ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos open the regular season against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 7 at Empower Field at Mile High.
Broncos coach Sean Payton considers the difficulty of cutting this Broncos roster down to 53 players another sign of progress for the organization, which broke an eight-year playoff drought last season with a 10-7 record before losing to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round.
Payton said the Broncos will face far tougher decisions this year than in his previous two seasons as Denver's coach because the team's depth and overall talent level are better. He says it will be a bit of a juggling act to "get the right 53" and avoid waiving a player the Broncos would like to keep.
"I think there're going to be a number of tough decisions, but I'd rather be in that position than the position we were in two years ago at this time," Payton said. "I think there's going to be some players that end up on other teams' rosters playing. That's part of the deal."
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. Here is a projection for the Broncos:
QUARTERBACKS (2): Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham
Stidham romped through the preseason (30-of-38 passing for 376 yards and four touchdown passes in the first two games), but Nix has moved through the offseason and camp as the unquestioned starter. Payton likes Sam Ehlinger's athleticism and competitiveness, so the fourth-year veteran is a practice squad possibility.
RUNNING BACKS (4): J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie
The battle behind Dobbins and Harvey has been fierce, and McLaughlin's change-of-pace ability and versatility have set him apart. Badie has continued to build momentum this preseason, too. Harvey figures to get much of the early-down work when the season begins, with Dobbins in on third down and longer passing situations.
FULLBACKS (1): Michael Burton
Burton has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, so his recovery could influence what happens to this roster spot. Payton has said a fullback is important to have on the roster for the season opener, so if Burton isn't ready perhaps the Broncos use a game-day elevation from the practice squad or initially keep a young tight end on the roster to fill that role (like rookie Caden Prieskorn).
WIDE RECEIVERS (5): Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, Trent Sherfield Sr.
Here's another group where several players pushed hard to snag a spot and could find themselves with opportunities elsewhere similar to Devaughn Vele, who was traded to the Saints on Wednesday for two draft picks. The Broncos kept six receivers to open last season, but only five were active for the opener. Undrafted rookies Courtney Jackson, Jerjuan Newton and Joaquin Davis have made an impression and A.T. Perry has the frame and production potential -- he averaged 20.5 yards per catch for Saints as a rookie in '23 -- the Broncos like in a receiver.
TIGHT ENDS (4): Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, Nate Adkins
Adkins will miss several weeks due to recent ankle surgery -- a tightrope procedure to repair ligaments -- but could make the roster if the Broncos believe he'll be out fewer than four games. If Adkins' recovery time is on track -- players often begin jogging 10 to 14 days after the surgery -- he's on the roster. If the team believes he needs more time it's possible the Broncos keep three players here and initially use the roster spot elsewhere. Rookie Caleb Lohner continues to be an intriguing prospect as well.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Matt Peart, Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, Alex Forsyth
All nine players were on the Broncos' roster last season. Palczewski can play tackle or guard, while Peart has served as Bolles' backup at left tackle for much of camp and in preseason games.
DEFENSIVE LINE (7): Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Jordan Jackson, Sai'vion Jones, Eyioma Uwazurike
This group has some of the hardest decisions on the roster. Denver kept six linemen last season and would likely have to waive either Jackson or Uwazurike to do that again. That's a tough call, since Jackson consistently produces on the field while Uwazurike offers quality pass-rush skills on the interior. He has continued to improve since returning from a gambling suspension that sidelined him in 2023.
LINEBACKERS (8): Dre Greenlaw, Alex Singleton, Nik Bonitto, Justin Strnad, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, Levelle Bailey
Drew Sanders had surgery on his foot early in training camp and is a candidate to open the season on injured reserve. So, that will initially make room for Bailey. Dondrea Tillman will get a long look, but Robinson, a fourth-round rookie, has played better in the preseason and is a superior special teams player. Undrafted rookie Jordan Turner's efforts would be enough to make the roster most years.
CORNERBACKS (5): Pat Surtain II, Jahdae Barron, Ja'Quan McMillian, Riley Moss, Kris Abrams-Draine
The arrival of first-rounder Barron has raised the bar at a position where the Broncos were already deep. Abrams-Draine quietly had one of the best camp/preseasons of any Broncos player. The Broncos showed so much quality at corner that some league personnel executives believe former fourth-round pick Damarri Mathis could draw some trade interest for a late-Day 3 pick. And because Barron can play in the slot, there is some belief teams might ask about McMillian's availability.
SAFETIES (5): Brandon Jones, Talanoa Hufanga, P.J. Locke, JL Skinner, Devon Key
Sam Franklin Jr., a sixth-year veteran the Broncos signed in free agency, is also a possibility because of his special teams value. But Key has routinely been the first safety in when one of the Broncos' starters was on the sideline in camp.
SPECIALISTS (3): Wil Lutz (K), Jeremy Crawshaw (P), Mitchell Fraboni (LS)
These three were unchallenged in training camp and the preseason, but the Broncos might keep some veteran punters on call just in case. Crawshaw, a rookie, has shown rare power, but consistency has been an issue.