” Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad said. “It����ap cool to see him out there, kind of getting that experience. I know he had a short stint here in Denver, but I think he’ll get another chance and I’m excited to see what he does.

“He did a great job today. We got a bunch of situations in, a bunch of work. I thought it was a great practice from both sides.”

Physically Unable to Perform list — OL Nick Gargiulo. Non-football injury list — ILB Jordan Turner.

Did not practice — WR Jaylen Waddle (muscle strain), C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), TE Caleb Lohner (foot/ankle), OLB Dasan McCullough, DL D.J. Jones (rest), DL Malcolm Roach (rest), ILB Alex Singleton (rest), LT Garett Bolles (rest), S Brandon Jones (rest).

Left practice — DL Matt Henningsen, WR Marvin Mims Jr. and TE Nate Adkins.

Two Broncos stars moved in the right direction, but it was a brutal day overall on the injury front for the club. First, the good: WR Courtland Sutton was essentially a full participant after three rest days in a row. OLB Nik Bonitto continued to do more work, too. He had pads on and did individual work, though he’s not yet back to team reps.

The injuries started early in practice, though, when defensive lineman Matt Henningsen had to be carted off after an injury in individual drills. Henningsen, a source confirmed to The Post, tore his Achilles tendon.

Henningsen was visibly emotional after the injury and had his head in his hands as the cart took him into the Broncos’ facility. Making matters even more unfortunate: Friday marked exactly one year since Henningsen ruptured his Achilles in a joint practice against San Francisco. Head coach Sean Payton and others had raved about Henningsen’s recovery and about the offseason he’d had to this point.

Last year, of course, Henningsen’s August Achilles injury cost him the entire season.

Later in practice, Marvin Mims Jr. was running a deep route and pulled up hobbling while grabbing at his upper left leg. He tossed his helmet on the ground, sat on a water cooler and talked with a trainer before walking into the facility. He walked in with tight end Nate Adkins, who also left practice due to an apparent injury during a team period.

Bo Nix delivered a beauty of a two-minute drill

The Denver defense has regularly had the upper hand in recent days and particularly so in situational practice periods, but the offense hit back on Friday.

Quarterback Bo Nix led a clinical two-minute drive for what would have been a game-winning touchdown.

The situation on the scoreboard: Offense trailing by four with 1 minute, 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and one timeout remaining. Ball on the offense’s own 39-yard line.

The drive started with cornerback Riley Moss batting away a pass for Sutton, but then Nix caught fire. He completed passes to Pat Bryant and Evan Engram for a first down, then hit Lil’Jordan Humphrey in the middle of the field to get to the 35-yard line. With the clock running and 32 seconds remaining, the offense used its timeout.

Nix then made his best throw of the drive, hitting Sutton again on a deep in-breaker for 27 yards. The drive culminated with an 8-yard lollipop to a wide-open Engram in the back of the end zone. Seven plays, 61 yards and a game-winner with 18 seconds left on a drive that took just 1:03 of game time.

Nix thrives in two-minute and wide-open situations, and that����ap been the case again so far through camp. When the pace is fast, and he’s playing in a free-wheeling manner, good things happen more often than not.

Thumbs Up

In the Kage. Broncos rookie offensive Kage Casey has a lot to learn and likely isn’t going to be counted on to play on offense right away, but he shows flashes of what Denver liked about him in April’s draft. Take a one-on-one period between offensive linemen and defensive front-line players on Friday. He went against fellow rookie and third-round pick Tyler Onyedim three times and stoned him each time. Casey has good hands, gets them in the right place and then has enough power to work from there. Denver coaches and personnel people have thought since the draft that Casey could play any of the five spots over the course of time. So far in camp, he’s been predominantly at guard behind Ben Powers. Casey, if all goes well for Denver, may be in for a developmental year, but he’s already showing signs of being part of the puzzle down the road.

Thumbs Down

Tough day for tackles. On the other end of the spectrum in one-on-ones, Alex Palczewski and Frank Crum each took their lumps at times. Palczewski got roasted by Jonah Elliss around the edge on one rep. On the next, Elliss set him up to the outside, spun back inside and beat him clean. In those instances, it����ap always possible the tackle knows he’s going to have help inside. But Elliss has been a handful overall. Crum had a good rep against Drew Sanders, but he lunged at Dondrea Tillman and fell to the ground as the edge man flew by him on another snap.

Odds and Ends

* Sort of funny with Payton leaving for the airport right after walkthrough, but Friday was Denver’s best day running the football so far in camp. The Broncos got good movement up front — Jones and Roach being off for the day undoubtedly didn’t hurt that effort — and produced high-quality space between the tackles for most of the Broncos’ backs.

* Maybe it’s making a mountain out of a molehill, but Friday’s practice was quiet. Oddly quiet. Not in terms of action but literally. Some of that may be Payton leaving practice early on. Some of it is that Jones and Roach are among the group’s energizer bunnies. Some air seemed to come out of the session after Henningsen’s injury. It’s also the fifth straight day of work. Whatever the reason or reasons, there just wasn’t much juice on Friday.

* Two of the Broncos’ undrafted rookie wide receivers are starting to make plays consistently: Cam Ross and Kolbe Katsis. Each was at it again Friday, with Katsis hauling a deep ball and Ross continuing to pop. It����ap a tough route to the 53-man roster, but they’re good, solid practice squad prospects.

* Broncos inside linebacker Justin Strnad said he put on a few pounds of muscle over the course of the offseason, bumping up from 234 pounds to 238 or so. However, then he got sick last week and lost several pounds just ahead of a six-day work week under the Colorado sun. So, Strnad may not be fully back up to the weight he reported at early last week, but he looks comfortable next to Alex Singleton atop Denver’s inside linebacker depth chart.

* Speaking of that position, rookie Red Murdock is starting to make plays more and more consistently. He forced a fumble in 7-on-7 on Friday, a hallmark of his collegiate career at Buffalo when he set an FBS record with 17 career forced fumbles. Murdock is a bit undersized, but he has a nose for the ball and seems to end up in the right place at the right time. If he strings more weeks together like this one, he’ll push his way toward – or perhaps well into – the two-deep.

* The Broncos on Friday signed wide receiver Kyre Duplessis to their roster, a source confirmed to The Post. Duplessis is a rookie who went undrafted in April and spent time recently on Seattle’s roster. Duplessis played four years at Coastal Carolina before transferring to Delaware for the 2025 season. He caught 60 passes for 824 yards and five touchdowns last fall for the Blue Hens. In a corresponding move, Denver waived cornerback Jaden Robinson with an injury designation, according to the league’s transaction wire. Robinson spent all of 2025 on the Broncos’ practice squad.

* The Broncos announced Friday morning that they are closing their Wednesday, Aug. 12 training camp practice to the public. The session had originally been slated to be open for fans. Instead, there are just two open days next week — Monday and Tuesday — before the team has the closed practice Wednesday and then travels to Atlanta on Thursday for its Friday preseason opener. Denver is now set to hold 13 total open camp practices.

Next: 10 a.m. Saturday, a modified scrimmage-type practice. Parking opens at 8 a.m. and gates at 9 a.m.

Did not practice: WR Courtland Sutton (rest day), C Luke Wattenberg, TE Caleb Lohner, OL Nick Gargiulo (Physically Unable to Perform list), LB Jordan Turner (non-football injury list), CB Jaden Robinson

Injured during practice:��OLB Nik Bonitto

Denver saw a nightmare scenario on the club’s second day in pads, as star pass-rusher Bonitto exited during a 9-on-7 drill and limped off with trainers Tuesday. Head coach Sean Payton said post-practice that Bonitto “will be fine,” but the All-Pro talent was seen in a considerable deal of pain Tuesday. Bonitto leaned on trainers while walking off the field before limping on his own power entering the locker room.

Sutton was given a veteran rest day Tuesday, as Payton has spoken previously of being mindful of the 30-year-old WR1’s reps. Wattenberg, the Broncos’ starting center, didn’t practice Tuesday but was back watching from the sideline.

Riley Moss, camp winner

The Broncos have a white man who can, in fact, jump.

On Wednesday, as a member of his defensive front jumped offsides, Moss sprinted downfield to track a deep ball and attach to WR1 Sutton’s hip. Both leapt, a roughly 6-foot cornerback grappling with 6-foot-4 receiver known for his jump-ball ability. When they tumbled to the grass, Moss — somehow — had reached into Sutton’s arms and wrestled the ball away for a would-be interception.

“He’s a very athletic human being,” safety Talanoa Hufanga said later Monday, on Moss. “Like, a lot of people kinda discredit it because it����ap the, ‘white corner.’ I’m not gonna say that, but that����ap just what everybody else does. But he’s probably, actually, one of the most athletic corners I’ve ever been around. Quick-twitch. And now it����ap really just, what can we do to get his technique to where it����ap at?”

Entering his fourth season in the NFL, Moss’s technique now appears to be creeping towards the level of his athleticism. After a strong three days of camp, Tuesday was his best yet, as Moss saw several targets through team periods and didn’t allow a single completion. He leapt to knock away a Bo Nix deep ball for Troy Franklin. He forced another deep incompletion by blanketing Marvin Mims Jr. He knocked a deep ball away from Pat Bryant in a one-on-one period. No receiver — not even Jaylen Waddle — has been able to consistently beat Denver’s No. 2 corner in camp thus far, and that’s a scary proposition for the Broncos’ back-end.

Now, can Moss put himself in better regular-season positions to reduce his hand-grappling? A late-season experiment to wear boxing gloves in team periods during practice actually paid off, as Moss was dinged for just one penalty across his final eight games of 2025. If he can continue to put dynamic reps on tape in camp while avoiding grabbing a few opposing jerseys, there will be no hint of a CB2 competition between Moss and second-year prospect Jahdae Barron.

“I think learning to play with his feet, really working on reducing some of those fouls,” Payton said on Moss Monday. “Man, he competes his tail off. Like, I love that about him. He’s got those traits where it����ap a short mindset, short memory, and he’s moving around really well right now.”

Top play

How about a top moment? It was an inexplosive day of camp, as the Broncos’ defensive front swallowed up a variety of run looks in team periods and Denver’s first-team offense often fell flat. Nix was off-target on a couple throws. The offensive line let linebacker Alex Singleton come unblocked on one rep. All the while came the first introduction of “competition periods,” or higher-intensity simulated 11-on-11 situations.

It all boiled over on a late route from Evan Engram over the middle, as Nix rolled right with nowhere to throw. The quarterback fired a grounder at Engram’s feet, clearly waving a white flag. Engram, though, appeared to feel some contact from a shadowing Ja’Quan McMillian.

Engram turned and had words for McMillian. Shoving ensued. Bodies quickly surrounded the two, and were broken up within a couple minutes.

It was a flash of frustration from Engram, who has rarely seen any touches in recent practices after a breakout day of camp. And a flash of frustration from Denver’s offense, as running back J.K. Dobbins walked across the sideline barking at Denver’s defense in the minutes to come. Payton, though, shrugged it all off post-practice.

“All I saw was just, a lot of bodies,” Payton said, of the dust-up. “Whoever’s in the skirmish, I just don’t want to see the third person. The bystander who decides he’s going to be tough.”

No bystanders Tuesday.

Thumbs Up

Ehlinger still challenging. The best quarterback on Denver’s roster Tuesday was its third-string captain, as Sam Ehlinger continued a strong camp amid a clear challenge to backup Jarrett Stidham for the No. 2 job behind Nix. On a disjointed day for most of Denver’s offensive units, Ehlinger moved the ball well and lofted a beauty to running back Jaleel McLaughlin for a touchdown at the end of team work Monday.

There’s an argument to be made, too, that Ehlinger has been the most consistent quarterback on Denver’s roster through four days of camp. Nix has flashed brilliance and increased poise, but has yanked a few throws. Stidham has been fairly boom-or-bust.

Thumbs Down

Butler out of service? When asked last week about early camp darling Hakeem Butler, Payton didn’t even reference the 30-year-old UFL product by name. The 6-foot-5 Butler is immediately noticeable when lining up at receiver, but has plenty of work to do to make his name stick. And he took a step back Tuesday after a strong start to camp, with two low-effort reps on a missed ball over the middle from Stidham and a one-on-one deep incompletion forced by 5-foot-11 rookie cornerback Brent Austin.

Butler’s physical tools and professional-level production are tantalizing, and he’s getting plenty of work in Denver’s second- and third-team units. But he needs to put more on tape.

Odds and Ends

*There’s a clear difference, at the moment, between Moss and Barron’s competitive reps. Barron was beaten twice by Franklin in a one-on-one period Tuesday, first on an out route and then on a deep ball. The second-year cornerback hasn’t looked out of position in camp, but also hasn’t been in any positions to make plays on the ball. The sky is not falling, but this is a point to watch.

*Does Denver have a clear next ILB up if either Alex Singleton or Justin Strnad misses any time? Not yet. But Payton shrugged off any concern on that position’s depth Tuesday, saying he was “excited” to see who steps up from a defensive and special-teams perspective.

That means the Broncos, clearly, haven’t identified their ILB3, which Strnad knows plenty well has been a vital depth need for Denver’s defense the past two seasons. Turner was a candidate, but still hasn’t tugged on pads yet in camp with a non-football injury. Rookies Red Murdock and Taurean York are an intriguing pair, but haven’t captured attention. Levelle Bailey and Karene Reid — the latter of whom made the Broncos’ 53-man roster as a rookie — could be the two best candidates.

*Speaking of Austin — keep an eye on him. The Cal product went undrafted in April, but has good physical tools and has flashed well in coverage in camp thus far. Denver loves quality cornerbacks, and Austin could end up sticking if he shows special-teams value.

*The Broncos’ defensive-line carousel continues to spin. Eyioma Uwazurike, Jordan Jackson, Tyler Onyedim, Sai’vion Jones and Matt Henningsen have all gotten first-team reps in units where the departed John Franklin-Myers used to play. Uwazurike, though, looks the current favorite to absorb much of Franklin-Myers’ old work.

The Broncos are headlong into a stretch in which they’ll be on the practice fields 10 of 11 days.

After that comes a shorter week of practice before a trip to Atlanta for Denver’s Aug. 14 preseason opener against the Falcons. The roster cutdown isn’t until more than two weeks after that.

Bottom line: The action is just getting started. The vast majority of the Broncos’ work remains ahead. There is no light at the end of the tunnel, as head coach Sean Payton is fond of saying.

As Denver heads into the heaviest workload of the summer, it����ap as good a time as any to take a look at the roster and what a potential 53-man group could look like. Injuries will change the picture some over the next month. So, too, could trades, free agent signings or just good old-fashioned competition.

There is also always the dance the Broncos and teams do around the deadline to retain as many of their players as possible. This is an inexact science.

We’ll run this exercise again at least a couple of times — after a preseason game is in the books and again ahead of the cutdown — but for now here’s a look at how a group could shake out.

OFFENSE (25)

QBs (3): Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger

Quickly: Two questions that go hand-in-hand: Who’s No. 2? And do the Broncos keep three despite a deep roster elsewhere? Early stab at answers: Ehlinger and yes.

RB (4): J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman, Adam Prentice (FB)

Quickly: The top three are solid. Does Denver have room for Tyler Badie or Jaleel McLaughlin on the 53? It����ap hard to see with three QBs, but maybe one gets to the practice squad. Prentice gets the nod unless Nate Adkins gets a lot of FB time in training camp.

TE (4): Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Justin Joly, Dallen Bentley.

Quickly: The back of this room feels wide open. Caleb Lohner is promising but has missed the first two days of camp. If he returns and plays well through August, he’ll be tough to leave off. Bentley over Adkins for now based mostly on size and play profile.

WR (5): Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant

Quickly: This group is straightforward unless injury or trade shakes it up in a major way. Lil’Jordan Humphrey will factor in, too, even if he begins the year on the practice squad.

OL (9): Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, Alex Forsyth, Kage Casey

Quickly: Payton and Co. like Matt Peart, too, but in terms of 53-man spots, the four reserves listed above all have versatility and fairly clearly defined roles. ‘Palcho,’ Crum and Casey all feel like potential future starters in Denver.

DEFENSE (25)

DL (7): Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Onyedim, Sai’Vion Jones, Jordan Jackson

Quickly: Seven is heavy, but this group remains a strength of Denver’s roster despite John Franklin-Myers’ departure. He’s replaced on the roster and in number by the rookie, Onyedim. Perhaps in the starting lineup, too.

OLB (5): Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, Dondrea Tillman, Que Robinson

Quickly: Cooper may not actually be on the initial 53 if he’s suspended by the NFL, but the Broncos clearly appear to be moving forward with him as part of their plan after a pair of June arrests on domestic violence-related charges, including felony assault. A healthy Drew Sanders would be a wild card regardless of Cooper’s status.

ILB (3): Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock

Quickly: Yes, three is light for an initial roster. The Broncos, though, can likely get multiples of Levelle Bailey, Jordan Turner, Karene Reid and Taurean York to the practice squad. And Elliss’ versatility gives them some flex, too, if they were to get caught short on a gameday early in the season.

CB (5): Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron, Kris Abrams-Draine

Quickly: Reese Taylor did nice special teams work for the Broncos last year and was on the roster the second half of the season. Can they get him to the practice squad? Tough to see much more room beyond the five guys Denver trusts in just about any situation.

S (5): Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner, Tycen Anderson

Quickly: On the field, the major question is who Denver’s third safety is. It could be Key or Skinner. The most interesting option might be Barron. In terms of roster construction, what the reserves in this room lack in proven defensive chops they make up for on special teams. Key is a first-team All-Pro and Skinner and Anderson are both high-end guys, too.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

PK Wil Lutz, P Jeremy Crawshaw, LS Mitch Fraboni

Quickly: Pretty straightforward here. The same trio as last year and a group that has a chance to give Denver consistent, high-level play.

The Broncos will start training camp without a pair of young reserves who figure to be squarely on the bubble this summer competing for roster spots.

Inside linebacker Jordan Turner will begin camp on the non-football injury list and offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo (knee) will start on the physically unable to perform list, the team announced Sunday afternoon.

The players both count against the team’s 90-man roster despite the injury list placements. They can be removed from the list at any time during training camp and return to practice once they are cleared.

Turner appeared in seven games as an undrafted rookie last season and is part of a big group of young and mostly unproven players trying to earn spots on the depth chart behind starting inside linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.

Turner, who finished his college career at Michigan State before earning a spot on the Broncos’ roster last spring as a rookie minicamp tryout player, quickly emerged as a viable special teams option last fall. He played 64% of the club’s special teams snaps in the games he was active for and chipped in with 23 defensive snaps, mostly in mop-up duty, as well.

The nature and extent of Turner’s injury was not immediately clear, though if he misses any substantial time during training camp it will mean valuable reps while competing against several other young players at the position group.

Denver re-signed Strnad and Singleton while releasing Dre Greenlaw this spring, setting the top of the room. Behind them, though, Turner is joined by seventh-round rookie Red Murdock and a host of undrafted free agents from recent years in Taurean York (2026), Karene Reid (2025) and Levelle Bailey (2024). Bailey has appeared in 13 games over two seasons and Reid played in 10 as a rookie in 2025.

Gargiulo starting on PUP was an expected outcome. He sustained a gruesome knee injury in August last year during a preseason game against Arizona. The 2024 seventh-round draft pick missed the entire season and was limited during Denver’s offseason program, though he was around the team and present at multiple practices open to reporters. Gargiulo spent his rookie season on the practice squad and was elevated for three regular-season games plus Denver’s Wild Card loss to Buffalo. He has yet to appear in a game as a pro.

If the Broncos’ offensive line group stays healthy through training camp, it is going to be tough to crack the 53-man roster. Gargiulo is well thought-of as a young, developmental player, however, so his progress once fully healthy and cleared will be interesting to track.

The Broncos rookie class officially reported for training camp Wednesday and showed up healthy. Veterans officially report Tuesday. Denver has ramp-up practices slated for Wednesday and Thursday followed Friday by the first training camp practice of the summer open to fans.

Months earlier, he had little idea what was going on.

He was one of a few newcomers to the Broncos’ offseason program in 2025, and felt like it, finding his place as one of the levers and pulleys in Vance Joseph’s defensive system. So Hufanga would glance across the field at his safety partner Brandon Jones. Or north, at All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II.

“Like, ‘Hey, what are we running right here?'” Hufanga recalled in June. “‘I’m still learning the defense.'”

He is not, anymore. Few consequential members of Joseph’s defense are still in the elementary stages, entering the coordinator’s fourth season in Denver. These Broncos will head into training camp for the 2026 season still carrying 10 of the 11 defenders who started Week 1 in 2025, and those 10 starters average out at 28 years old. Not long in the tooth, exactly. But far beyond baby teeth.

That organization-wide emphasis on retention, though, has embroiled Joseph in a unique paradox after a second straight year crafting a top-three NFL defense.

“I think the challenge is human nature,” Joseph said in June. “I told the guys the very first day (of the offseason) that we’re not chasing what we’ve done in the last two years, but we’re chasing the process that got us there.”

This Broncos defense has little room for complacency, now, largely betting on the same personnel in 2026 to capitalize on a Super Bowl window that the outfit opened in 2025. An entire offseason came and went without any obvious on-paper upgrades to Joseph’s units; instead, Denver actually moved on from two notable contributors in John Franklin-Myers and Dre Greenlaw to cut costs. The gang’s mostly back, as the rest of the NFL has retooled.

“Starting over and chasing the process is our goal,” Joseph said, “and being better than we were last year.”

But how does one of the league’s most fearsome defenses — tied for fifth all-time in single-season sacks in 2025 — improve without actual personnel upgrades? Much of that will fall on Joseph, in yet another audition for an eventual second chance at a head-coaching job. Much of that, too, will fall on individual growth within his depth chart, as All-Pros like Hufanga and edge rusher Nik Bonitto are a year older and a year wiser.

As veterans are set to report for training camp this coming Tuesday, that depth chart looks awfully similar to the one the Broncos finalized at the end of 2025’s camp. But there are still a handful of key positional battles to play out — with a particular mind to cornerback.

Here’s an early two-deep defensive projection before the Broncos march into the start of the (pre)season.

Defensive line

�ٷ�:��Zach Allen, Sai’vion Jones

����:��D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach

�ٷ�:��Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Onyedim

Starting point:��Here’s where roster shifting will be felt the most on Denver’s defense. John Franklin-Myers’ time as a Bronco expired the minute his contract did, through no fault of his own. Can’t pay everyone. The Broncos, evidently, felt they had enough quality depth in the room to cobble together snaps to fill Franklin-Myers’ 7.5-sack void, and drafted to their defensive line in April by taking a body-type carbon copy in Onyedim in the third round.

The process of recongealing, though, might not be so smooth.

“Anytime you lose a great player, you know there’s gonna be a big hole that you gotta replace,” Roach told reporters in June, at a charity softball event. “But also, when you lose a great friend, a great brother, it kinda hits hard.”

It could hit Allen the hardest, a bona-fide star who’s made two straight All-Pro teams and knocks around opposing quarterbacks more than anyone in the NFL. As the Jones-Roach rotation seems stable at nose tackle — even as the ascending Roach could continue growing in his versatility — the most movement here during camp will happen at boundary end, with a few hungry mouths awaiting.

The 28-year-old Uwazurike figures to play a massive role in 2026, after a mini-breakout last season: a 36% defensive snap share, 3.5 sacks, 49 tackles in 19 total games. He’ll be the stabilizer. Onyedim, meanwhile, looked instantly ready for serious NFL snaps this summer before Denver even put on pads, and figures to play at least a rotational role. Keep an eye on Sai’vion Jones here, the Broncos’ 2025 third-round rookie who now will have a serious shot to wreak havoc on passing-down snaps with his 82-plus-inch wingspan. Denver will likely give veterans Jordan Jackson and Matt Henningsen long looks in camp for 53-man spots, too, given the potential reliance on youth here.

Outside linebacker

������:��Nik Bonitto, Que Robinson

������:��Jonathon Cooper (?), Jonah Elliss

Cooper’s mere presence on this roster — let alone his outlook for 2026 — is in flux, after he was arrested multiple times in June in relation to a physical altercation with his girlfriend. That, correspondingly, leaves the Broncos’ entire edge outlook here in flux, as Cooper has racked up 27 sacks and 49 quarterback hits across 51 straight regular-season games as a starter in Denver.

However Cooper’s legal process and potential league and team discipline plays out, though, there’s still an overwhelming amount of talent in this room — enough to leave key contributor Dondrea Tillman off this two-deep entirely. If Cooper is suspended for any part of the 2026 season, expect Elliss to get the first crack at playing alongside two-time Pro Bowler Bonitto, who should be set for another leap in his own right. Head coach Sean Payton went public earlier this offseason proclaiming the Broncos would look at the 23-year-old Elliss to shift inside, only to walk that back months later and make clear that wasn’t an option simply because of Elliss’s talent playing the edge.

Another glaring breakout candidate here, too, is Robinson, enough for him to supplant Tillman as a rotational rusher beyond the Broncos’ top duo. His sack of Drake Maye in the AFC Championship Game made waves and his closing speed and upside are both ridiculous. Denver has some flexibility here.

Inside linebacker

������:��Alex Singleton, Red Murdock

������:��Justin Strnad, Jordan Turner

Utter crapshoot here behind a completely stable duo of Singleton and Strnad. Both veterans re-upped with the Broncos on multi-year deals in free agency as certified Joseph guys, and they head into camp as the unquestioned starters. They know it, too. Strnad, after all, told The Denver Post flat-out in January that he didn’t think he’d re-sign in Denver if he didn’t anticipate starting at ILB in 2026.

After two straight seasons of spot-starting at ILB, now Strnad will step fully into a featured role in the middle of Denver’s defense. And Singleton, for one, said in May he expects a “huge leap” from his running mate.

“You have that confidence where — a team finally gives you what you deserve, you have that confidence all offseason,” Singleton said. “So he’s had that already. There isn’t that question of, ‘Oh, what snaps am I going to play?’”

That question comes further down, in what projects as a slight mess of a depth chart. Red Murdock (2026 pick No. 257), Taurean York (2026 undrafted free agent), Jordan Turner (2025 undrafted free agent), Karene Reid (2025 undrafted free agent), and Levelle Bailey (2024 undrafted free agent) don’t have a single NFL start between them. Strnad, as the team’s third ILB, has wound up playing a rather important role the past two seasons; the Broncos need one or two youngsters to step up in camp. Murdock should have an inside track, a loyal Buffalo product with a mean streak and a fast processor. Turner impressed the Broncos so much at 2025’s rookie minicamp that he earned a contract, then earned a practice-squad spot in camp, then earned a full-time roster nod down the stretch; he’s a third-ILB candidate to watch.

Cornerback

���:��Pat Surtain II, Kris Abrams-Draine

���:��Riley Moss, Jahdae Barron

����������:��Ja’Quan McMillian, Reese Taylor

Here’s where the most eyes will fall in any defensive realm this August. Barron was the No. 20 overall pick in 2025’s draft, spent most of his season playing in dime and specific nickel packages, and left quite a few fans wondering about the Broncos’ long-term plan for him. The short-term plan, at least, seems clear: have he and Moss duke it out for a CB2 spot to determine who Denver could extend long-term between Moss and McMillian.

Barron couldn’t beat out McMillian as a rookie for Denver’s starting nickel job, though, and supplanting Moss to play opposite Surtain will be no easy task. The 26-year-old Moss went public plenty of times in 2025 for a variety of pass-interference flags, but also surrendered just a 58% completion percentage despite seeing a ridiculously high volume of targets. Barron would need to showcase a leap from an uneven rookie season to win Moss’s job, particularly after playing limited doses of outside cornerback in 2025.

McMillian’s hold on his nickel duties, meanwhile, seems ironclad after a standout 2025 season. Abrams-Draine is an interesting piece here, a rising third-year cornerback who would likely be good enough to compete for a starting job on a handful of NFL teams.

Safety

��:��Talanoa Hufanga, Devon Key

��:��Brandon Jones, JL Skinner

The Hufanga-Jones marriage landed on hiatus in December, when Jones suffered a pec injury that ended up knocking him out for the season. Year 2 of their partnership could prove even better than Year 1, with Hufanga’s nose for the ball and Jones’ ranginess in coverage. The one glaring caveat there: the two have missed nearly 20% of their cumulative regular-season games throughout their career, putting obvious importance on Denver’s third-safety position after veteran P.J. Locke signed with the Cowboys.

Veteran Tycen Anderson, signed away from Cincinnati, could be a contender for Locke’s vacant job. But Denver hasn’t had much recent luck with signing impact-special-teamer safeties on the open market in recent years, cutting Sam Franklin at the end of last year’s camp and signing-and-cutting former All-Pro J.T. Gray midseason. Instead, look to Key, who has earned widespread organizational trust after a franchise-great season as a special-teams tackler in 2025.

Skinner, meanwhile, has played all of 54 regular-season defensive snaps in a Broncos uniform after Denver drafted him in the sixth round in 2023. The 6-foot-4 safety, though, could earn a foothold in camp with Locke gone, and was trusted by Joseph to play deep in hyper-specific closing-game situations last season.

Special teams

K: Wil Lutz

��:��Jeremy Crawshaw

LS:��Mitchell Fraboni

If the Broncos had a 2025 playoff MVP, it might well be Crawshaw, who improved over the course of his rookie season in Denver and promptly deposited five of 10 playoff kicks inside the opponent’s 20-yard-line. The 2025 sixth-round pick could — relative to punting — be in store for a monster sophomore year.

Lutz, meanwhile, will serve as Payton’s kicker for a fourth straight season in Denver and 10th season overall. That takes a rare breed.