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

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

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

Eyioma Uwazurike

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pat Bryant

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

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

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

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

Que Robinson

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

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

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

Sam Ehlinger and Bo Nix

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

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

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

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

Quarterback

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

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

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

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

Running back

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wide Receiver

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

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

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

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

Wide Receiver

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

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

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

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

Tight End

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

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

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

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

Left Tackle

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

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

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

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

Left Guard

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

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

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

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

Center

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

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

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

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

Right Guard

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

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

Right Tackle

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

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

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

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

Kicker

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

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

A hard culture and roster reset orchestrated by Sean Payton and George Paton. The arrival of quarterback Bo Nix. A top flight defense deployed by Vance Joseph. So on and so forth.

Decidedly not on the list? Denver’s early-season performance in those two seasons.

In fact, if the Broncos get off to a fast start in 2026, not only will it be impressive because of the brutal nature of the club’s first six games, but it will also be the first time such a thing has happened in Payton’s tenure here.

“I’m pretty sure we haven’t,” Payton said last month, knowing full well the numbers. “So I think that����ap going to be important.”

Denver started 0-3 (and eventually 1-5) in 2023 before reeling off five straight wins. In 2024, the team lost its first two. Last year, a 1-2 start was followed immediately by an 11-game heater.

Payton overall is 4-7 in September as the Broncos’ coach. The good news? A 10-3 October mark that follows a career-long trend for Payton, who is 31-30 in September and 54-17 in October as a head coach.

Payton has tinkered with training camp, giving veteran players more frequent off days and eschewing joint practice with other teams altogether this summer.

The hope, of course, is that it all pays off with a faster start than in years past.

In that pursuit, there may be no more important position group on the roster than the Broncos’ offensive line.

Four of the five are going into their fourth season together and Luke Wattenberg enters his third year as the starting center. Payton likes to say that the offensive line is the one group that can permeate a team’s building. This group needs to do that and drive the bus early in the season, too.

The Broncos were among the most efficient teams running the football early in the season last year, but their production dropped off a cliff when J.K. Dobbins was injured in Week 10.

If the frontline can help Denver get back to running the football well out of the gate, that will not only make life easier on Nix, but it also opens up a world of possibilities for first-time play-caller Davis Webb.

“I’ve never been around somewhere that����ap been about to be four straight years of basically the same offensive line,” Webb said recently. “It����ap such a blessing because they’re good dudes, they’re coached well, they’re nasty, they take things personal. I think pass block-wise, they’ve been pretty consistent over the last few years and run-game wise, I think we’re trying to build on that consistency. Not saying it����ap been bad, but we can definitely be more consistent.

“That����ap a goal that we’ve tried to address this offseason. We’re just very blessed in all of our rooms that the offensive line’s been the most stationary. They’re the strength of our offense.”

They’re a key cog in helping to correct two of the trends Payton identified from last year that he’s harped on throughout the offseason — early-down efficiency and run game consistency, which go hand-in-hand.

“I think part of that was health last year when we lost J.K.,” Payton said. … “Per our run game, there’s some really good things I think that we’re doing. Then, ultimately, you kind of settle in on what type of run team you are relative to a zone scheme, a gap scheme and those types of things. So we certainly feel like we’re further along than we’ve been here in my three years, just with the depth in both (the running back and offensive line) groups.”

The Broncos have struggled to settle on one identity offensively in each season under Payton here. That����ap not to say they’ve been bad, but other than having a knack for finding ways to win close games, there hasn’t really been a set of core tenants around which the offense has been built schematically. Webb pointed to last year’s Los Angeles Rams, who eventually tilted toward heavy personnel and had success but took  a few weeks to sort that out before leaning all the way into it.

There will be a learning curve, to be sure. The offensive line can make it shorter and easier to navigate if it comes out of the gate playing the way a group of veterans with years of experience together should be capable of.

“I think it����ap just the understanding of what techniques we’re trying to apply on which plays, which looks, which leverages,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey said. “Just kind of honing in on that. We had a pretty good grasp of all that before, and we’ve done it a long time together. Switching a couple of the techniques in and out depending on the scheme or the play or whatever it is, I think we’ve done a good job. It����ap been a great camp.

“Our group is ready to go, and I’m excited to see where we can go as the season unfolds.”

Golf, whether in the Bay Area while with San Francisco 49ers or in the Denver area, always sounds like a good idea.

Sleep in? Sometimes simple is best.

Kick the feet up and watch a movie, maybe a little bit of film along the way? Indeed, air conditioning feels great after a long stretch of days on the field.

These days, McGlinchey sees none of that.

But, he said, it����ap for good reason. He’s been promoted.

McGlinchey and his wife, Brooke, welcomed their second child the day after the Broncos lost in the AFC Championship Game.

“I would say dad is very much a support player, a role player, the first time around,” McGlinchey said earlier this summer. “All of a sudden, when there’s no free set of hands, dad gets elevated to the starting lineup.

“It����ap fun. My son is almost 2 now. He doesn’t stop moving, he doesn’t stop talking and it����ap a lot of fun. … It����ap a full-time job, man. And I’ve got two of them now. It����ap been a lot of fun and it����ap the biggest blessing in the world.”

That����ap a common theme around the Broncos locker room. The team features a bunch of young dads, including multi-kid veterans like McGlinchey, left tackle Garett Bolles and safety Talanoa Hufanga and also new additions to the ranks this offseason in quarterback Bo Nix and safety Brandon Jones.

Players spend training camp together in a hotel, so family time gets limited. After practice, families and friends of players make their way from the balcony and courtyard viewing area at the new team facility down to the indoor practice field and players make their way up for quick visits. Naturally, then, that����ap how many like to spend their off days, too.

Second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant, who got married this summer during OTAs, said he takes a similar low-key approach on the rare occasion the club gets an off day.

“It����ap a couple things to do around here that are fun, but my main focus is getting rest,” said Bryant, who has had a terrific training camp and appears poised for a Year 2 breakout. “Get as much sleep as possible, hang out with the wife for a couple hours and just kick my feet up and relax.”

All-Pro right guard Quinn Meinerz is a man of many hobbies, but he said recently that he used a weekend day to see released on 70-millimeter film by director Christopher Nolan this summer. You can also find Meinerz on an off day at the bowling alley, checking out avian variety with his birdwatching setup and app or, after dark, peering at the night sky through his telescope.

Players on the team have all kinds of other hobbies and things they like to do with their downtime during the summer or even during the regular season. If there’s a fishing spot to be found, Bolles may be there. Same for kicker Wil Lutz, who is also a high-quality golfer. Players in the offseason find unique, do-it-yourself workout routines, even if they’re also using the Broncos facilities. Veteran inside linebacker Alex Singleton set himself up with a sauna and cold plunge at his house and is a big believer in mobility-based training. Jaleel McLaughlin said he regularly made the trip to Colorado Springs to conquer the Manitou Incline. On the other end of the team’s weight spectrum from the diminutive running back, so, too, did Meinerz make the incline climb.

That’s all well and good, but training camp is a different story. In the heart of it, the Broncos were on the field 10 days in an 11-day stretch. The prep for 10 a.m. practices starts early and the last of the meetings goes well into the evening. It can feel like Groundhog Day.

When asked which day the previous week the team had gone together to see the new “Spider-Man” movie, All-Pro outside linebacker Nik Bonitto said he wasn’t even sure what day it was at that very moment.

There’s just not much downtime. After the Broncos’ preseason-opening win at Atlanta, the team’s charter landed back at Denver International Airport a little after 1 a.m. Saturday morning. Head coach Sean Payton said they had a practice scheduled for that afternoon. Not a taxing one, but back to it nonetheless.

That’s why rest and relaxation often win out when a rare camp-off day pops up on the schedule. You’ve got to be prepared for the grind, especially when your reason for playing starts to expand.

“Just being married give you a little extra job knowing that here soon I’m going to start a nice family,” Bryant, the 24-year-old receiver said with a smile recently. “Overall, it����ap been great knowing I’ve got my wife in the stands, her family, my family. I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life with my wife.”

Oh, right, there’s one more staple of a camp off-day: The honey-do list.

Bryant’s sure-handed in that regard, too.

“I took the garbage out before we were married,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“So that����ap always a challenge.”

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

Changes from last week’s projection are italicized.

OFFENSE (24)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

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

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

RUNNING BACK (3)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

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

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

TIGHT END (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Nate Adkins and Justin Joly

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

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

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

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

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

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

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

DEFENSE (26)

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

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

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

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

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

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

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

INSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

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

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

CORNERBACK (5)

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

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

SAFETY (4)

Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner

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

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

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

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

The Broncos pair the top offense and top defense against each other for nearly every facet of training camp and, therefore, Singleton is lined up 5-10 yards away from Nix over and over and over again. Virtually every day.

Singleton isn’t a quarterback evaluator, but in many ways he’s uniquely situated to understand what Nix is doing, how he’s playing and what the opening weeks on the field have looked like for the Denver quarterback after six months of rehabilitating a pair of offseason ankle surgeries.

In Singleton’s mind, the answer is pretty simple.

“He’s playing out of his mind,” the 32-year-old linebacker said Monday.

In the four weeks since the Broncos reported for training camp, the evaluation of and attention on Nix has slowly shifted away from whether he looked like he was all the way past the ankle injury first sustained in January — he’s shown no limitations in practice or Friday against Green Bay — and more toward what kind of third season he may author.

It was almost exactly a year ago when now-offensive coordinator Davis Webb said he thought any quarterback improvement between Year 1 and Year 2 was more about consistency and that Year 3 is when elite quarterbacks make a big jump.

“That����ap just my experience personally and with my friends,” Webb said last summer. “Everybody talks about Year 2, but I think that����ap just the world rushing like we do with everything. … It depends on the situation you’re in, the village you’re around, the play-caller, your defense playing good, your O-line’s protecting you, guys are catching it and you’re executing.

“There’s a lot of domino effect there.”

As Bo goes, so do Broncos

The Broncos are betting that they have even more of those dominoes lined up than in previous years, particularly with Webb now calling plays and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle injecting horsepower into the offensive skill group.

Webb himself said earlier this month that Nix is “right on par with the other guys I’ve been around going into Year 3,” which is particularly notable considering Webb has pointed previously to the way Josh Allen exploded in his third season in Buffalo in 2020 when Webb was his backup.

The question that won’t fully be answered until the season is off and running, though, is just how big a jump Nix himself can take. It doesn’t have to be Allen-sized, but he will need to keep pushing forward if the Broncos are going to win a Super Bowl.

Certainly, Nix has won at a rate that puts him near the top of the heap in the NFL, leading the Broncos to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons. By many advanced metrics, he’s more middle of the pack. Several national outlets ranked him in the mimid-to-loweens when it came to the pantheon of current quarterbacks in the game.

Broncos players and coaches aren’t objective observers, of course, but the sense that Nix is set to turn in an eye-popping season is palpable in all corners of Broncos Park.

“I’ve been very impressed,” quarterback Sam Ehlinger told The Post this week. “Obviously, I was impressed when I first got here last year, but he’s been a lot more consistent this year and he’s just in a great spot. You’d never know he’d had an injury at all and that����ap not just on the field. In the building, there’s not extra stuff he’s having to do or make a big deal about it. He’s able to do everything.”

Coaches, teammates of various positions and more have expressed similar sentiments. Their reasons vary depending on perspective.

The QB whisperer

Webb’s ascension to play-calling duties certainly plays a role.

So, too, do what so far looks like cleaner footwork, better rhythm and more willingness to stay in the pocket from Nix. Webb talked, too, about trying to marry reads for Nix to more efficiently stay on his top target and then quickly get to No. 2 in hopes of helping alleviate the quarterback’s tendency to rush through his progression.

There’s just plain old comfort in the system. Nix had a new one every year of college and now has been immersed in this one for more than two full years.

“When you have a second-nature thought process and you know the play and you’re not thinking about operation, or emotion or a route concept or a handoff point, you can attack the defense in a little bit more of a strategic way,” Nix said. “So my eyes are up a little bit more. I just feel comfortable. It����ap like riding a bike for the third year as opposed to the first. You get up on it and it����ap just by memory at this point. I feel good. I feel like there’s a lot of growth to be had.”

Away from the huddle and the two-minute drill, Nix has had time to settle into his role as the clear leader and face of the franchise.

“I think he’s letting things that are out of his control not bother him,” right tackle Mike McGlinchey told The Post earlier this month. “I think, as a young player, you think you need to take on every challenge and take on all these different things. Bo is now learning, ‘Hey, that can be a waste of my energy but that isn’t.’ He’s learning how to pick his spots.

“He’s learning what to get fired up about, what to fight the things he doesn’t like and let the things go that maybe don’t really matter.”

There are no guarantees in the NFL and there haven’t been many grand proclamations from the Broncos so far in training camp, but add up weeks worth of practices and the tone consistently coming from teammates and coaches and it����ap clear the club thinks Nix is on the verge of a huge season.

“He knows the ins and outs of the offense, he’s comfortable with the offensive line,” Ehlinger said. … “He has a ton of reps. Add up how many reps he’s had in the regular seasons and that����ap a lot of ball. He knows all the receivers and all the running backs too. He’s making great decisions.

“He’s always been really talented as a thrower but you can really tell that everything’s lining up really well for him.”

Green Bay came to Denver and thumped Sean Payton’s team, 33-10, on Friday night. It marked the Broncos’ first preseason loss since San Francisco prevailed, 21-20, on Aug. 19, 2023.

Denver head coach Sean Payton regularly emphasizes the importance of competing in everything and, therefore, the importance of winning in the preseason.

That, however, is not the primary objective in the grand scheme. First and foremost is using the three preseason games to figure out the 53-man roster puzzle that must be completed by Aug. 30 and also preparing the team for a 17-game regular season.

There were positives, too. Quarterback Bo Nix returned to the field for the first time in seven months, led a touchdown drive and finished 6 of 9 for 76 yards and a touchdown.

With two of the three games now in the books, here are five more takeaways from the first outing of the year at Empower Field.

Payton once said sometimes a coach has to “create a crisis.” This isn’t one, but…

You wouldn’t know it the way Payton talked after the Packers finished drubbing his team.

The Broncos opened with two scores behind Nix and then did very little the rest of the game.

“I can’t think of one area where we played them (even) or out-played them, honestly,” Payton said.

Payton seethed that all three phases had a hand in the lopsided score and he was right.

Denver committed 10 penalties, including several on the offensive line. Jarrett Stidham turned the ball over. The starting defense surrendered an opening touchdown drive and the Packers scored on seven of their nine possessions overall. A week after dominating Atlanta at the line of scrimmage, the Broncos got out-rushed 118-70.

The average length of Denver’s 12 third-down attempts: 9.5 yards.

Good luck telling Payton it����ap just a preseason game.

“You can’t not pay attention to these games, these scrimmages, these important steps toward the beginning of the regular season,” Payton said.

Payton wants to win at everything. He undoubtedly had no fun standing on the sideline as his team got beat by three scores.

When he was asked after the game about whether Nix and other starters would play in Denver’s preseason finale next week against Minnesota, he gave a little bit of a peek into how he felt in the moment.

“I’m not getting into next week. I want to play them all into the third quarter next week,” he said. Of course, leveler heads will probably prevail on that front in the coming days.

“Let����ap figure out the tape tomorrow,” Payton continued, “see where we’re at, and let����ap do what����ap best for us as we prepare for the Chiefs.”

Even as the immediate frustration recedes, though, expect Payton to use Friday night����ap performance for longer than just a day or two.

In fact, it����ap a safe bet this will not be a particularly enjoyable week around the Broncos facility in general.

Payton learned the “create a crisis” play, like many in his quiver, from Bill Parcells.

Early in his tenure here, he explained that “you trust your instincts with each week in our league — where your team is at and what you think they need. I don’t know that there’s a book for that, but experience certainly helps.”

He’s undoubtedly not happy about losing, but the score doesn’t actually matter in the long run. Now, the key is extracting as much as possible out of the day.

A lot of that will be film study, but some, too, will be message-sending to a team that dominated in preseason Week 1, expects itself to be a contender, has had a fairly straightforward training camp so far and also has not been able to generate fast starts to the regular season under Payton.

In fact, for as surly as Payton was after the game, somewhere in there he probably convinced himself that it set him up perfectly to hammer home to his team that they’re not good enough to be anything other than on the screws every week.

Buckle up if you work at Broncos Park this week.

Jahdae Barron looks like the next man up outside and in the slot

It can be dangerous to read too much into preseason personnel rotations. The coaching staff has an idea going into a game in terms of who is going to play how many snaps and when. That goes into account when a player is injured or something unforeseen happens.

Still, it was interesting to note that the Broncos’ 2025 first-round pick was the first man in when starting cornerback Riley Moss injured his ribs on the second play of the night. Barron is playing a jack-of-all-trades role so far in camp and has seen time on the outside, in the slot and as the team’s primary dime back when defensive coordinator Vance Joseph puts six defensive backs on the field.

Barron has no obvious competition for the dime job or as the No. 2 nickel, but he’s competing against Kris Abrams-Draine to be the primary back-up for Moss and Pat Surtain II on the outside. When Surtain missed three games last year, the Broncos used Barron, a sure tackler, on early downs and Abrams-Draine in more obvious passing situations. They could certainly go back to that arrangement this year in the regular season, but perhaps Barron is making a run to claim that job outright.

Jarrett Stidham didn’t make a strong claim on the No. 2 job

The possession count for Denver’s three quarterbacks on Friday night looked like this:

Bo Nix: 2

Jarrett Stidham: 5

Sam Ehlinger: 2

Stidham and the No. 2 offense, however, struggled to find anything resembling a rhythm. The first four trips generated just two first downs and featured an interception on a ball that looked like a miscommunication between Stidham and tight end Lucas Krull.

The veteran’s final line: 9 of 15 for 82 yards, the pick and a passer rating of 47.1.

“Anytime you play, you want to win,” Stidham said. “Tomorrow we’re going to have a great chance to look at the film and see what we can do better individually and as an offense. As a group. It’ll be good to obviously take some things away that we can improve on and, going into next week, the last week of preseason and then, you know, beyond that.”

Ehlinger got one real drive that covered just 9 yards in seven plays. His second possession started with 1:05 remaining and Denver ran the ball twice to kill the clock.

As camp has progressed, Stidham has dominated the No. 2 reps in practice. Ehlinger’s run the No. 2 unit twice all of camp and didn’t this past week.

In the end, perhaps there won’t have been all that much to decide in the race outside of whether to keep all three quarterbacks.

Payton, though, wasn’t near ready to say that yet Friday night.

“We’re still working through it,” he said when asked if next week’s game against the Vikings matters in the decision-making process. “Yeah. It matters. It matters. We’re watching those guys.”

The Broncos offense is going to hear about penalties. A lot.

One area that had Payton particularly peeved postgame: Penalties.

Denver had 10 enforced for 79 yards and a Frank Crum holding penalty declined. Of the 11 flags total, five were on the offense and all were either holding or procedural.

Crum, fellow offensive lineman Alex Palczewski, tight end Lucas Krull and fullback Adam Prentice all got called for holding and left tackle Garett Bolles false started.

During Tuesday’s practice, offensive coordinator Davis Webb yanked Bolles, Mike McGlinchey and Evan Engram from a drill because of false start penalties.

Payton was similarly annoyed on Friday.

“Some of them we keep seeing in practice, we’re seeing the same penalties in the games,” Payton said. “Saw them last year. We’ve got to get that cleaned up.”

Overall, it was an up-and-down night for the offensive line, which is going to be counted on to be among the roster’s strongest suits.

Not on this night, though.

“Wasn’t good. Wasn’t good,” Payton said. “We had too many minus plays, too many penalties offensively. I don’t know how many third and 10-or-mores we had, but quite a bit, right?”

RJ Harvey should have your attention as a pass-catching threat

The Broncos look poised to roll out a diverse set of offensive options when the regular season begins.

That was apparent early Friday night when Jaylen Waddle was on the field with Courtland Sutton and Pat Bryant at receiver, Evan Engram at tight end and RJ Harvey in the backfield.

Denver should also have J.K. Dobbins, Jonah Coleman, Marvin Mims Jr. and others ready on Sept. 14 against Kansas City, as well.

Don’t forget about Harvey, though.

He scored 12 touchdowns as a rookie and, though he’s not the most refined runner between the tackles yet, he is special in open space and in the passing game.

The second-year man out of Central Florida showed that again Friday, ripping past standout Green Bay linebacker Edgerrin Cooper for a 21-yard touchdown on a wheel route.

“Well, honestly, he was like that last year, so the growth I haven’t seen much because he started so far out in front as a pass-catcher,” Nix said after the game. “I knew when he came in last year, seeing him for the first time at practice, that was going to be his strongest ability.

“The catch he made wasn’t necessarily easy. He’s just done that his career here so far, just over a year and some change. I’m excited to see him continue to develop. He’s a special football player.”

Harvey caught 47 passes on 58 targets for 356 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. He’s got more competition for playing time this year with the way Coleman has looked in his first professional training camp, but Payton knows exactly how to use players with Harvey’s skill set, Webb knows what he’s got as a pass-catching threat and there should be more opportunity for favorable matchups with Waddle’s addition to the mix.

From the start of practice, the tenor was intense. As it grew more chippy throughout, a scuffle or two felt inevitable.

Rookie tight end Justin Joly was in a scrap during a one-on-one, which the defense apparently did not appreciate. The first time he caught a pass in the ensuing team period, he got rocked.

The real fireworks started in another round of team drills, however.

On the first snap for the top offense, the defensive line collapsed the pocket and ran into quarterback Bo Nix, who got knocked to the ground. He got up yelling at defensive players and spotted Malcolm Roach celebrating. Nix fired the football he was holding at the defensive tackle.

Two plays later, Nix was intercepted by Alex Singleton. On the other side of the field, guard Calvin Throckmorton ended up at the bottom of a pile with his helmet off and the fracas was on.

Nik Bonitto ran to the pile and appeared to jump on right tackle Mike McGlinchey. Nix ran after and grabbed Bonitto by the leg, trying to pull him off the pile.

Nix, for his part, downplayed the whole thing after practice.

“I love it. It����ap football,” Nix said. “It����ap getting me ready for the games coming up. It����ap a physical practice out there played by physical people. It got intense and we were just really enjoying it.

“Sometimes in the dog days of summer, practice gets long and the intensity runs high.”

Any apologies issued afterward from his end?

“Uh, no,” Nix said with a smile.

It took a minute or two to pull the groups apart and tempers clearly ran high. McGlinchey and Nix both had to be walked away from defensive players. Throckmorton was bleeding from his face and was taken back into the facility with a bag over his eye by training staff.

Several veterans stood by themselves for a couple of minutes once the No. 2s were in.

It was as spicy a scrap as there’s been here since Payton’s been the head coach.

“It����ap going to happen. We just can’t cross the line,” offensive coordinator Davis Webb said. “Sean said that and I agree. I’m glad we’re fiery. I love the competition out here. It����ap been unbelievable to watch both sides of the ball win some plays and win some periods. But we can’t cross the line.

“That����ap offense and defense. … We all had a part in that. We’re going to handle this in that meeting.”

Vance Joseph said there will be a reminder not to hit the quarterback, but he also wants his side of the ball to play aggressively.

“When we’re playing our style of football, it����ap aggressive and it����ap downhill,” Joseph said. “But you can’t hurt your team. ..

“Bo’s our quarterback and we don’t want anyone near Bo.”

On with the rest of the camp report.

Attendance

PUP — OL Nick Gargiulo.

IR — DL Matt Henningsen and OL Michael Deiter.

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

Left practice — C Calvin Throckmorton.

Several key Broncos appear to be moving back toward full participation but aren’t there yet. C Luke Wattenberg did individual work but not the live inside run drill or team periods. Same for WR Marvin Mims Jr. Other veteran players had modified workloads Tuesday including DT Zach Allen.

Forsyth is one to watch because, after nearly getting the green light to play Friday, he was back to full participation on Monday. Then he wasn’t seen at practice Tuesday. Sanders, who has only played in four regular-season games the past two seasons, has not practiced the past two days after registering a sack Friday at Atlanta.

Defenses closes the day with dominant stretch

After the fight, the Broncos closed practice with a two-minute situation. The offense started at its own 36-yard line with 1:19 on the clock and trailing by seven.

Joseph’s group thoroughly dominated.

Nix’s set of plays with the No. 1 offense started with a McGlinchey false start — more on that later — to set up first-and-15.
From there, it was four-and-out for the offense with three break-ups by the defense. Pat Surtain II easily knocked down a pass for Courtland Sutton on first down. Brandon Jones followed with a break-up against Jaylen Waddle in the middle of the field on second-and-15. Then after a 6-yard completion to RJ Harvey on third-and-15, Ja’Quan McMillian finished the series with by knocking the ball away from Troy Franklin on fourth-and-9.

Jarrett Stidham got the next series with the offense and the No. 2s, too, went four-and-out.

Davis Webb said they saw the 13-yard run from Jonah Coleman in the preseason game and on the headset everybody said “we’re good.”

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel)

Thumbs Up

Webb lays down the law. Mistakes happen all the time in football, but some errors are less forgivable. When McGlinchey false started to open the late two-minute drill, Webb pulled him out of it. Alex Palczewski took over. McGlinchey then was put back in with the No. 2s for the next run. Earlier in practice, Webb did the same to LT Garett Bolles and TE Evan Engram. Those three, mind you, have a combined 26 years of playing experience under their belts.

That doesn’t change Webb’s approach. You jump, you’re getting yanked.

“That’s not our standard,” he said. “There’s been really good offensive production here through the history of this organization and we went through it in OTAs.

“If we’re not up to that standard, you will be taken out. I don’t care if you’re a starter or a back-up.”

The false starts aren’t good, obviously. But a first-year offensive coordinator laying down the law with veterans who are just about his age? That’ll pay off.

Thumbs down

Make the play. Rookie tight end Justin Joly hasn’t made many splash plays in camp, though he did add a good one ot his reel Tuesday. He got out in front of a wide receiver screen and did a good job running cornerback Brent Austin out of the play. That allowed wide receiver Kyree Duplessis to catch the ball, get up the field and score.

Overall, though, it was a rough day for Joly. He started the chain of events that led to the boiling over in team late in practice. He also had a chance to make an impressive catch over the middle when he went up high to haul in a pass from Jarrett Stidham. He had both hands on it when he hit the ground, but couldn’t reel it in. In a wide open tight end room, Joly is a pretty good bet to make the roster as a fifth-round pick, but there are still a lot of machinations to go in that room.

Vance Joseph on Jahdae Barron: “He plays multiple spots for us and that����ap going to be valuable. He’s a nickel, he’s a dime, he’s sometimes a safety. Last year when Pat was out for three games he played corner. That����ap his role right now. He wants more and I want more for him.”

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel)

Odds and ends

* Allen appeared to play a limited number of snaps in team settings Tuesday. DT Tyler Onyedim stepped in and made a play in his absence. The third-round pick out of Texas A&M ripped through on the first 11-on-11 snap of the day and probably had a sack — at least a pressure — on Nix. Onyedim had a quiet day stats-wise in his preseason debut Friday, but has shown signs of his potential through camp.

“I just try to take everything from (Allen’s) game,” Onyedim told The Post last week. “Just seeing him on film, seeing himi work between periods and things like that, it����ap real motivating. Seeing the great things he’s done over the past years and just wanting to be the next one up. I try to ask him all the questions I can ask him and take it all in. It����ap been great.”

Allen was a third-round pick who worked his way to All-Pro status and a $100 million contract. That����ap the kind of thing that gets noticed by a rookie third-round pick who plays in the same position group.

“He tells me all the time that he feels like I’m doing good and just keep going,” Onyedim said. “Play fast and we’ll figure out the rest out later.”

* It����ap been said more than once during training camp, but Riley Moss is playing at a really high level.

After an interception on Friday night in the preseason opener against the Falcons, he kept at it Tuesday. Moss during one-on-ones easily blanketed Troy Franklin as Nix waited and waited to deliver the ball. Finally he did, and Moss batted it down.

* A good news/bad news moment unfolded for undrafted rookie wide receiver Cam Ross on Tuesday. Ross got some run with the top offense, which meant he found himself on the receiving end of a target from Nix. In the second half of August, that����ap a good sign. Except on Tuesday, Ross dropped the ball. Not so good.

All the same, Ross got run with the top offensive group against the Falcons, too. His two catches went for just a yard, but he also got a carry that went for 28 and he’s a capable kick and punt returner. He’s one to watch the next couple of weeks.

* The Broncos run of center depth issues continued Tuesday. Wattenberg appears near a return but was still limited. With Forsyth out, Throckmorton stepped into the No. 1 role. But then he needed attending to after the fracas, which meant undrafted rookie Gavin Ortega got the call for the two-minute situations late in practice. Reid Holskey also took snaps early in practice Tuesday. He’s doing what he can to get in the mix for a practice squad spot. He spent most of last year on the New York Giants’ practice squad and has played tackle, guard and center this summer.

* The Broncos final open practice of training camp is Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. Lots open at 8 a.m. and gates at 9 a.m.

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

Injured reserve — DL Matt Henningsen (Achilles)

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

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

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

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

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

That continues a trend Payton mentioned off the top Monday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thumbs Up

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

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

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

Thumbs Down

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

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

Odds and Ends

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Non-football injury list: ILB Jordan Turner.

Did not practice: WR Jaylen Waddle (muscle strain), WR Marvin Mims Jr., C Luke Wattenberg (shoulder), TE Nate Adkins, TE Caleb Lohner (foot/ankle), DL Matt Henningsen (Achilles), OLB Dasan McCullough, CB Sean Fresch, Jr., K Wil Lutz (at Hall of Fame).

Load management: CB Pat Surtain II, DT Zach Allen, RT Mike McGlinchey, TE Evan Engram.

Left practice: DL Eyioma Uwazurike.

Uwazurike’s injury happened right near the end of practice in a two-minute situation. He walked to the team’s facility without issue, though he was shaking out and flexing his hand, while a member of the medical staff followed him. It����ap worth monitoring in particular because Uwazurike has been one of the stories of camp. The 2022 fourth-round pick has been outstanding in both run support and rushing the passer and looks primed for a breakout season after blossoming into a trusted rotation piece last year.

Mims and Adkins watched practice Saturday, one day after each left with injuries. Mims appears to have avoided serious injury when he pulled up on a deep route Friday.

Waddle moved up to some jogging, progress from previous days after he sustained a muscle strain earlier in the week.

Henningsen (Achilles) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, which officially ends his season.

Bryant, in the midst of a monster camp, made the play of the day

The Broncos staged the closest they’ll get to a scrimmage during camp, though it was still parsed into situations and sets of plays, like a normal camp practice. But after stretch and individual periods, nearly everything Denver did on a blistering-hot Saturday morning was 11-on-11.

Perhaps not surprisingly given the way training camp has gone so far, second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant made the play of the day.

Operating in the red zone, Bo Nix faced quick pressure in the pocket after the snap and had no play but to throw the ball up. He lofted it almost blind into the back-right corner of the end zone. Bryant, working toward the corner, went up high over both Ja’Quan McMillan and Jahdae Barron, high-pointed the ball and toe-tapped near the back pylon for a touchdown.

It was a terrific play, maybe the best of camp so far, and a continuation of an impressive training camp for the 2025 third-round pick out of Illinois.

“Man, ‘Patty Ice’ has had some really, really good practices,” offensive coordinator Davis Webb said Saturday. … “Pat is very, very savvy. Smart. When he catches the ball his feet are on the ground. Those are the things we were attracted to when he was coming out of Illinois. It����ap really, really cool to see him take another jump this early into Year 2.”

Davis Webb’s nickname for Pat Bryant: “Patty Ice.”

— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel)

Consider defensive coordinator Vance Joseph sold. Entirely sold.

“He made two (plays) today that were unbelievable, but that����ap been all camp,” Joseph said. “That����ap what he can be. He’s the guy in that room, in my opinion — he blocks, he catches the ball in traffic, he can track the ball vertically, he’s great in the red zone. He’s the complete package. He’s got great size, and he loves to play. He’s the same player every day.”

Thumbs up

A bounce-back play. This has not been a glorious training camp for former UFL receiver Hakeem Butler. He’s failed to secure contested catches — not great considering he’s 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds — and in general hasn’t made many plays. He made a terrific one on Saturday, though, jumping high over veteran corner Sam Webb down the sideline to haul in a jump ball from Sam Ehlinger.

Safety valve. The Broncos were rotating through a ton of different players at safety on Saturday with Talanoa Hufanga on a veteran rest day, Brandon Jones not taking a full load of reps and Devon Key working early in practice on the side field. Undrafted rookie Parker Robertson made the most of it in a team period with the No. 3 unit when he closed on a ball thrown behind the receiver over the middle of the field and came down with an interception. Denver quarterbacks haven’t thrown many in team settings during camp so far, but Robertson capitalized.

Thumbs down

Rookie moments. Few positions are more difficult to make an impact at than tight end. Justin Joly is learning about the steep climb. He hasn’t made many splash plays in camp — though coaches say they’re encouraged by the work he’s done overall — and on Saturday the fifth-round pick flat-out dropped a ball on his hands in the middle of the field. It looked as though Joly perhaps lost concentration as outside linebacker Jonah Elliss closed in for what, in a game, would have been a crunching hit.

Odds and ends

* One day after Nix led a surgical two-minute drive for a touchdown, the Broncos defense prevailed twice in nearly identical situations. This time around, Nix and the top offense had 1:22 left, trailing by 4 and 62 yards to go. Nix and Co. pushed the ball into the red zone thanks in part to a 24-yard completion to Troy Franklin, but stalled out there. Nix had to spike the ball after that play to stop the clock, then Courtland Sutton may have been held on second-and-goal, but the ball to him in the end zone fell incomplete. Then Sutton couldn’t haul in what looked like a catchable ball along the sideline on third down. Nix tried Franklin again in the back of the end zone on a do-or-die fourth-and-goal, but he was double covered from the start and reserve safety JL Skinner knocked the pass down easily to notch a win for the defense. Sam Ehlinger led the second group and took them briskly down to the 8-yard line before three straight incompletions — third down was a broken play from the start — and a fourth-down sack thanks to Que Robinson and Dondrea Tillman.

* Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph ran practice Saturday along with special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi because Sean Payton was in Canton for Drew Brees’ Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. Joseph, though, laughed off any sense that he had much more responsibility than normal. “Sean left a great plan in place,” Joseph said. “It was more than me. It was the staff, the players. It����ap been scripted for a week and a half. So we all fell in, did our jobs, and now we’re done.”

* No team wants to punt the ball a lot, but when the Broncos do this fall, they appear to be in good care with second-year man Jeremy Crawshaw. He’s been booming the ball more consistently during camp and on Saturday pounded several high spirals with 5-second-plus hang time. Not only that, but he successfully angled several of them toward the sideline, leaving returners with very little or no chance at returning the ball. Last summer, Payton felt the need to rush the punt team on in the middle of offensive periods multiple times to try to give Crawshaw more game-like feeling because he was shanking far too many. A year later, he looks to be on the right track.

* With McGlinchey getting a rest day Saturday, the Broncos split tackle reps between Alex Palczewski and Frank Crum. They’ve both had heavy workloads in camp and, not surprisingly, the Broncos clearly want each to be comfortable playing multiple positions. Crum has played a lot of reps at both left and right tackle, while ‘Palcho’ has seen extensive time at right tackle and left guard. They, in some combination.

* A non-exhaustive list of players who have contributed or been in the picture for the Broncos who appear to be having solid training camps, but haven’t made the kind of eye-popping plays that generate buzz or headlines: TE Lucas Krull, WR Michael Bandy, ILB Levelle Bailey and RB Jaleel McLaughlin.

* The Broncos are always looking for talent at cornerback, and undrafted rookie Brent Austin has done some good things in camp. He’s not likely to make the 53-man roster, but the former Cal corner looks like a player worth trying to stash and develop.

* The roster churn is on for the Broncos. In addition to placing Henningsen on injured reserve, Denver also released cornerback Sam Webb. Those moves followed the waiver Friday of injured corner Jaden Robinson. The three new players: Receivers Kyree Duplessis and Kyrese Rowan — they each practiced Saturday— and cornerback Ricardo Hallman. Hallman worked out for the Broncos the same day as Webb last week, but Denver at that time opted for Webb. Now they’ll get a look at Hallman next week instead.

* A true VIP was on hand at Broncos practice Saturday: Mikaela Shiffrin. The world’s most decorated downhill skier watched the latter stages of practice from the sideline and was presented with a No. 110 Broncos jersey. The number, of course, is a nod to the Vail native’s record number of World Cup victories.

Welcome to , !

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos)

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