5 Broncos in Need of a Big Week

These Denver Broncos veterans are on notice.

Aug 11, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) takes the snap during the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos are less than two weeks away from the NFL-mandated cut-down day when the roster will be sliced and diced from 90 players down to 53. The last five to seven spots on the roster still seem wide open at this time, meaning some players need to make their final stand to prove they deserve to be on it.

There are also a couple of starting jobs still on the line that could come down to what happens during the joint practices and game on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Here are five Broncos who need to impress if they're to either make this roster or become a starter heading into this season. 

Troy Franklin | WR

The Broncos invested a lot into Franklin, trading three late-round picks to secure him at the top of the fourth round this past draft. One could argue the Broncos also invested in his college quarterback — Bo Nix — to give him some familiarity while entering the NFL.

All of that screams he should make this roster. But I'm so sure he's as secure as many think. 

Fellow rookie Devaughn Vele has outplayed Franklin up to this point in both training camp and the first preseason game. Veterans like Tim Patrick, Brandon Johnson, Jalen Virgil, and David Sills have all shown to be ahead of Franklin when it comes to the trust of the coaches.

Franklin has had a lot of drops and struggles with consistently doing what is right on the field leading to a varied offseason. He has made some big plays over the top with his athleticism, but I'm not sure the coaches would trust him to be on the field for much more than telling him to run deep at this time.

Franklin needs a huge week to prove to the Broncos coaches that while he may be raw, they can't ignore how much they need a player with his level of athleticism now and in the future. 

Jarrett Stidham | QB

Two weeks ago, I would have said Stidham’s position on the 53-man roster is secured. I'm mostly still in that place, but it sounds like Zach Wilson has closed the gap a little bit.

Wilson has the more talented arm, brings more cap savings, and has the higher upside for the future. If the competition is close, Wilson could be the one kept.

Stidham built some separation between the two, so I'm not sure that the coaches would see it as enough if Wilson were to have a great week. But I also doubt that Stidham can rest on what he has done the past month thinking he's secured his spot on the team. 

When the smoke clears, Stidham will be on this roster. He's well liked by the coaches and teammates.

So far, Stidham has been the most consistent of the quarterbacks day in and day out. He also knows this offense better than Nix or Wilson at this time, allowing the coaches to trust him if he had to start a game.

I would also add that Stidham's style of play is similar to that of Nix, so the offensive game plan doesn't have to change much if Nix were to get hurt (knock on wood). 

Jonas Griffith & Cody Barton | LB

Denver Broncos linebacker Jonas Griffith (50) celebrates a touchdown during a pre-season game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos on Sunday, August. 11, 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the biggest unknowns on this roster is who will be the starting linebacker next to Alex Singleton. I was hoping this past game would make it clear which one should win the starting job, but both had a few good moments followed by a lot of average to below-average snaps.

If I had to give the win to either, I would give it to Barton for his work in coverage with the starting unit, but this is the week that one of them needs to take that next step and secure their position as the starter. In the end, the Broncos might have to decide to use them in a rotation.

Griffith would come in on obvious run downs to help with his size/power and then Barton would substitute in on passing downs as he has at least a good understanding of zone coverage and not finding himself out of position. 

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Demontrey Jacobs | OT

There might not have been any player who did more for themselves this past game than Jacobs. Yes, he was going against third and fourth-string defensive players, but he did what you would expect in dominating that level of competition.

In the run game, the Broncos used Jacobs very effectively as the lead blocker on outside tosses to the left, picking up huge yardage each time they ran the play. In the passing game, he allowed very little push and did a great job of setting his base underneath him once the initial contact was made. 

I'm hoping this week the Broncos are willing to give him some run with the second unit to see if the bump in competition causes issues for him. The Broncos are not only looking for who will win the job as the swing tackle but are also hoping one of these young players could emerge as a future starter.

Jacobs is in competition with Matt Peart, Alex Palczewski, and Frank Crum at this time. I could see the Broncos keeping two of the four on the roster.

Peart and Palczewski were given opportunities with the second unit this past game. This might be one to see if Jacobs could handle the right tackle spot in place of Palczewski (who struggled this past game) proving he can hold up not only against better competition but could step in at either spot if an injury were to happen. 

Samaje Perine | RB

Honestly, other than Jaleel McLaughlin, I could put about any of the running back names in this spot. Javonte Williams has secured his spot on the roster, but he didn't do anything exceptional this past game to separate himself from the pack.

I put Perine’s name here because he's the most expensive of the group and made maybe the worst mistake of the unit, with his batting the ball in the air leading to a big turnover. Estime did have the bad fumble returned for touchdown, but his rookie draft status probably secures his spot on the roster. 

It's going to be interesting to see the roster construction with the new kickoff rules being enforced this season. The Broncos could be forced to part with the veteran Perine in hopes that McLaughlin has taken that next step in his development, Williams has fully recovered from his injury, and one of the young rookies can make an impact, especially helping on third down, where Perine shined. 

The Takeaway

The Broncos have a good problem on their hands of having some deeper positions than in years past. I look at wide receiver, offensive line, running back, and even the defensive line as positions where the Broncos are going to have to make some tough choices on who to keep and who they risk losing to other teams. 

This week especially will be a huge deciding factor as there are three big days (two practices against the Packers and then the game on Sunday) for players to make it so that Payton and his staff cannot ignore the impact these players could make for this upcoming season.

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