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

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

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

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

The Top Five

Francis Mauigoa, Miami

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

Spencer Fano, Utah

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

Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

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

Monroe Freeling, Georgia

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

Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

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

Broncos options

Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech

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

Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

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

JT Tuimoloau, Northwestern

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

Jude Bowry, Boston College

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

Brian Parker, Duke

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

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

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

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

Quarterback

Who Denver has: QB1 Bo Nix, QB2 Jarrett Stidham

Who Denver could lose: QB3 Sam Ehlinger

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

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

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

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

Running back

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wide receiver

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

Who Denver could lose: WR5 Lil’Jordan Humphrey

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tight end

Who Denver has: TE1/TE2 Evan Engram

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

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

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

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

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

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

Offensive line

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

Who Denver could lose: Nobody

What Denver needs: Maybe another swing tackle

Key market options: Wide-open

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

Defensive line

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inside linebacker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Secondary

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

Who Denver could lose: S2 P.J. Locke

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

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

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

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

Special teams

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

Who Denver could lose: Nobody

What Denver needs: Nothing

Key market options: Wide open

Denver need not spend much time here on specialists.

There is always some refurbishing and refreshing to do, however.

Head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton, in the past month, have each expressed confidence in Denver’s roster and also acknowledged that there are areas in need of upgrade.

The Broncos must find more offensive playmaking. They must fill some gaps at linebacker, running back and tight end.

That quest starts in earnest this week, as Denver considers whether to push to retain any of its impending free agents and then hits the legal tampering period with all free agents beginning Monday.

As an organization, the Broncos boast the best salary cap health they’ve had in years. Russell Wilson is finally, officially off their books when the 2026 league year begins on March 11.

Denver as of Thursday sports just $1.2 million in dead salary cap, the third-lowest mark in the NFL after Chicago traded receiver D.J. Moore to Buffalo.

Payton pointed to that reality after the season when asked about Denver’s ability to improve this offseason.

“If I said I’m going to give you $50,000 to decorate your home or $200,000, your home’s going to look nicer, I think, if you’re a decent shopper, if you have more money.

“The same takes place with our sport.”

Denver’s basically debt-free, but the club has also already spent some of its decorating money.

In fact, last year the Broncos went into free agency with about $40 million in cap space. They could do so again this season by moving money around, restructuring a couple of contracts and perhaps cutting a player or two — some of that kind of work is expected in the coming days — but at the moment they’re sitting at around $21 million in space, according to OvertheCap data.

The Broncos have been on a big run over the past 18 months, rewarding 10 of their own players with long-term deals. They got a jump on free agency, in a way, over their bye week last fall by getting deals done with a trio of impending free agents in C Luke Wattenberg, DL Malcolm Roach and K Wil Lutz.

“Just think if we didn’t get those guys wrapped up, what we’d be facing,” Paton said last month at the NFL Combine. “Every offseason is a little bit of, ‘Wow, how are we going to feed…’ But if we didn’t have all those guys done, just think of how much more daunting the offseason would be. It����ap really important to get ahead of it.”

Then Denver used another $5.8 million in space to place a second-round restricted free agency tender on nickel Ja’Quan McMillian, though that number would change if Denver works out a long-term deal with him in the coming months. The Broncos also agreed to a two-year, $9.5 million deal with Alex Palczewski on Thursday and they’ll need about $4 million in space for their draft class next month, based on their current selections.

With those numbers in mind, here is a non-exhaustive list of players the Broncos could look to if they’re trying to create more cap space.

Cut/restructure candidates

OL Ben Powers

ILB Dre Greenlaw

Greenlaw signed a three-year deal last spring, but it was essentially one year, $11.5 million and we’ll see. Now, we’re about to see. Greenlaw played well when he was on the field, but staying on the field was an issue. Cutting the linebacker would save $6 million on the cap and incur $4.33 million in dead cap. It����ap really just a matter of if the Broncos want him back on the roster in 2026.

TE Evan Engram

Engram’s deal was a two-year pact last spring, but it came with stronger guarantees than Greenlaw’s. Cutting the veteran would save $3.8 million on the cap but incur $10.33 million in dead cap. Certainly not impossible for Denver to swallow, but it also doesn’t make much sense unless the Broncos really think his skills are diminished or they have a ready-made replacement. At the moment, they do not.

OL Matt Peart

A fairly straightforward one here. Peart was signed last spring as a swing tackle, but Palczewski and Frank Crum both showed signs of promise during the season after Peart tore his MCL in Week 6 in London. Denver can save $3.225 million and take $750,000 in dead cap by releasing him.

Extension candidates

S Brandon Jones

Jones is entering the final of a three-year, $20 million deal that����ap been a bargain for the Broncos. He did miss the stretch run of the regular season and the playoffs with a torn pectoral, but he’s been a high-quality player for Denver. Jones carries a $9.243 cap number into 2026, which could be dropped substantially with an extension. If the Broncos want to explore other safety options on the market or think they’ve seen Jones’ best ball, they could save $7.41 million and take $1.83 million dead by cutting him.

WR Marvin Mims

Mims is entering the final year of his rookie deal and carries a $6.12 million cap number. That����ap not huge, obviously, but an extension would likely bring it down some. Payton’s talked about finding more touches for Mims, but part of the challenge in an extension is the sides agreeing on appropriate value given Mims’ on-again, off-again usage so far and his terrific return ability. Perhaps a mid-season revisit makes more sense.

Hold the line

RT Mike McGlinchey

The Broncos have Palczewski under contract for two years after Thursday’s agreement, but they’re not likely to cut McGlinchey and incur $15.325 million in dead cap along with $8.45 million in cap savings. Especially after McGlinchey played arguably his best football in 2025. In fact, a short extension might feel tempting because of the quality of play and the potential to lop $10 million or more off the 2026 cap. The prudent move, though, is to get through the upcoming season with McGlinchey at his current, team-high $23.775 million cap charge and decide what the future at right tackle looks like from there.

“What’s up, All-Pro Palcho?” Nix cracked, as Palczewski recalled.

“What are you talking about?” Palczewski asked, confused.

“Ah,” Nix replied, “you know what I’m talking about.”

This past Saturday, 14 Denver Broncos received Associated Press All-Pro votes for their contributions in 2025. One of them was Palczewski, the third-year reserve offensive lineman who became a cult hero early in the season for cycling in and out of games as a jumbo tight end.

He started only 10 games at left guard in 2025, after filling in midseason when Ben Powers tore his bicep. Palczewski had no idea he’d earned a vote until his quarterback ragged him.

“I was shocked,” Palczewski recalled.

Palczewski, who slid over from right tackle with Denver’s offensive line thinned, hadn’t played on the left side of the offensive line since “the Obama administration,” as he put it in late October. The Polish frontman finished 2025 tied for 59th in total snaps among NFL guards, according to Pro Football Focus, and was replaced by a healthy Powers in Week 18.

The . Palczewski wants to find the lone member who gave him a vote.

“I made a joke it was like, NFL Poland,” Palczewski cracked. “Some writer from there.”

The Denver Post reached out to the Associated Press on Wednesday afternoon to inquire into the status of this mysterious voter.

One needed to simply see the wry smile on Palczewski’s face to know this was a strange vote. He’s now slid fully into a backup role, again. But his importance to Denver’s offense in 2025 was clear, as the Broncos turned to him as a third option at left guard after backup Matt Peart suffered a season-ending ACL tear. And he’s a likely candidate for Denver to tender in the offseason as a restricted free agent, an ultra-versatile piece in offensive line coach Zach Strief’s room.

“There’s only seven guys who got a vote (at LG),” Palczewski said. “So I was like, ‘that����ap pretty (expletive) cool.’”

An old friend. Former Broncos passing-game coordinator John Morton was in attendance at Denver’s practice Wednesday, seen engaging in a long discussion with head coach Sean Payton and watching quarterback-receiver drills intently.

After two years working with Payton in Denver, Morton was hired by the Lions as their offensive coordinator last offseason. Things didn’t shake out in Detroit, though, as head coach Dan Campbell relieved Morton of play-calling duties midseason and then . Davis Webb, the 30-year-old Broncos quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator,  is generating big-time head-coaching buzz, and Wednesday could mark a preview of a future Payton staff if Webb leaves after the year.

Dobbins is back to side-field work. Another day of clean health also came with an encouraging sign for Denver: running back J.K. Dobbins was seen doing rehab work on a side field at practice for the first time since landing on injured reserve in November.

Dobbins has been more visible around Denver in recent weeks and has been bullish on making a return before the end of the season. His timetable is still unclear, though, and the Broncos have yet to open his 21-day window to return from injured reserve.

On Saturday, the club activated starting left guard Ben Powers off injured reserve for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’ll mark Powers’ first game action since he suffered a biceps tear late in Week 5’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles, as Denver now has three regular-season games to fully integrate Powers back into the fold before the playoffs hit.

After opening Powers’ 21-day window to return off injured reserve last week, Powers had two weeks of limited participation in practice before being upgraded to a full participant Friday. The Post reported last week that Powers was positioned to return in Week 16.

Reserve Matt Peart originally replaced Powers at left guard, but suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 6. Alex Palczewski has stabilized the Broncos’ offensive line since switching from tackle to guard for eight straight starts, and will now slide back into a reserve role with Powers’ return. Head coach Sean Payton made clear this week, though, that the Broncos won’t immediately rush Powers back into playing all full four quarters.

“Understand, there’s always that transition period,” Payton said Friday. “So we’re never going to throw someone in there for 65 (snaps). There’s a transition period for anybody who’s coming off an injury like that.”

The 29-year-old Powers has been a staple of Denver’s offensive line since signing as a free agent in 2023, starting all 34 games in 2023 and 2024. He was authoring one of the strongest starts of his career as a pass-blocker in five games this fall before sustaining the biceps tear.

Other moves. With starting safety Brandon Jones down for at least four weeks after the Broncos placed him on injured reserve, the club’s elevating a longtime veteran off the practice squad for his first game action of the season: safety Delarrin Turner-Yell.

It’s been a long, long road back to NFL reps for Turner-Yell, a 2022 fifth-round draft pick who played in 16 games in 2023 and recorded 34 tackles. Turner-Yell saw his 2024 season wiped out by an ACL tear, however, and has spent the entire 2025 season on the team’s practice squad.

He could see some special-teams snaps against the Jaguars Sunday, particularly as the Broncos will miss linebacker Justin Strnad (out with an ankle injury) and downgraded key special-teamer Karene Reid to out. Reid, who’s been on injured reserve since early November, was a full participant in practice this week, but Denver didn’t have any open space on its 53-man roster without making a corresponding move.

Denver is also elevating QB3 Sam Ehlinger for the second straight game.

Left guard Ben Powers was back in pads and practicing Wednesday for the first time since early October, when he sustained a left biceps tear during the Broncos’ Week 5 win over Philadelphia.

Denver placed Powers on injured reserve Oct. 6, and is now opening his 21-day window to return from IR.

At the time of his injury, Powers was projected for a return in nine to 10 weeks, which would’ve put his activation sometime in December.

The Broncos’ comfortable 2.5-game lead in the AFC West means they don’t need to rush Powers back as soon as Sunday when they play Green Bay, but a source close to the guard said he might return for the Dec. 21 game against Jacksonville.

After some initial shakiness, the Broncos have been able to weather the storm at right guard across the last couple months, which has only helped buy Powers time. Backup Matt Peart took Powers’ spot in Week 6 but suffered a torn MCL while filling in, and Denver’s turned since to former tackle Alex Palczewski, who’s started the last seven games. The Broncos’ offensive line has still graded out as one of the best units in football, ranking in the .

Powers has started at left guard in Denver for three seasons. The 29-year-old was having one of the best initial stretches of his career in 2025 before the biceps tear, with just five quarterback pressures allowed in five games, according to Pro Football Focus.

Jones, Adkins return. The Broncos got further reinforcements Wednesday when tight end Nate Adkins and defensive tackle D.J. Jones were also back on the field during the open portion of practice.

Adkins has missed five games since hurting his knee Week 8 against Dallas. Jones injured his ankle Nov. 30 against Washington and didn’t play last week against Las Vegas.

Rookie receiver Pat Bryant was the only player on Denver’s active roster who didn’t participate Wednesday. The third-round pick out of Illinois worked on the side field early in practice. Bryant was limited in practice Thursday and Friday last week due to a hamstring injury but played 35 snaps against Las Vegas, second-most among Denver’s wide receivers.

But his takedown of Raiders backup Kenny Pickett was another notch towards something greater. For one, the 25-year-old outside linebacker now stands just one sack away from a career-best mark (13.5 in 2024), racking up two sacks on the Raiders to bring his tally to 12.5.

“It was a good feeling, for sure,” Bonitto said simply Sunday.

And for two, the Broncos now sit at 55 team sacks through 13 games — squarely in striking distance of the 1984 Chicago Bears’ all-time team sack record of 72.

It’ll take a large-scale effort to shatter that mark, as the Broncos will need four sacks a game or better the rest of the way to challenge those Bears. But they had four on Sunday, after defensive tackle Malcolm Roach came up with a huge second-down takedown of Geno Smith in the second quarter and DE John Franklin-Myers notched one a play later.

Still, as they break off the snap towards history, Denver’s pass-rush isn’t satisfied. They didn’t get much pressure in the second half, and Las Vegas suddenly turned that 17-point lead into a one-score game with a calamity of errors: a busted coverage on a Raiders touchdown late in the fourth quarter, a defensive delay-of-game call on safety Brandon Jones that gave the Raiders an ultimately meaningless last-second field goal.

“It shouldn’t have even got that close,” Bonitto said postgame. “We didn’t close the way we should have defensively. Obviously we’ll work on that, but I feel like we’ve just got to be better down the stretch.”

Jones active for Jones. If the Broncos had any need for additional interior-defensive-line help earlier this season, they turned most often to 27-year-old Air Force product Jordan Jackson, who was activated for four of Denver’s first five games as Malcolm Roach worked his way back from a calf injury.

With starting nose tackle D.J. Jones (ankle) missing his first game of the year Sunday, though, the Broncos turned to third-round rookie Sai’vion Jones over Jackson against the Raiders. It was only Jones’ second activation of the year, after playing six snaps in Week 4 against the Bengals, and it was a clear show of faith in the rookie to earn some developmental reps against a struggling Raiders unit.

“He’s a lengthy guy,” D.J. Jones said of the rookie in early September. “He knows the moves that work for him. And, we see him getting taught more details on that move … he’ll be a dog.”

IR presence. Broncos starting right guard Ben Powers was with the team in Las Vegas and walking around pregame, a notable development as Powers continues to work back from a bicep tear suffered in Week 5.

Powers’ original timetable was roughly nine to 10 weeks, a source told The Post after he was placed on injured reserve. If he’s still on that track, he could return against Green Bay, Jacksonville or Kansas City in the coming weeks. Powers has been around the facility, and was seen doing rehab work on a side field this week.

The Broncos have stabilized after plenty of fluctuation at guard this season, as Matt Peart tore his MCL in starting for Powers in mid-October. Alex Palczewski has filled in admirably since Week 7, starting his seventh straight game against the Raiders in Vegas on Sunday.

Adkins update. Head coach Sean Payton said Sunday that fullback/tight end specialist Nate Adkins, who’s been sidelined since Week 8 with a knee injury, is “close to coming back.”

Payton previously indicated that the Broncos expected Adkins back this week, but he didn’t practice. In his stead, fullback Adam Prentice has played an increasingly important role in Denver’s offense, a heavy run-blocker who also accounted for two first downs against the Raiders.

“Nate played some of that role, where he’s at,” Payton said of Prentice. “And he had a really good game today.”

As a reporter asked what had gone wrong at first blush postgame, though, the Broncos’ head coach offered the simplest overarching explanation for a pattern of dysfunction.

“We had eight penalties,” Payton said on Thursday night. “Let’s start there.”

Ten games into 2025, the Broncos’ issues on offense have indeed started there.

Was Broncos’ Bo Nix’s Week 10 performance as ugly as stats said? Reviewing the tape

Denver is now tied for the best record in the NFL at 8-2, and sits atop the AFC West entering a Sunday reunion with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos are also tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the honor of most-penalized team in the NFL, with 83 flags. They have drawn 49 whistles (37 accepted) on offense, according to game-log data reviewed by The Denver Post.

“I think you can correct that," Payton said Monday. "And we plan on it.

"Look, there’s one or two a game that get called, you look at, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I don’t agree with that.’ But that being said, there’s sum total. And certainly, it has to be a point of emphasis.”

At this point, a pattern has evolved into identity. After the Broncos' first preseason game in August against the 49ers, Payton said Denver had to clean up its penalties. He said the same after the next week's preseason tilt with the Cardinals, and acknowledged another time that the Broncos had "too many penalties" after a Week 3 loss to the Chargers. Months later, the tune hasn't changed.

Payton has pointed numerous times to the league's emphasis on calling neutral-zone infractions, particularly on receivers. And after varying false-starts on receivers in the middle of the season, Denver hasn't been called for such a penalty across the last two weeks against Houston and Las Vegas. Or been whistled for an illegal formation or ineligible receiver. That, at least, is promising.

But the Broncos continue to shoot themselves in the foot with offensive-line false starts, holding and delay-of-game penalties. They are the greatest cause of negative plays for Payton's unit, and have contributed to stalling Nix's rhythm.

Early in the second quarter against Las Vegas, a holding call against veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis set Denver back 10 yards on first down of an eventual three-and-out. Late in the second quarter, an offensive pass interference call on rookie wideout Pat Bryant wiped out one of Nix's best throws of the day on a first-down dig route. Late in the third quarter, another OPI call on receiver Troy Franklin put the Broncos back to second-and-20 on another three-and-out drive.

This is a yellow plague, as fortunes completely flip for Nix when he's playing behind on a drive. When facing second-and-long situations this year -- often caused by penalties — Denver's second-year quarterback has a 62.9 passer rating on 50 attempts. Five of Nix's eight interceptions this year have also come on drives when the Broncos are whistled for an offensive penalty.

"Between penalties and just some sluggish football, we’re just not playing very well," Nix said Thursday. "It starts with me. I have to be better. Then the rest of the guys will follow along."

The inverse is equally true. The Broncos are averaging about 0.43 points a play on drives without an offensive penalty. That number drops to 0.27 when a whistle's called, according to data charted by The Post.

Eventually, the Broncos' offensive struggles will "bite (them) in the butt," as Dobbins remarked postgame. It could happen as soon as Sunday, in one of the biggest matchups of the season, if the Broncos don't put away the yellow laundry.

"There were a number of things that we've got to do better -- we, collectively, as coaches," Payton said. "And we will."

Broncos send reserve LB to IR: Denver placed rookie Karene Reid on injured reserve Tuesday with a hamstring injury, opening a spot on its active roster. The Broncos also signed offensive lineman Geron Christian to their 53-man roster off the Cowboys' practice squad, and waived receiver Michael Bandy and rookie tackle Marques Cox.

Broncos' leaders in offensive penalties drawn

Source: Denver Post game charting

The cutoff for trading players arrives at 2 p.m. Tuesday, so if the days before this weekend’s set of games are the run-up, then the hours after play finishes will be when action really starts to heat up.

Often, the hype around the NFL’s trade deadline ends up outstripping the actual moves that take place.

It����ap hard to get players up to speed in a short period of time. There are a ton of teams that will finish this week feeling like they’re either right in the mix or just a two or three-game run from getting there.

Plus, even bad teams are often reluctant to part with real talent.

All the same, there are bound to be at least some moves made.

The Broncos are squarely in the buying camp at 6-2 and leading the AFC West. They’ve got a well-rounded roster, but one that����ap been pecked at by injury in some areas, by underperformance in a couple of others, and, in one instance, both.

So, with that in mind, here’s a look at a handful of positions the Broncos would be justified in making calls about and a measure of their need midway through the season

Tight end

Need: Medium

Likelihood of deal: Low end of moderate

The Broncos’ tight ends are producing at a better level than in previous seasons. Still, they’re not changing games the way head coach Sean Payton was accustomed to before arriving in Denver.

Free-agent addition Evan Engram is starting to get into rhythm, but he’s not been a major impact player so far. Still, his 26 catches are already more than any tight end has logged in a season for Payton in Denver.

That����ap how rough it����ap been. Here’s the production from the group over the past three seasons

2023: 39 catches, 362 yards, 4 TDs

2024: 51 catches, 455 yards, 5 TDs

2025 (17-game pace): 87 catches, 714 yards, 6.4 TDs

The need here is somewhat about that still middling production, but it����ap also about injury. The team signed 41-year-old marvel Marcedes Lewis to the practice squad on Wednesday to help fill the gap with Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins both out, but the Broncos could certainly use more help.

The problem: Tight ends who can make a real impact in both the running and passing games are rare. Teams don’t part with them easily.

The Broncos have a pass-catcher (Engram) and a blocker (Lewis). Adam Trautman does a little of both. Denver could use a guy who can do a lot of both.

Most of the players reportedly available, however, are one or the other. Somebody like Cleveland’s David Njoku could add in both departments.

Wide receiver

Need: Low (unless…)

Likelihood of a deal: Low

The Broncos like their receiving rotation. For two seasons now, they’ve apparently liked it better than many around the league think they should.

There have been consistent rumblings dating back to last year about the Broncos needing receivers. It percolated this time last year. Then through free agency. Then the first round of the NFL draft. (The latter never seemed likely, but it’s easy now to wonder what might have happened had budding star Emeka Egbuka made it one more pick past Tampa Bay at No. 19.)

Denver drafted Pat Bryant in the third round, but their biggest move, really, was trading away Devaughn Vele rather than adding more to the group.

Troy Franklin’s taken a nice step forward in Year 2 and some weeks he looks like a true No. 2. Marvin Mims Jr. is capable of making big plays. Bryant����ap seen more and more playing time and is a force in the run game.

The Broncos don’t need another rotational piece. They’ve got a fine group. A top-of-the-room guy, though? That’d certainly be interesting, not only for the stretch run but theoretically well beyond. That����ap Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave territory.

That also would be a major departure from the way Payton and general manager George Paton have operated, built Denver’s roster and planned for the future.

Offensive line

Need: Lower than it was two weeks ago

Likelihood of a deal: Low end of moderate

Watching the Broncos struggle against the New York Jets in London, it’d have been easy to call offensive line Denver’s biggest need. Ben Powers had just gone down with a torn biceps a week earlier and Matt Peart was struggling mightily against the Jets. Turns out, Peart had a torn left MCL. That put Denver down two guys from their initial 53-man roster.

Since then, though, Alex Palczewski has calmed the waters at left guard considerably.

“He doesn’t look like a throw-in left guard,” Payton said Wednesday. “He’s smart. He’s tough. It����ap good to see him playing.”

The depth has been dinged — Powers won’t be back for a while and Peart����ap season is likely over — but ‘Palcho’ is playing well and Denver has Calvin Throckmorton and Alex Forsyth as depth inside, plus Frank Crum as their now swing tackle.

If there’s a cheap reinforcement out there, it����ap worth considering. But the Broncos have come up with good answers in-house so far.

Inside linebacker

Need: Low, but could change quickly

Likelihood of a deal: Low

The Broncos get Dre Greenlaw back this week, putting him in line to play just his second game of Denver’s first nine. He missed six due to a quad injury, played in Week 7, but then was suspended for Week 8.

In the meantime, Denver’s seen a jump in performance from Justin Strnad. Alex Singleton looks more comfortable as the season goes along.

This hasn’t been Denver’s strongest position group so far this year, but is there somebody out there to be had for cheap who will knock one of the Broncos’ existing three out of a rotation? Seems unlikely.

What also seems unlikely: Singleton, Strnad and Greenlaw cruising through the rest of the season without any availability issues. Without much proven production behind them, this is a spot at least worth considering.

One wildcard that won’t happen but would be fun: Saints RB Alvin Kamara. He’s said flatly he doesn’t want to be traded. New Orleans brass doesn’t seem inclined to go against his wishes.

At the same time, Payton loves few players more than he loves Kamara. The pair had a dynamic run in New Orleans for years after Payton selected him in the third round of the 2017 draft.

The Broncos’ ground game has been good. Rookie RJ Harvey just scored three touchdowns Sunday against Dallas, and J.K. Dobbins is third in the NFL in rushing yards. Kamara’s working on career lows in yards per carry and per reception so far this fall.

He doesn’t want to leave, and the Broncos don’t have a major need. Simple as that, probably. But you have to admit, if this deal did come together, the reaction would be, “Oh, of course, we should have seen this coming.”

1. Troy Franklin’s resurgence is powered by mental toughness, and now he’s putting together the kind of Year 2 leap he planned on all along

The past few weeks have not been particularly easy for second-year Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin.

After playing nearly 80% of Denver’s offensive snaps in Weeks 2 and 3 and accumulating 14 catches plus a touchdown in the first three weeks of the season, Franklin has hovered around 60% playing time since.

That����ap a lot of run for a second-year player, but production didn’t exactly follow.

Entering Sunday, Franklin had nine catches on 19 targets over the previous three weeks, but he never looked in sync until the frantic fourth quarter comeback against the New York Giants.

Franklin fumbled on the Broncos’ first possession against the New York Jets in London. Then he and quarterback Bo Nix failed to find a completion in his first five targets last week.

Since then, though, Franklin has put the pieces back together and suddenly looks back on a breakout track.

He caught three passes for 19 yards and a key touchdown down the stretch last week and hauled in a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.

Then, in a 44-24 blowout win over Dallas on Sunday, Franklin led Denver across the board with six catches on eight targets for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“It was a good feeling,” Franklin said.

Franklin made big plays from the start against Dallas. He hauled in a third-and-2 ball over the middle from Nix for 26 yards on the Broncos’ opening drive.

He ripped open zone coverage on an in-breaker for a touchdown later in the first quarter.

Then in the fourth quarter, the Broncos got a look they’d been hoping for and took full advantage.

Franklin was alone to the left of Denver’s formation and lined up against former Oregon teammate Trikweze Bridges at the Dallas 7-yard line. Franklin started up the field, worked inside and then whipped back to the corner of the end zone, leaving Bridges in the dust.

“(That) was matchup-driven,” Payton said, noting Denver felt it could attack Bridges. “Boundary corner.”

“We both know it����ap work,” Franklin said of roasting a former teammate for a touchdown. “After the game, we were still talking and stuff. We’re still cool and everything. When you’re between the lines, you’ve got to get stuff done.”

Franklin shrugged off a slump and is back to getting stuff done, indeed.

“For me personally, I think just with how I fumbled in London — I’m actually pretty good with just flushing and getting to the next play,” he told The Post earlier in the practice week. “With those two things — the fumble in London and then the punchout (against the Giants), you just have to remember there’s plenty of game left. We get into the game down the line, and I can make more plays for our team.

“It����ap one of those things where you really do have to flush it and know that you’ll get it back.”

What����ap happening in the moment matters, but the long game does, too.

That applies perfectly to Franklin’s second season to date. It hasn’t always gone exactly the way he’s wanted, but he’s also taken a sizable step forward.

Sunday’s production sent the East Palo Alto, California, native zipping past all of his major numbers from his rookie season.

In 16 games over 2024, Franklin had 28 catches (53 targets) for 263 yards and two touchdowns.

Through eight games this season, Franklin now sits at 33 catches (54 targets) for 358 yards and four touchdowns.

He’s on pace for 761 yards for the year. Courtland Sutton easily leads the team so far this season with 534, but Franklin is comfortably in second. The Broncos have only had one player finish second in receiving yards and eclipse 758 since Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders each had 1,000-plus in 2016. That was Sutton with 829 in 2022, behind Jerry Jeudy.

If Franklin plays the way he has the past five quarters, he’ll have a chance to put that mark in jeopardy.

2. Zach Allen said the Broncos defense saw the Dallas offense on tape early in the week and quickly found a sense of urgency

Broncos head coach Sean Payton had to be convinced to smile in the post-game aftermath of a 33-point fourth quarter last week.

This time around? The veteran coach had his chest puffed out throughout his postgame news conference.

He said the Broncos offense knew Dallas entered with the last-ranked defense in the NFL and, “we wanted to keep them last.”

“I just didn’t think they could keep up with what we were doing,” he said. “So I said to (our) defense periodically, ‘Can you guys keep up with us?’”

The Broncos defense knew they’d need their running shoes regardless of who they were trying to race.

“There was just a heightened sense of urgency, at least defensively,” said defensive tackle Zach Allen, who logged his fourth sack of the season and continued another strong start to the season. “You watch the tape, and it����ap two stud receivers. Tight end. The o-line — a lot of money and a lot of picks invested in it. Quarterback’s playing like a top-2 quarterback in football right now. Javtone (Williams) has been awesome.

“So for us it was like, it was almost great to have this matchup after last week.”

RELATED: Renck: With this version of Bo Nix, the extraordinary seems possible for Broncos

Payton showed the team a stat that teams that come back from down 14 in the fourth quarter are 3-16 the following week.

“Then you watch the tape on Wednesday and you’re like, ‘(shoot), this is going to be a challenge,'” Allen said. “So, guys really handled the preparation the right way, and it worked out.”

Now the Broncos go forward uncertain about reigning defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II’s status after a shoulder injury, but in first place and feeling good about what they’ve got going as a group.

“I think we’re coming into our own a little bit,” Allen said. “Obviously, being able to win ugly is really important in this league. But at the same time, starting fast is a big thing, too. When we start fast and we force teams to be kind of one-dimensional, it����ap pretty special. Now we’ve proved we can win both ways, and we’ve got to just keep chugging away.”

3. Sean Payton dialed up a wrinkle at the perfect time on RJ Harvey’s 5-yard touchdown pass late in the game

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer made a curious decision in a game that was likely already decided.

Courtland Sutton got called for offensive pass interference on a second-and-goal incompletion from the 5-yard line. Instead of taking the penalty and forcing second-and-goal from the 15, Schottenheimer declined it to get to third down. Perhaps he thought that, trailing 37-17 with just 7:18 to go that he couldn’t afford the extra time off the clock.

Payton, though, had a diabolical third-down call in his pocket.

To appreciate it, let����ap rewind to Harvey’s first career touchdown against Cincinnati in Week 4 from a nearly identical situation: third-and-5 from the Bengals’ 12-yard line.

The Broncos from the left hash aligned in an empty formation with Havey initially up as the widest man to the boundary. He motioned into the backfield and stayed to Nix’s left, aligned about even with left tackle Garret Bolles.

One other piece to the puzzle: The Broncos have come to fairly frequently use Harvey as a coverage indicator. Defenses know he’s a receiving threat, so moving him in motion often ends up giving Nix a clue — or the full answer — as to whether the defense is in man coverage or zone. If a defender follows Harvey, it����ap man. If the defense stays stationary, that����ap a clue toward zone.

So, Harvey motioned to the backfield against the Bengals, and it was man coverage. On the snap, he raced back to the left flat, the Bengals dropped the coverage entirely and Nix hit him for an easy, walk-in touchdown.

Nix finds the rookie RJ Harvey and the add another TD

CINvsDEN on ABC
Stream on and ESPN App

— NFL (@NFL)

Fast forward to Sunday.

The Broncos were again on the left hash. They again lined up empty with Harvey out to the left. Nix again motioned him to the backfield and again got a man coverage indicator when linebacker Shemar James followed him in.

Harvey settled behind Bolles again, and James looked like he shaded to Harvey’s outside. Perhaps that����ap just how the Dallas defense is designed, considering James didn’t have help to the outside, but it could have also been a film study tip James saw and recognized.

Either way, he was wrong.

This time at the snap, Harvey darted all the way across the formation to the right. On that side of the field, Sutton and Franklin ran double slants to create traffic in the middle of the field.

James had no chance.

“I knew it was going to be wide open,” Harvey said.

RJ Harvey meets the end zone for the THIRD time today!

DALvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+

— NFL (@NFL)

Indeed, it was.

“RJ’s third-down call, we’ve had that in (the plan) for like five weeks,” Payton said afterward.

A good example of one call building off another, and the way Payton and the Broncos try to stay ahead of what defenses learn when they watch Denver’s tape.

4. Trent Sherfield sounded like a proud big brother talking about rookie Pat Bryant����ap breakout game

Broncos veteran journeyman receiver Trent Sherfield has been a mentor to rookie Pat Bryant since shortly after the third-round pick out of Illinois arrived in town.

Bryant has taken most of Sherfield’s playing time over the past few weeks.

Still, Sherfield was beaming Sunday night in the locker room after Bryant caught his first touchdown on a 24-yard dime from Bo Nix and also continued his standout work as a run-blocker.

“It makes me so happy,” Sherfield told The Post. “I’ve said it all along, and I’ve seen it from the jump: He’s fearless, he’s a young guy and he’s eager and willing to learn. Great hands, great route-running ability.”

And, Sherfield said, Bryant����ap resilient.

Take the first drive when Nix threw a ball behind him that ended up an interception.

“He should have caught that ball and went for 60,” Sherfield said. “Bo threw it a little bit behind him. But (Bryant) comes off the field and just his response to adversity, man. It����ap just so unique for a young player.”

Sherfield called back to a preseason game in which he got upset and was complaining on the sideline.

“He was like, ‘Man, big bro, it����ap over. Let it go.’ You just don’t see that a lot from young guys,” Sherfield said. “To see him flourish — he’s going to be a great player. I was talking with Jaleel McLaughlin about it during our walkthrough yesterday. He’s going to be a great player. I’ve been waiting for his breakout game, and I’m hoping that going forward this is something that����ap weekly for him.”

Sherfield is a physical blocker in his own right and predicted that Bryant����ap crack block on Dallas edge Sam Williams to help spring Harvey’s 40-yard opening touchdown run would get a bigger reaction in the film room than a toe-tap touchdown grab in the back corner of the end zone.

“Because that����ap not something that a typical receiver does,” Sherfield said. “… That����ap a dying breed of receiver in the NFL. I told Pat when we came in for halftime, ‘Man, I want you to go get 100 yards, but I also want some more good blocks as well, too.’”

Bryant����ap reputation has only grown in that department over his rookie season. Even the offensive linemen have come to enjoy watching the 6-foot-2 receiver work.

“He’s an incredible run blocker,” right guard Quinn Meinerz said. “He’s putting his helmet and his hands on people all the time. When we watch the tape, you notice it. … We take care of the first and second level and Pat, along with the other receivers, he’s got the third level. That����ap when you start seeing those explosive runs.

“That����ap why we’re seeing those explosive runs, the O-line and the receivers working together.”

5. National tight end day did not go well for Jake Ferguson, one of the most productive pass-catchers in the NFL this season

Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson entered Sunday with 51 catches and six touchdowns already this season.

The catch mark was No. 4 overall in the NFL through the first seven weeks. Not among tight ends. Among all pass-catchers. He had at least three catches in every game and seven-plus in five of the Cowboys’ seven outings.

Against the Broncos: No catches and just one target. That one target: Intercepted by rookie nickel Jahdae Barron.

“It����ap not surprising,” inside linebacker Alex Singleton deadpanned after the game. “You guys think I cover tight ends every play. I don’t cover tight ends every play.”

Singleton perhaps should have taken the credit for snuffing out one of the league’s best and doing so on National Tight Ends Day, no less.

The veteran’s point was well-taken, though. Coverage in the middle of the field is typically mixed responsibility, even with how much man defensive coordinator Vance Joseph plays. That����ap because the Broncos play match, they pass receivers off over the middle, so on and so forth.

“It was good,” Singleton said. “They’re a really good offense. They use him as a receiver, and he’s a really good receiver. So to just be able to play the way we did today was huge.”

6. Two games in, Alex Palczewski looks like the kind of answer at left guard that could give the Broncos reason to punt on addressing OL at the trade deadline

The third-year undrafted man out of Illinois has settled the position down after Ben Powers and Matt Peart were injured in back-to-back weeks.

He turned in another solid outing Sunday, and the Broncos dominated in the trenches overall.

Nix was not sacked, and the Broncos averaged 7 yards per carry outside of a pair of kneeldowns.

Palczewski has a big challenge on his hands after not playing any left side in any capacity over his career — college or pro.

His approach, essentially, is fake it ‘til you make it. Perhaps “brawl until you figure out actual technique” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue the same way, but it’s slightly more accurate.

“It����ap definitely been a challenge, but (offensive line coach Zach) Strief has helped so much just with where my mind should go,” he said Thursday. “Simple points. That����ap the biggest thing is I’ve just been trying not to overthink it too much. Just go back to, ‘OK, what are my thoughts presnap,’ simply just to put myself in a good position to just play good football. …

“There’s still a lot of stuff I’m working on. The nuances of, OK, I’ve got to find myself. I’ve got to get to a good brace. Everything’s just different.”

‘Palcho’ spent most of his pro career to date backing up Mike McGlinchey at right tackle and also serving as the reserve right guard behind Quinn Meinerz.

Now he’s settled down a potential sore spot for Denver in a big way, and he might be doing enough to make the Broncos think they can not only survive but thrive as currently constructed. The team’s hoping Powers will be back late in the regular season. If they like Calvin Throckmorton as depth behind Palczewski, perhaps there’s less need to give up future draft capital to address the spot.

Not only that, but Powers has no guaranteed money left on his deal after this season and a big cap number in 2026. Those kinds of decisions can wait until the season ends, but the bottom line is Palczewski’s played well so far, and more time on the left side is only going to lead to more and more comfort.

“If you sit on one side as Palcho has for the last, like, seven years or so, it����ap really, really difficult to switch sides,” McGlinchey said. “Palcho goes from right guard or right tackle to all of a sudden, ‘You’re one of our best five. You’ve got to go out there.’ The fight that he had, the technique he played with.

“Palcho, man, he’s a throwback.”

7a. The Broncos’ offense roared to life against a beleaguered Dallas defense Sunday, continuing a high-flying run that started with their 33-point fourth quarter last weekend.

Denver scored 27 points in the first half and 44 overall against Dallas.

The four first-half touchdowns gave the Broncos eight in three quarters dating back to the 14:02 mark of the fourth quarter against the New York Giants.

Before that, Sean Payton’s team had scored nine touchdowns over its past 20 quarters. That goes all the way back through the fourth quarter of the Broncos’ Week 2 loss at Indianapolis.

When Harvey scampered into the end zone for his third touchdown of the day in the middle of the fourth quarter, the Broncos had scored on seven of nine full possessions Sunday and 12 of their previous 14.

The total in that span: 10 touchdowns, two field goals, a punt and an interception.

7b. The Broncos extended a pair of winning streaks when they won their fifth straight overall and ran their NFL-best home winning streak to nine games. Sean Payton’s team hasn’t lost at Empower Field since Week 6 of the 2024 season against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Broncos now will look to run the overall winning streak to six next week in a tough matchup at Houston, but then have two more home games coming over the first half of November against Las Vegas (Thursday Night Football, Nov. 6) and Kansas City (Nov. 16).

Nothing is certain in the NFL, but if Denver wins its next two home games to get to 11 straight at Empower Field, it would be, at worst, 8-3 on the season and tied atop the AFC West.

That����ap the kind of home-field advantage the Broncos have been talking about rebuilding, and it shows a pretty clear path toward being squarely in contention to end the Chiefs’ stranglehold on the division. That’s easier said than done, of course, especially against the Chiefs, given the way quarterback Patrick Mahomes and company have been playing. But everything the Broncos want is right there for the taking, and the way they’ve handled business at home in the early part of the season is a big reason why.

7c. The Broncos also happened to be riding a five-game winning streak last time they went to Houston. They lost on a last-second offensive failure deep in the red zone, which left Payton fuming over what he called a “chaos” play that resulted in Russell Wilson throwing a game-sealing interception.

Denver is in a much stronger position this time. They’re 6-2 instead of 6-5 that year, but the group’s got a bit of a bitter taste in its mouth still.

“Houston, obviously, the way we lost the last time we were there wasn’t great,” Allen told The Post. “We really want to try to get our revenge, but it����ap going to be tough. They’re a good team. They’ve won a lot of games the past couple of years. They got the quarterback right. Any time you do that, you’re going to be in a good spot. We just have to play kind of like this week. We did a really good job of moving on quick, and we’ve got to do the same this week.”