Predicting Winner of Broncos Starting Center Competition

Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth, and Sam Mustipher: who becomes the Denver Broncos starting center?

Denver Broncos center Alex Forsyth (54) during organized team activities at Centura Health Training Center. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

After four years of Lloyd Cushenberry III as the starting center, the Denver Broncos are now looking for a replacement. Despite its financial situation relative to the salary cap, Denver is committed to maintaining a competitive team, which led to the decision not to retain Cushenberry.

The Tennessee Titans would make Cushenberry the second-highest-paid center in the NFL. Fortunately, the Broncos prepared for this situation, investing two draft picks in the position from 2022 to 2023. Let's examine these two draft picks, and the other candidate competing for Denver's starting center job.

Luke Wattenberg | Year 3

August 19, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos center Luke Wattenberg (60) during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Even though it was a different coaching staff, George Paton was still the Broncos general manager when they spent the 171st pick in the fifth round on Wattenberg out of Washington in 2022. Before that selection, it was rumored the Broncos were trying to move up in the draft for centers as early as the second round, but they fell short. 

Wattenberg had an underwhelming showing before the draft, but despite that, he put together a good relative athletic score of 9.64. He managed to see the field as a Broncos rookie. Saying it was underwhelming would be an overstatement.

It was one of the worst displays I've seen from an offensive lineman at the NFL level. It was a dismal showing and left a bad taste in the mouth of every Broncos fan.

As Wattenberg was entering his second season, he showed tremendous growth in the 2023 preseason. He played 103 snaps on offense between both guard positions and the center spot.

Overall, Wattenberg showed the quality of a depth offensive lineman and the Broncos kept him. He saw action during the 2023 season, playing only 39 snaps and holding his own. 

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Alex Forsyth | Year 2

Denver Broncos rookie center Alex Forsyth during rookie minicamp in 2023. / Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos

Forsyth was the 259th pick of the 2023 draft. He missed out much of the draft process with an injury, which many draft analysts attributed to his fall, which saw him plummet further in the draft than he had graded out, with many believing he could’ve been a late-Day 2, early-Day 3 pick. In the end, he nearly fell out of the draft before the Broncos selected the Oregon center.

While Forsyth didn’t play as a rookie, he was the best-looking center during the 2023 preseason. However, that came when playing against third and fourth-string players, so it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

The question is whether Forsyth can win this year's starting job and step up against first- and second-string players. That will likely be a big question for the Broncos before determining their starting center. 

All that aside, Forsyth has something the other two center options don’t: he's played with rookie first-round quarterback — and the presumptive starter — Bo Nix. Nix and Forsyth spent the 2022 season together at Oregon, with Forsyth snapping to Nix. That familiarity will play a part in the decision of head coach Sean Payton and O-line coach Zach Strief. 

Sam Mustipher | Year 5

Aug 8, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears center Sam Mustipher (67) snaps the ball in the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The last center option is Mustipher, who has four years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens. He did alright as a depth blocker for the Ravens in 2023, but before that, he was one of the worst centers in the NFL with the Bears.

As Chicago's starting center in 2021 and 2022, Mustipher allowed 48 total pressures, with only one NFL center allowing more pressures over those two years. Pass protection wasn't the only area that he struggled in.

In 2021, Mustipher had the second-worst run-blocking grade for centers, and the 18th-worst in 2022. When looking at multiple advanced analytics, he ranked in the bottom 10 in most of them for those two seasons. Maybe the Broncos can fix him, but his experience and ability to play any of the interior spots will likely lead him to be a backup — if he sticks. 

The Favorite

Forsyth is the leader in the clubhouse to win the job due to his already-built chemistry with Nix, and based on Payton's historically glowing comments about the Oregon product. However, Forsyth isn’t being handed the job and he'll have to go out and win it.

Wattenberg and Mustipher aren’t going to back down in the battle, either. The Broncos might not know who their starting center is until right before the season begins.

Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!