Broncos vs. Cardinals: 5 Position Battles to Monitor

The Denver Broncos are set to receive some answers at the position battles that have raged this summer.

The Denver Broncos are about to break the ice on the Sean Payton era with a preseason bout at the Arizona Cardinals. Friday night's exhibition tilt will feature the participation of Broncos' starters, including quarterback Russell Wilson, as Coach Payton continues his pursuit of building a figurative callus around his team. 

The start of the preseason offers the opportunity for players who've been competing in position battles across the roster to begin laying the finishing touches on their body of work. Wednesday's release of the Broncos' first 'unofficial' depth chart, if anything, at least gave us an understanding of how Payton and the coaches currently view the pecking order, which also illustrates which players are making progress in their respective competitions. 

Here are five position battles, and the players featured in them, to monitor closely on Friday night for further evidence of how they'll ultimately resolve. Check this article to see how to watch/stream the game. 

No. 3 Running Back

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In the Hunt: Tyler Badie, Tony Jones, Jr., and Jaleel McLaughlin

If you hadn't been following the daily developments out of Broncos camp, you may have been surprised to see Badie listed as the No. 3 running back on the first depth chart. Many Broncos fans expected Jones to hold down the third spot, as he was signed just a few months ago.

But Badie is a man on the come, and he has leap-frogged Jones. That doesn't mean it's for good, as Jones will get these preseason games to fight back, as it were.

Don't sleep on McLaughlin, either. An undrafted rookie out of Youngstown State, it might be a bridge too far to expect him to unseat both Badie and Jones before the Broncos have to whittle the roster down to the final 53 guys, but stranger things have happened.

What to Watch For: Pay close attention to how these three backs manage their touches on Friday night. Are they being productive as ball-carriers?

When third down rolls around, are they making the most of any opportunities to catch passes out of the backfield, and when asked to stay in to pass protect, how are they holding up? 

Tight End

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In the Hunt: Adam Trautman, Greg Dulcich, Chris Manhertz, Nate Adkins, Albert Okwuegbunam, and Tommy Hudson

Another mild surprise was seeing Trautman listed as the No. 1 tight end on the first depth chart, unseating the incumbent Dulcich. Trautman has performed well in camp, and his history with Payton in New Orleans has ostensibly given him a leg up in the competition.

Payton's offense is known historically as being very tight end-friendly when it comes to the passing game, but in this Broncos scheme, he wants tight ends who can block. That was a big challenge for Broncos 2020 fourth-rounder Albert Okwuegbunam, and thus far, it appears he's been unequal to the task, falling to No. 5 on the depth chart.

That spells certain doom for 'Albert O' unless he can seize these three preseason games and turn the ship around. Meanwhile, Denver's top-3 trio is formidable, with Trautman being a proficient blocker but also an underrated receiver, and Manhertz, a former basketball player, being an expert at moving other humans.

What to Watch For: With Trautman listed as TE1, it'll be interesting to see whether he sees more than the 15-18 snaps Payton plans to divvy out to the starters. It wouldn't be surprising to see Trautman exceed that allotment and the same goes for Dulcich.

Manhertz is a known quantity. Think of him as a Virgil Green 'lite.' Payton doesn't need to see all that much, beyond exposing him to the intensity of full-contact preseason action for the purpose of 'callusing.'

Watch to see how the Adkins vs. Okwuegbunam battle plays out in Glendale, AZ. Payton seems to favor Adkins, but Okwuegbunam, despite some of his shortcomings, is a very talented pass-catcher and can be explosive with the ball in his hands. 

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No. 2 Center

Gabriel Christus/DenverBroncos.com

In the Hunt: Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth

The Broncos landed a huge value pick by drafting Forsyth in the seventh round. Many draftniks expected him to be a mid-round pick, but he fell into Denver's hands.

The rookie has a developed football IQ and seems to be better suited to Payton's power-gap blocking scheme than Wattenberg, who is a zone-blocking prototype. And yet, Wattenberg is penciled in as the primary backup to Lloyd Cusheberry III at center.

This battle is far from resolved.

What to Watch For: Wattenberg will see a lot of action early after the first-teamers leave the game. Pay attention to how well he's picking things up pre-snap, his run blocking, and whether he's dependent on help from the guards in pass protection.

The same goes for Forsyth on the third team. Wattenberg was a 2022 sixth-rounder whom the Broncos, unfortunately, had to turn to late in the season due to injuries up the depth chart. He seemed in over his head and not ready for NFL-caliber power at the point of attack. The opportunity is ripe for Forsyth to stake his claim as the heir apparent to Cushenberry, the latter of whom is entering a contract year. 

Defensive Line

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In the Hunt: Jonathan Harris, Matt Henningsen, Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi, Forrest Merrill, Jordan Jackson, and Elijah Hunt.

Last year, the Broncos decided to roll with a less-than-ideal veteran as a D-line starter — DeShawn Williams — and it didn't work out well. The team is on course to follow a similar path with regard to Harris, who's currently penciled in as the other defensive end starter opposite of Zach Allen and next to nose tackle D.J. Jones.

However, Harris has earned the honor up to this point, with a great training camp body of work to hang his hat on. But it can't stop there.

With Mike Purcell still on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list, the Broncos have little proven depth on the D-line. The closest thing is Merrill, a former Los Angeles Chargers trenchman whom the Broncos recently signed.

Right now, Merrill is buried on the depth chart as a newcomer, but I expect that to change with the preseason games. The Broncos need a 4-tech defensive end to complement Allen; that means a guy who's at least a plausible threat to pressure the quarterback and a reliable run defender.

Henningsen can oblige. He was a late-round pick last year and what he lacks in explosive athletic tools, he makes up for with his high-octane motor.

What to Watch For: Pay attention to how the D-line cast of characters performs after the first-teamers are relieved. And when the starters are on the field, how is Harris holding up on his end of the line?

I'll be monitoring Ndubuisi, a Nigeria-born player in his first year playing the D-line position, as well as Henningsen and Merrill. The Broncos' D-line depth is concerning, but these dudes can begin to assuage that premise by showing out in the preseason.

Barring that, expect the Broncos to be combing the waiver wire when the final roster cuts break across the NFL at month's end. 

No. 4 Cornerback

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In the Hunt: Riley Moss, Ja'Quan McMillian, Tremon Smith, Delonte Hood, Fabian Moreau, and Art Green

Right now, the Broncos have Moss penciled in as Damarri Mathis' primary backup, but an injury has kept the rookie third-rounder out of much of camp. Meanwhile, McMillian — an undrafted free agent last year — has leap-frogged a few dudes to currently stand as All-Pro Patrick Surtain II's backup. 

What to Watch For: Green is an undrafted rookie out of Houston, and while he's bringing up the rear currently, pay attention to how he holds up on the boundary. The same goes for McMillian and the veteran Smith, the latter of whom the Broncos signed this past spring, due, purportedly, to his value as a returner on special teams. 

However, Smith isn't even listed on the depth chart of either returner spot, which could mean his only shot at making this roster is through his ability as a cornerback. Watch for how these corners hold up in coverage and their tackling competency and willingness to fly downhill to help in run support on the edge. 

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