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.”

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.

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 finished theirs with a 34-6 shellacking of Minnesota at Empower Field.

If this time of year is about roster depth, Denver boasted a vast superiority to the Vikings essentially from the opening kickoff.

Sean Payton’s team didn’t dress 30 players, most of them starters and key contributors, and still dominated. Minnesota, to be sure, also sat its top players, but this was backups on backups crime.

Now, tough roster questions are ahead.

“I look back to my first year here, and we were looking to claim (players),” Payton said Friday night. “And it was like that in New Orleans early on. As you build something that gets a little bit more polished, players are — gradually, the quality of your team, it becomes a harder roster to make.

“So those teams out there that have new coaches that are rebuilding. They’ll be more active and those are the teams sometimes that can end up with one of your players.”

That����ap the focus for the next few days. Then attention turns fully to Week 1 and Denver’s Sept. 14 trip to Kansas City for Monday Night Football.

Here are four takeaways from Friday night:

Sam Ehlinger authored quite a bounce back after a rough start

The Broncos head coach was afraid he’d end up in the stat book with a PBU. OK, maybe not quite, but as Payton watched Sam Ehlinger start moving to his left and then sprint back to his right on a fourth-and-3 in the second half Friday, Ehlinger kept getting closer and closer. Finally, he uncorked an off-balance throw to Cody Schrader for a 14-yard touchdown and basically fell into the coach’s lap.

That set off a raucous celebration after the second of Ehlinger’s three touchdowns on the night.

The Broncos quarterback started his night with an ugly interception.

Then he responded with three touchdowns and finished the night with 233 yards and a 134.5 passer rating.

The touchdown was a thing of beauty.

“I was standing on the white,” Payton said of the sideline. … “Two more feet and my concern was all of a sudden the ball hit my chest and I’m the reason he doesn’t throw it. I was excited for him. It was really good.”

So was Ehlinger overall.

“There’s one thing he does, I’ve said this to you guys before many times, when you’re in practice situations and plays don’t finish out, you see ‘X,’” Payton said. And then, for him, when you’re in a game situation, we don’t have to decide whether he was sacked or not. He wasn’t. And it was a touchdown pass. That����ap one of the things that I think has served him well in college and when he plays in games.

“It����ap hard to simulate some of that. So I was excited for him.”

Ehlinger made a bad throw on the first drive and got under-cut on an out-breaker for an interception.

After that, though, he was sharp.

“Obviously you don’t want to start that way,” Ehlinger said. “But it was good to get that out of my system and then being able to get in the flow of the game, get the feel for coverages and how the game’s going was really good.”

Whether the Broncos keep two or three quarterbacks is among their most intriguing questions as the roster deadline approaches Sunday, but Ehlinger has said for the past week that he has trust in Payton and the Denver staff.

“When it comes down to the roster decisions and things of that nature, it����ap completely out of my control,” he said. “I don’t derive my confidence from the result of what happens with numbers or things of that nature.

“I have great confidence in this organization and the relationships we have and the way they’ve handled things with me to this point. I’m in a really good spot.”

If the Broncos do cut Ehlinger, a vested veteran who is not subject to waivers and thus can sign anywhere at any time, he said he’d look around to see what else might be available.

“Yeah, you have to look at all your options, right? That����ap what we’ll do,” he said. “That����ap what we did last year and I look forward to whatever opportunity there is.”

He’s also got much bigger things happening in his life, too, and soon. Ehlinger’s wife is pregnant with their first child and is due Tuesday.

So his upcoming days could well be very different than most of the guys sweating out the cutdown deadline.

“I might be in the hospital having my first son,” he said. “That’s what it could look like.”

Pat Bryant����ap ascension was on display in absentia Friday night

Payton bristles at categorizations like “third wide receiver” or “second running back.” He’s got roles defined for certain players and they fulfill them.

However, Friday night served as a final stamp of approval on a breakout August for second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant.

He didn’t need a big stat line to prove it. He did so with a ballcap and tennis shoes.

Payton and the Broncos didn’t dress three receivers for the game: Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton and Bryant. That����ap as clear an indication as any that Bryant is going to factor heavily into Denver’s offensive plans.

Not that there’s been much doubt since the start of camp.

Bryant has made play after play, day after day.

Every player and every coach who’s been asked about him over the past month has had nothing but raves.

Troy Franklin, meanwhile, was out there playing and so, too, was Marvin Mims Jr. Mims was up mostly because he’s been hurt and hasn’t had much live action this summer.

Franklin hasn’t done anything wrong, either. He’s had a nice camp himself and is a versatile, valuable player.

Bryant, though, has had an undeniable training camp. He’s one of the players fans should be most intrigued to see on the field at Arrowhead Stadium in 16 days.

Marvin Mims Jr.’s camp started fast. It����ap been a slog since.

Not many players were more impressive than Mims during the first week of training camp, n. Since then, it����ap been a slog. He took a couple of weeks to come all the way back from a groin injury. He made his preseason debut Friday against the Vikings and figured to get a couple of series. Instead, Jarrett Stidham overthrew him on his first target of the night and Mims hit the ground along the sideline and rolled over in pain.

Payton described the foot injury as “just a bruise” after the game and said the club was being cautious with the fourth-year wide receiver.
The veteran head coach also referred to Mims as a “front-line guy.” That much isn’t in question, even if Mims’ ultimate role in this offense is a bit of a mystery at this point.

What����ap also clear is that Mims was frustrated about having to head back to the blue medical tent. He hopped up and tried to jog off, shooing away a trainer. Then he reluctantly ducked into the tent and then headed back to the locker room early in the game.

If Mims plays a big role and has an impact this fall, this night will be quickly forgotten.

But for a guy going into his contract year, the training camp and preseason rigmarole that has cost him time on the practice field and in game action so far this summer could also easily become a source of frustration.

He (probably) won’t make the 53-man roster, but take a bow, Cody Schrader.

The only knock on Cody Schrader’s Friday night? After he caught the touchdown from Ehlinger, he threw the ball into the crowd. Brother, don’t you want to keep that one?

“I didn’t think to keep that thing,” Schrader said. “I was just kind of blacked out in the moment and super excited to get in the end zone.”

Schrader, 26, went undrafted in 2024 and bounced around. Like, really bounced around. He’s been cut seven times. At one point last year, he played for three teams in as many weeks, the last of which was Denver. But he stuck on the practice squad down the stretch, got a futures deal and has had a nice training camp. He could well end up on the Broncos’ practice squad and is in the mix with Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie.

Moreover, he’s been a needed bell cow in preseason as Denver managed the workload of several other backs.

He carried the ball 24 times over Denver’s three preseason games and churned out 74 yards. He also caught all nine of his targets for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Schrader led Broncos backs in snaps, too, in each of the first two games and likely did again Friday against the Vikings.

Schrader, who ran for 1,627 yards his senior year at Missouri, finished with a flourish, too. He had six catches for 90 yards plus 42 rushing for a total of 132 offensive yards and a touchdown.

“It definitely meant a lot,” Schrader said. “I’m so thankful for this organization, just in terms of how they take preseason. They treat it like the regular season and that means a lot to guys like me who’s competing and fighting for every opportunity possible. …

“We have a great room. We’re a brotherhood and I think all of us can play in this league.”

Schrader did the Broncos well this preseason and probably helped himself in the process, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFFENSE (24)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

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

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

RUNNING BACK (3)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

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

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

TIGHT END (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Nate Adkins and Justin Joly

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

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

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

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

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

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

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

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

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

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

DEFENSE (26)

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

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

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

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

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

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

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

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

INSIDE LINEBACKER (4)

Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock, Jordan Turner

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

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

CORNERBACK (5)

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

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

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

SAFETY (5)

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

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

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

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

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

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

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

A text message from his old New York Giants teammate, Davis Webb, popped up.

“You like the mountains?”

It was the start of what became a fairly brief free-agency recruitment, but one in which Engram took visits to both Denver and the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers.

He liked the role the Broncos had in mind for him. He really liked that Webb was on Sean Payton’s staff.

“He was probably the No. 1 reason,” Engram said, for picking the Broncos over the Chargers. “Just knowing his influence on play-calls and his relationship with Sean. The team as well, too. The team was ready to turn the corner. They were looking for a couple more pieces, so it was the right time and the right place after getting cut from Jacksonville and needing more of a ‘move’ tight end.”

Year 1 was a success in many ways. The Broncos went 14-3, won a playoff game and nearly made the Super Bowl. Engram made several big plays along the way. But overall, his impact felt somewhat muted. He finished with 50 catches for 461 yards and a touchdown — the best statistical season by a Broncos tight end in several years — but it was well below what many expected from Engram and well short of what he’s become accustomed to in his now decade-long career.

There was natural wonder whether the Broncos would cut Engram or try to force him to take a pay cut. Neither ended up happening.

“Once the season’s done, I do some reflection things that are in my control and the way I played and the opportunities that I had,” Engram said. “I felt like there were things that definitely I can improve on, there were things I did really well and then the season’s over. I go into family time, unplugging, go on vacation. Kind of reset and recharge.

“I had a conversation with my agent and we were like, ‘We’re just going to show up wherever they ask us to show up.’”

Along the way this spring, Webb became the Broncos’ offensive coordinator and play-caller. Payton thinks it will benefit the entire offense.

Engram is a candidate to be near the top of that list, and not just because he and Webb are friends and former teammates.

“One of the most impressive things is he’s really just kind of built something for everybody,” Engram said. “Everybody’s got plays. Anytime anybody is getting the ball, it����ap an explosive. You look at Pat Bryant and the camp he’s having. Courtland (Sutton), he’s balling as usual. Troy Franklin’s flying all over the field. The running backs are getting active. Tight ends are making plays.

“So, that����ap probably been the most impressive thing. He’s utilizing all his weapons and I think that����ap going to allow us to be more dangerous when the live bullets come.”

Quarterback Bo Nix said last week the team had been using Engram in a wider variety of ways, including more frequently in the formation as a run blocker rather than just as basically a big slot receiver.

“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 more things up,” Nix said. … “He’s willing and able and I think that����ap part of his game that he’s going to really be able to show off this year and not be on and off the field.”

Engram showed it Friday night in Atlanta and said being in the mix “settles me into the game.”

In the first quarter, he motioned across to Jarrett Stidham’s left and settled off the line of scrimmage, but essentially in-line between left tackle Garett Bolles and tight end Adam Trautman. Engram and Bolles combination blocked defensive lineman Zach Harrison, but Bolles quickly climbed to a linebacker. Engram kept Harrison locked up and helped spring Jonah Coleman for a 13-yard gain.

“That was a credit to our coaches, Zach Strief and Austin King,” Engram said. “We literally worked that drill a good amount last week, it happened in the game and we executed it. It was nice.”

Engram said he made a point this offseason of wanting to prove that he could be a consistent contributor in the run game. He believes that for tight ends, “the more you can do in the run game, the better the passing game is going to be.”

One of the recurring themes of this offseason, though, has been that Denver needs a commitment to the run game. Engram thinks Webb is primed to deliver on that need, even though when the two were rookies together in 2017 — Engram a first-round pick of the Giants and Webb a third-rounder — Engram said the quarterback “was a gunslinger. He was trying to throw that (thing). He has that mentality of, when it����ap time to go, he’s going to let it fly.”

When Engram arrived in Denver, he saw another side of the then-quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.

“I remember when I first got here, I was hanging out in his office and that����ap what it was, learning the run game and diving into different schemes and being able to implement that whenever he was going to be able to call plays,” Engram said. “He turns over every stone in his preparation.”

It all has Engram in the mindset that his 10th season can be a good one. Better than his ninth.

“It����ap on an even bigger scale than just the offense,” he said. “You know the standard, you’re in the culture, you get to know the guys a lot more. Obviously, Davis, there’s some different things in the offense, but it����ap still the same family, still the same background in terms of the style we’re going to play.

“I’m definitely way more confident. Breaking the huddle a little bit more confident. Playing a lot faster.”

The conclusion was as obvious as Nik Bonitto’s first step.

These Broncos can win a championship. This season.

A year after coming up two victories shy of a parade, Denver looks better, bolder. Of course, the preseason does not count. And the Falcons don’t exactly inspire fear, so a best-case scenario this season would be landing a franchise quarterback like C.J. Carr or Arch Manning in the draft.

But fake games give real impressions. And the Broncos looked the part of a title team.

August is a time for overreactions, but what we saw Friday only reinforced expectations. We knew the Broncos were good. And the Falcons were not. Denver won 14 games last season with grit, clutch and luck. The 11-2 record in one-score contests has the entire NFL and Sportsbooks predicting a whiplash.

But there is an antidote. A shot of B-10. Or on this night, a capsule of Jarrett Stidham.

A percolating offense is the missing ingredient. The helipad for the yacht.

If the offense becomes a catalyst, the ceiling is the floor.

Did you see the plays Webb dialed up on the first drive? Were you watching when the football floated well beyond the line of scrimmage like a drone with evil intentions? Did the full throttle first half leave you rubbing your eyes and pinching your biceps?

Was the idea to go deep early and often?

“I definitely think so. Davis did a good job. We knew going in with some of the looks we were getting that we wanted to stretch the field a little bit,” Payton said during a halftime interview on 9News. “And then kind of give our guys some confidence, too.”

It left ����apountry panting. And the new Thunder mascot practicing gassers in an open field in parts unknown.

It was one game against an underwhelming team. But at the same time, the Broncos were more explosive, more dynamic, more balanced. It felt more like the days of Peyton Manning than Russell Wilson.

In 18 years of calling plays for the Saints and Broncos, Payton rarely, if ever, led an offense to a touchdown on the first drive in the preseason opener.

Webb made it look easy.

“He was thinking about having his best night,” said Payton of Webb’s game plan after the Broncos’ eighth consecutive preseason victory.

The Broncos drove 69 yards on six plays. Stidham — if there is a Canton for the preseason, he gets a gold jacket — completed all three of his passes. He opened with a 15-yard laser to Pat Bryant, who continued his momentum as the camp darling. He delivered a 40-yard jump ball to Courtland Sutton at the goal line.

The Broncos finished the first quarter with 167 yards on 19 plays and 11 first downs. They had 10 first downs against the Raiders in the 10-7 victory last November. And 12 in London against the Jets, leaving confused international fans yearning for the salad days of futbol.

They scored 17 points in the first 30 minutes without Bo Nix, who is poised to move into the top 15 of NFL quarterbacks this season on his current trajectory.

They ran roughshod without Jaylen Waddle, the entire reason this season is supposed to be different. He stayed home because of a leg injury. Probably a good thing. He might have aggravated his hamstring just watching.

The Broncos produced three promising drives without Marvin Mims Jr., their fastest player, and J.K. Dobbins, their best runner.

Jonah Coleman looked like a between-the-tackles bruiser and showed strength by carrying defenders for extra yards.

The tight end formerly known as Evan Engram caught a pass for 24 yards in the middle of the field. Troy Franklin delivered a single reception for 23.

Are the days of the Tyler Badie running back screen and the behind-the-line-of-scrimmage toss to Adam Trautman finally over?

I know what you are thinking: The pot-bellied genie actually granted our wish.

The Broncos smoked the Falcons 27-7. They won one game last season by more than 20 points, a 28-3 thrashing of the Jake Browning-led Cincinnati Bengals.

What’s more, the tempo was noticeable. The Broncos were moving fast. The play was getting in quickly. The hockey line changes will never go away, but everything seemed seamless with Payton as the CEO and Webb as the OC.

“It was a smooth operation,” Payton said. “The subs were good. Davis was on point. Thought the Qs did a good job of getting in and out of the huddle.”

Once you believe the offense can be dynamic, the other pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Playing with a lead, something foreign to the Broncos last season as they won 14 games despite trailing in 15 games, unlocks a new level.

The defense can play with sticky fingers, stealing the ball as opponents are forced to pass in third-and-forevers.

Denver delivered two interceptions on Friday. The Broncos had 10 last season. Riley Moss got one pick, tying his total from a year ago, his terrific grab of a terrible pass a reminder that Vance Joseph’s defense is bent on producing more takeaways.

When Payton said a year ago that he viewed his team as capable of winning a Super Bowl, he was on an island. The Broncos were considered too young, too unproven, too unbalanced.

But if they can run the ball early to improve first- and second-down efficiency, they are something else entirely.

Yes, it was a single meaningless game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium that had all the energy of Eeyore — “A lot of people dressed as empty seats,” Payton trolled — but it seems like the Broncos have more weapons and have a chance to be consistent.

Again, if the offense ranks in the top 15 in most categories, and the unit can score 27 points per game with this defense, you know where this story ends.

On Valentine’s Day at SoFi Stadium.

We would all love that.

Physically Unable to Perform — OL Nick Gargiulo (knee)

Injured reserve — DL Matt Henningsen (Achilles)

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

Left practice — C Michael Deiter

The Broncos are running low on healthy centers

Eventually, the Broncos expect to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL with all five starters back for a third year together.

Regardless of how many snaps the other starters play Friday in Atlanta, who is snapping the ball could be a storyline to follow after another depth center went down with an injury Tuesday. Michael Dieter was injured during a running play. The Broncos’ training staff examined his right leg before he needed help onto a cart to exit the practice field.

Dieter is the third center to sustain an injury during camp. The team’s starter, Luke Wattenberg, sustained a shoulder injury early last week. He’s been in pads the past couple of days but has not participated beyond stretching.

“We’ll work through it,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “We have guys that are flexible. We’ll be fine.”

Alex Forsyth has missed the past two days, elevating Dieter to the No. 1 spot. The next man up with Denver’s top three options at center unavailable was rookie undrafted free agent Gavin Ortega. Veteran backup lineman Calvin Throckmorton also took some snaps with quarterback Bo Nix.

Another potential option is all-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz, who took some reps at center earlier in his pro career. Meinerz did some snapping between practice periods Tuesday but did not get any actual reps at the position.

“I sharpen that tool every single year just in case,” Meinerz said. “I’ve got to have it in the back pocket. I know that it����ap important to add that value to the offensive line room in an emergency situation. Even last year against the Chargers at the end of the year, I was technically one snap away from having to go play some center.”

Payton seemed to downplay turning to Meinerz, noting his team still has enough options before him. Meinerz said former Broncos offensive line coach Mike Munchak moved him to center at times during his rookie year in 2020 after he spent a couple of days at Senior Bowl practices getting some reps at the position.

While Meinerz never saw himself as a potential center, that experiment has helped his evolution into one of the NFL’s best guards.

“I learn the offense consistently from a center’s perspective,” Meinerz said. “I think you, as a guard, if you can understand our scheme from a center’s perspective, it will allow you to identify the defense quicker. If a new center comes in, like a younger guy or someone that����ap played guard and center, I can help them identify the ‘Mike’ (linebacker) and stuff like that. It����ap a tool I constantly keep sharpened, just in case it����ap needed. I hope I don’t have to use that tool, but if I do, I’m ready.”

Pat Bryant’s impressive camp continues

While new No. 1 wide receiver Jaylen Waddle continues to miss time with a muscle strain, second-year wideout Pat Bryant continued to be one of the stars of this camp Tuesday. He went up high over a defender to haul in a touchdown pass from Nix on a fourth-down play during a best-on-best team period, much to the delight of the fans in attendance — and his teammates.

“Pat Bryant, man, he’s a guy who literally can do everything on the field,” Broncos star linebacker Nik Bonitto said. “I mean, you see it — he’s making amazing play after amazing play every day. He’s out here and just his route running, all the things he does for the offense. He’s going to be a player for sure.”

Undrafted rookie wideout Kolbe Kastis also had an acrobatic touchdown catch on a pass from Sam Ehlinger late in practice during a two-minute drill.

Thumbs up

Under the radar? It’s not often a player with 104 targets to his name in the previous season flies under the radar, but that might be happening a bit with Troy Franklin. The third-year wide receiver hasn’t made the laundry list of highlight-reel grabs that Bryant has, but he’s been steady in camp. It’s not going to be easy for anybody to carve out a big role in the passing game behind Waddle, Sutton and maybe Bryant, but Franklin’s come a long way from his rookie year in 2024 in terms of understanding the offense and the ability to play multiple positions.

Thumbs down

Leave that one in the bag … During one situational period, the No. 1 offense faced a fourth down from the 22-yard line with seconds remaining and down six points. Nix ended up rolling to his right and tried to force a ball to a double-covered R.J. Harvey near the front-right corner of the end zone. It fell incomplete. If the Broncos face a similar scenario in a game, expect them to try something else.

Odds and ends

*  The past couple of practices have focused pretty heavily on specific situations during team scrimmage periods. It’s been a staple for Payton-coached teams. The Broncos went 11-2 in one-score games in 2025, tying an NFL record for most one-score wins and playing a huge role in the team’s ability to both win the AFC West and land the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

“Well, the situational part of the game, there’s like 53 — a lot of them are two-minute related — that come up each week,” Payton said. “It’s knowing how to react, knowing how to react defensively to what they’re thinking, offensively to what we’re thinking. You want to get to a point where you know them cold.”

* Bonitto has improved his sack total each year since entering the league, and has finished in the top-10 of the defensive player of the year each of the past two seasons. He has 27.5 sacks over the past two years. One of the resources at his disposal that has helped fuel his ascension? The guy he faces in practice, left tackle Garett Bolles.

“He’s been in this league for so long, and he’s gone against so many different types of rushers,” Bonitto said. “He’s probably, in my opinion, the best as a pass blocker in the game for sure. I’m always trying to just pick his brain about things, and what can help me in my game, and just how I can take that next step as a rusher to improve myself.”

* The Broncos opened the week with a pair of long practices in pads — “two bangers in a row,” All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz told The Post — and now will transition to preparing for their preseason opener at Atlanta, which is Friday. Wednesday’s practice, originally slated to be open to the public, is instead closed and will be more of a game-planning session. Or at least as much of one as happens in the preseason. “It’ll be a couple evenings, call it two practices and maybe a walkthrough. Again, the most important thing is just getting the proper evaluation on (your own) guys.”

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

Injured reserve — DL Matt Henningsen (Achilles)

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

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

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

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

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

That continues a trend Payton mentioned off the top Monday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thumbs Up

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

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

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

Thumbs Down

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

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

Odds and Ends

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The roster cutdown is three weeks away.

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

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

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

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

The Broncos offense is going to feel… different.

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

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

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

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

The Broncos defense is going to look mostly the same

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

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

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

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

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

Uwazurike might be a real problem for opposing offenses

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

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

“He’s doing really well.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Payton thinks he finally has the Broncos running back room right

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

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