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

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

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

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

Defensive lineman

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

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

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

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

Nose tackle

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

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

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

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

Defensive lineman

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

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

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

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

Outside linebacker

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

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

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

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

Outside linebacker

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

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

Inside linebacker

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

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

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

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

Inside linebacker

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

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

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

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

Cornerback

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

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

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

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

Cornerback

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

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

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

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

Nickel

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

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

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

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

Safety

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

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

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

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

Safety

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

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

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

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

Punter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eyioma Uwazurike

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pat Bryant

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

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

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

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

Que Robinson

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

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

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

Sam Ehlinger and Bo Nix

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

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

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

The veteran safety signed to the Broncos practice squad on Monday, marking his return a little less than two weeks after he was released to attend to a personal matter.

Rapp was originally signed Aug. 20 to provide veteran depth at safety behind starters Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga. However, he practiced only once and was released six days later. Head coach Sean Payton said at the time that Rapp needed to spend some time at home, that the team was supportive of that and that he expected Rapp would return “sooner than later.”

Turns out, that meant 12 days.

Rapp, who worked out again for the Broncos on Friday, was back on the practice field with the Broncos on Monday as Denver prepares for its season opener Sept. 14 at Kansas City.

Rapp has played seven seasons in the NFL, beginning with four for the Los Angeles Rams and the past three in Buffalo. He’s started 72 games and appeared in 93. Last year, he started the first six games for the Bills before a knee injury forced him to miss the rest of the season.

“He’s a veteran. He’s very smart. He’s been on great defenses,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said after Rapp signed the first time. “I think (Payton) and (general manager George Paton), they do a great job of acquiring veterans that have been part of great culture and winning defenses and winning teams. He’s that. He fit right in.

“He’s smart. He can make plays on the ball. He can cover. He can blitz. He’s tough. So he was my kind of guy.”

By starting out on the practice squad with Denver, Rapp has a chance to spend the next few weeks getting into football shape after missing essentially all of training camp.

“It wasn’t like us pounding the table, ‘We need a safety.'” Payton said when Rapp first signed with Denver in August. “It was, ‘Hey, this player’s available,’ and let����ap work him out and sign him if possible. So I’m glad he’s here. We’ve had experience playing against him. He has real good football instincts and awareness that serves you well at that position.

“So I think it was more availability than necessity, if that makes sense.”

In addition to Jones and Hufanga, Denver has reserves JL Skinner, Devon Key and Tycen Anderson on the 53-man roster plus rookie Miles Scott on the practice squad.

To create a spot on the practice squad, the Broncos waived back-up long snapper and undrafted rookie Luke Basso.

Taylor Rapp, who briefly signed with Denver last month and then was released, had another tryout with the club, according to Friday’s transaction wire.

That workout, combined with the fact that head coach Sean Payton said on Aug. 26 that there was a “better than good” chance Rapp would end up re-signing with the Broncos after needing “a little time at home,” would indicate that the veteran defensive back is moving toward officially rejoining the team. No signing had been finalized by Friday’s wire deadline.

If Rapp does rejoin the team, it could be either as a member of the practice squad or on the 53-man roster. The Broncos have four out of a maximum six vested veterans on their 17-member practice squad, so they’d have to waive a player, but that player would not have to be a veteran.

Rapp, 28, first signed with the Broncos Aug. 20. He did not play in Denver’s preseason game the next day against Green Bay, then practiced only one time — Monday, Aug. 24. He was not seen at practice the next day and was officially released Aug. 26.

After the unusual timeline, Denver head coach Sean Payton said that Rapp “needs a little time at home, and we completely get what he needs. There’s a good chance, better than good chance that — I know how he felt being here — so I think sooner or later (him re-signing with the Broncos) is going to happen.

“But this obviously took precedence, so just leave it at that.”

At the time he was originally signed, Payton said the move was more about a player they thought had talent rather than an acute need at safety.

“It was early, but here’s what we know: We’ve played against him,” Payton added when Rapp was released. “He’s smart, which is a great trait to have as a safety. He’s a good tackler. He can play down over the slot. He’s got versatility.”

Denver kept five safeties on its initial 53-man roster: Starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones and reserves Devon Key, JL Skinner and Tycen Anderson. Key and Skinner are backups who double as terrific special teamers and Anderson is also a special teams contributor. Denver also has rookie seventh-round pick Miles Scott on its practice squad.

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.

Vanity, typically, is the least of an offensive lineman’s concerns in the first place.

This one, though, has a story behind it. Throckmorton was helmet-less at the bottom of a pile during the Broncos’ biggest training camp scrum a couple of weeks back.

When asked about it Friday after Denver’s preseason finale, the veteran offensive lineman and fringe roster player smiled.

“A little reminder of this training camp and hopefully what it����ap going to lead to down the road,” Throckmorton told The Post.

Throckmorton will indeed be with the Broncos down the road despite being released on Sunday. He’s one of four veterans to sign back to Denver’s practice squad Monday as the team filled out its 17-man group.

Standard practice squads are 16 players, but teams can get an exemption for a 17th if one qualifies as an international player. For the Broncos, that’s outside linebacker David Agoha.

Of the 16 others, up to six can be vested veterans.

The Broncos lost fifth-round tight end Justin Joly and reserve nickel and special teams standout Reese Taylor to the Miami Dolphins on the waiver wire. They also will not have waived running back Jaleel McLaughlin to the practice squad after Tyler Badie made the 53-man roster and Cody Schrader was signed to the practice squad.

McLaughlin, waived Sunday in what general manager George Paton called the toughest cut Denver made, was weighing options with other teams as of Monday.

“All of those (running backs) really played well,” head coach Sean Payton said Monday. “The edge goes to the kicking game, which is important. We were still able to end up with five. So much of the final equation comes down to special teams as we’re trying to project a vision when it’s close.”

While Denver lost Joly, two other Day 3 picks waived Sunday cleared waivers and returned to the team in safety Miles Scott and linebacker Red Murdock.

Scott told The Post after Friday’s preseason game that he felt like he’d steadily been making progress in training camp.

“It����ap definitely a gradual thing,” he said. “I feel like this past week was my best week of practice. I was like, man, this is how it should be. I’ve got to develop and become a better player. I’ve only played safety for a few years.

“In college, the defense was pretty simple. Here, this defense is definitely more complex. That����ap why it works, though.”

Now he’ll carry on developing on Denver’s practice squad.

“Smart player,” starter Talanoa Hufanga said of Scott on Monday. “A guy that is still picking it up, as always, it’s hard to learn, but he sits next to me in meetings. He’s picking the brain. A guy that’s willing to learn. As he grows and as he learns in this league, he can be a really good player.”

As for Murdock, Payton made the overarching point on Monday when asked about waiving him on Sunday in favor of Karene Reid and Jordan Turner.

“Some of what you said is true,” Payton said. “And yet, they’re all here.”

Indeed, practice squad players are essentially an extension of the overall roster, though they are restricted to playing in a maximum of three games and the pay is different.

“I look at it as a 70-man roster and that was my message to (the team),” Payton said. “Man, these guys play.”

Here’s a look at who Denver is bringing back

FB Adam Prentice (veteran)

LS Mitch Fraboni (veteran)

TE Lucas Krull (veteran)

OL Calvin Throckmorton (veteran)

WR Kolbe Katsis

WR Michael Bandy

WR Dane Key

OL Gavin Ortega

OL Tyler Miller

OLB Johnny Walker

ILB Red Murdock (7th round pick)

CB Brent Austin

CB Sean Fresch Jr.

S Miles Scott (7th round pick)

RB Cody Schrader

LS Luke Basso

OLB David Agoha (international exemption)

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.

Denver waived inside linebacker Levelle Bailey with an injury designation, a source confirmed to The Post, after he sustained a lower leg fracture last week against Atlanta in the Broncos’ preseason opener.

To take his place on the 90-man roster, Denver is signing veteran safety Taylor Rapp.

Rapp, 28, has played in 93 games and started 72 over his seven-year NFL career. He played the last three seasons in Buffalo after four years with the Los Angeles Rams.

He worked out for the Broncso earlier this month.

The move to add an experienced player comes as Denver has what looks like a wide-open race for reserve roles at safety behind starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones.

The top candidates have been Devon Key, JL Skinner, and rookie Miles Scott. The Broncos also have Tycen Anderson, who is mostly a special teams player.

For Bailey, the coming days are likely to include a couple of procedural moves.

Assuming Bailey clears waivers, he will revert to the Broncos’ injured reserve list. From there, he could be waived off IR with an injury settlement. That would be a different direction than the Broncos took with defensive lineman Matt Henningsen and offensive lineman Michael Deiter, who each went directly to injured reserve and are thus out for the season.

If Bailey reaches an injury settlement, that would open the door for him to re-sign with the Broncos or another team sometime later in the season.

Sean Payton’s fourth Denver team starts out on its 2026 journey with a preseason opener that kicks off at 5 p.m. in Atlanta.

Last time the Broncos were on the field, they came up four points shy of a trip to the Super Bowl with a 10-7 AFC Championship Game loss to New England at Empower Field in late January.

Jarrett Stidham started for injured Bo Nix, Vance Joseph’s defense dominated and a second-half snowstorm turned a slugfest into a stalemate.

Nix won’t be back on the field Friday for Denver’s preseason debut — he’s healthy enough to play, Payton says, and he’s been a full participant in training camp, but he won’t play until next week. So, Stidham and Sam Ehlinger will run the Broncos’ offense while offensive coordinator Davis Webb calls plays.

Payton said he expects most of his healthy starters to play around 15 snaps against the Falcons, but there are several starters who aren’t entirely healthy, especially on offense. It will be a surprise if receivers Jaylen Waddle and Marvin Mims play. Same with center Luke Wattenberg and key offensive line reserves Alex Forsyth and Alex Palczewski. Will J.K. Dobbins, whom Payton said had a soft tissue issue pop up earlier this week, or receiver Courtland Sutton — recipient of several rest days so far in camp — be out there? Stalwarts like corner Pat Surtain II? If so, their appearances will be fairly brief.

Here are six other storylines to watch.

Can Jarrett Stidham or Sam Ehlinger make a move in the QB2 race?

Payton has downplayed the race to be Nix’s primary backup, but it����ap been shaping up to be a good one. Outside of a completely outlier performance (to the good or to the bad), it seems unlikely that one half each for Stidham and Ehlinger on Friday will decide the race. Still, this is an important waypoint. Ehlinger looks more comfortable in his second season with the Broncos. Stidham’s been up and down in camp, but he’s got equity built up with Nix and with the coaching staff and front office.

“They’ve been great,” Webb said recently. ‘Stiddy,’ he’s in Year 4 (in Denver). He’s spot played for us very well. Sam has grown tremendously from last year to this year. We’re really fortunate to have three really good quarterbacks. Not every organization can say that. We can. And we trust all three if they had to play.

“I’m really looking forward to those guys in the preseason.”

The first question: Who’s No. 2? After that, the conversation turns to whether Denver decides to keep all three on the 53-man roster at the end of the month.

How do Jonah Coleman and the rookies look?

For Denver’s rookie draft picks and several undrafted free agents, this will be their first time on a game field in an NFL uniform.

As it happens, several of the Broncos’ rookies play positions that are among the toughest to evaluate in training camp.

Fourth-round running back Jonah Coleman has looked comfortable and flashed decisiveness and vision in practice. Still, the Broncos don’t tackle to the ground in camp. That makes Friday the best look yet at what Denver may have in the former University of Washington back. There is similar intrigue for third-round defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim, fourth-round offensive lineman Kage Casey, Denver’s pair of Day 3 tight end selections and also a pair of undrafted offensive linemen in tackle Tyler Miller and Gavin Ortega. Given the Broncos’ run of injuries at center, expect Ortega in particular to get a ton of work. Among Denver’s rookie receivers, Cam Ross and Kolbe Katsis have produced most consistently in camp.

Will the camp standouts carry their momentum over to games?

There are a handful of players who have been obvious standouts in training camp so far and they’re at various points of their careers and the depth chart. The short list: Receiver Pat Bryant, cornerback Riley Moss and defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike.

Moss counts squarely among the starters who, assuming he plays, likely will be in just for a couple of series.

Bryant and Uwazurike could get more run than that. Both played roles as key reserves last year and each look primed to take big steps forward this fall. They don’t need eye-popping stat lines against the Falcons, but watching each will be interesting nonetheless.

How loud of a preseason can Jahdae Barron have?

Expect Barron to see time in different spots during Denver’s three preseason games. The 2025 first-round pick played outside, in the slot and as the starting defense’s dime back so far through training camp. Barring some kind of major injury or change, it appears Barron is tracking toward being a primary reserve to Ja’Quan McMillian and on the perimeter, too. Will his workload be tilted one way or the other in preseason games? And can he build a little momentum heading into the regular season despite not knowing exactly how much he’ll be on the field?

Does Denver have enough depth at inside linebacker and safety?

The Broncos appear to be at least wondering the same question because they worked out veteran safety Taylor Rapp on Wednesday. The seeming front-runner as the next man in at safety behind Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga is Devon Key. The third inside linebacker is wide open, with Levelle Bailey, Red Murdock, Karene Reid, Taurean York and just-back-from-injury Jordan Turner in the mix. Turner could move up fast if he stays healthy from here, but the rookie Murdock has been playing well in camp lately, too.

What… exactly is the plan at tight end?

Nix talked recently about the team using Evan Engram in a little bit more of an all-around manner during camp rather than the more exclusively big slot-type role he held last year. Barring a surprise release, Engram and Adam Trautman are the starting point for the room.

After that, it gets difficult to tell. Nate Adkins was putting together a solid camp but has missed the past couple days. Lucas Krull has been quietly solid and has made more plays recently. Rookies Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley have been quiet so far but will get a bunch of preseason run. Caleb Lohner drew real praise from Payton this spring but has been out all of camp and was seen recently watching practice with a walking boot on his left foot. Time’s running short for him to get back and make himself a real factor early in the season.

Bottom line: There’s a lot to sort out and five players for two spots or three at the max behind Engram and Trautman.