The Denver Broncos had a handful of players who stood out during their offseason program dating back to rookie minicamp, organized team activities, and mandatory minicamp.
Which players’ stocks have risen from the offseason program?
Denver Broncos minicamp standouts building momentum for training camp
With 90 players on the roster and no pads, sometimes certain positions are a lot harder to evaluate, but which players passed the eye test during minicamp?
Broncos rookies will report for training camp on July 22, while veterans report on July 28, and these players are names to keep an eye on.
Broncos offensive standouts who have momentum going into training camp
Jaylen Waddle. There was a lot of buzz surrounding Waddle after the Broncos traded for him, and we had our chance to see him up close during minicamp.
How he’s being used by Davis Webb and Sean Payton is exciting, and while I can’t dive into the details of what that looks like, it helps support the initial theory I had when the team traded for him. Defenses are going to have to worry about where No. 17 is lined up.
Bo Nix said it best when he spoke to us during minicamp. Waddle is explosive, and he has the capability of bringing a one-and-done element to the offense — one play, touchdown that is.
His presence should open things up for Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Pat Bryant as Denver’s receiver room is loaded.
I truly believe that Waddle is the missing piece that this offense has been aiming for to complement the other elements that will allow this unit to succeed.
Evan Engram saw his stock rise as well during minicamp, with Webb seemingly making a concerted effort to feature him and get him the ball. After seeing a career-low in snaps played in 2025, early indications from OTAs and minicamp suggest that he’ll be an important part of the offense this season.
Denver lived in 11-personnel last season and Adam Trautman saw significantly more snaps because of his blocking ability, but Webb should find a way to get Engram on the field more.
Sam Ehlinger had an impressive offseason program, as it appears he and Jarrett Stidham will compete for the backup quarterback job behind Nix. Ehlinger isn’t afraid to pull the trigger downfield. Stidham seemed to make the smart plays during OTAs and was methodical whenever attacking downfield. When the pads come on, this position battle between both of these guys will be one to watch.
If Ehlinger or Stidham have a strong preseason once again, it could draw some potential trade interest for them before roster cuts take place.
Broncos defensive standouts who have momentum going into training camp
Jordan Turner impressed the Broncos enough last year during rookie minicamp as a tryout player that he was extended an invite to training camp. He stood out in the preseason last year and saw some special teams snaps down the stretch. Going into this year’s training camp, there should theoretically be three roster spots available at off-ball linebacker, and Turner is a prime candidate to compete for the third spot behind Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton.
Riley Moss is entering the last year of his rookie deal coming into this season, and there has been plenty of speculation about whether or not he’ll have to compete for his job on the outside. While Sean Payton said Jahdae will compete for some snaps outside, I don’t necessarily believe that means Riley will be in a position battle. Playing opposite of Patrick Surtain II has led to Moss seeing more overall targets, and while he was targeted more, his volume led to him having 19 passes defensed and one interception. A valid gripe would be some of the pass interference calls, where he was flagged 10 times last season. About half of those were valid calls.
A lot of people who have the most outspoken opinions of Moss have very little understanding of the cornerback position itself. He’ll have an even better year in 2026 and should command a strong market.
Ja’Quan McMillian is another defensive back who has momentum going into training camp. His job isn’t even in question as the team’s starting nickel, and he’ll likely play himself into a nice contract with Denver. The Broncos value him, and a lot of the commentary this summer has been debating whether or not Denver can pay both him and Moss. I think they can, and I think they should. Denver’s three starting cornerbacks are arguably the best trio in the NFL.
Red Murdock stood out during the offseason program from the first time we saw him at rookie minicamp until mandatory minicamp. Despite being the last pick in the draft, Murdock looks like he’s picked up the nuances of Vance Joseph’s defense early, to the point he’s the one who is relaying Joseph’s call to the defense when he rotates in. The pads will be the biggest indicator to see how fast he’s pieced this scheme together, but early indications show me that he’s a player who reacts and goes and doesn’t appear to be overwhelmed by the complexity of VJ’s defense.
Broncos pass rushers round out a group of players who impressed during the offseason program. Nik Bonitto looked like his typical self, giving offensive tackles problems without pads and I’m sure that will continue when the pads come on, but Jonah Elliss is someone that has a lot of hype surrounding him and rightfully so. Despite Jonathon Cooper’s ongoing legal matter, Denver’s pass rush isn’t lacking. Elliss was a strong standout, constantly creating pressure without pads, showcasing his athleticism while rushing and is playing too well for him to transition to off ball linebacker, as Payton told us early on. He’ll be the starter next to Bonitto more than likely if Cooper is released by the team or is suspended by the NFL pending his upcoming jury trial. Behind Elliss, Dondrea Tillman and Que Robinson also flashed every single day we were allowed at practice and second-year pass rusher Johnny Walker Jr. also had some moments.
These names will be worth monitoring as training camp approaches.
