Ranking Broncos' Positions vs. AFC West, AFC & NFL | Offense

Is the Denver Broncos' roster as bad as the national media has said?

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton rallies the rookies during offseason training. / Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos

The 2024 season is almost here. Most teams, if not every team, have started ramping up the process for training camp, with rookies reporting.

While Denver Broncos fans are high on the team's outlook, others in and around the NFL don’t share the same sentiment. The Broncos rank low overall and by position groups. 

With multiple outlets making their rankings, I decided to follow suit. I looked at every player on every team, position by position.

I examined stats, injury history, draft pedigree, analytics, and more to create a score for each player. Each player's score was combined to develop a position score.

This wasn’t done for only starters, or even players expected to make the roster, but every player currently under contract with the Broncos and with some positions, the fourth or fifth player was the difference. 

So, first, let’s examine the Broncos' offense and see how it ranked in the division, against the AFC, and then in the NFL. Here's the defensive ranking.

Quarterback

May 23, 2024; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) during organized team activities at Centura Health Training Center. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

• Grade: C-

• AFC West Rank: 4th

• AFC Rank: 16th

• NFL Rank: 32nd

The Broncos' ranking at quarterback is hindered by Bo Nix being a rookie, Jarrett Stidham not having much experience, and them being the projected top two. However, Zach Wilson, who had poor stats and analytics despite being the team's most experienced quarterback, dropped Denver to dead last. Without Wilson, the Broncos would rank 23rd in the NFL at the quarterback position, thanks to Nix and his draft pedigree. 

In the division, the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers fall at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, thanks to Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, but Carson Wentz and Easton Stick help when you get beyond the starter. The Las Vegas Raiders, with Garnder Minshew and Aiden O’Connell, who got some experience last year, were barely enough to edge out the Broncos. Minshew has multiple years of being a good enough starter, and the Broncos don’t have that with any of their quarterbacks. 

The Broncos' quarterback outlook entirely falls on Nix, and if he has a good season, the team can skyrocket here. It will be interesting to see how much these grades change a year from now, but this one is of particular interest. 

Running Back/Fullback

May 23, 2024; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Blake Watson (43) and running back Tyler Badie (36) and running back Audric Estime (37) and running back Javonte Williams (33) look on as full back Michael Burton (20) runs a drill during organized team activities at Centura Health Training Center. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

• Grade: B

• AFC West Rank: 2nd

• AFC Rank: 6th

• NFL Rank: 15th

While multiple teams have that star power with their top running back, some need more depth. The depth carried the Broncos to where they are with this position ranking. Michael Burton is also a good fullback, which also helped. Few teams can compare to the Broncos when it comes to being as deep with potential as they are. 

In the division, the Chiefs are the only team that edged out the Broncos, but only slightly. Isiah Pacheco does the heavy lifting, but Clyde Edwards-Helaire has shown to be a solid enough backup. The Chiefs don’t have the depth the Broncos do, but their one-two is better as the Broncos' second running back is unknown but likely a limited experienced back or a rookie. 

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Wide Receiver

Sep 17, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) in the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at Empower Field at Mile High. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

• Grade: C+

• AFC West Rank: 2nd

• AFC Rank: 12th

• NFL Rank: 22nd

There are some terrible wide receiver units around the NFL, with many teams needing more star power at the position, which helps the Broncos as they are one of those teams. Cortland Sutton and Josh Reynolds were the two highest-rated receivers in the Broncos' room, with Marvin Mims Jr. third.

Tim Patrick scored highly until adding in injuries. Without the injuries to Patrick, the Broncos would be No. 1 in the division, No. 8 in the AFC, and No.13 in the NFL, but missing two straight years will hurt the unit. 

With the AFC West, the Broncos would be third if there wasn’t an expected suspension incoming for Rashee Rice, which Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown are not enough to overcome, especially when added with the terrible depth the Chiefs have. Only the Raiders are better, with Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Michael Gallup leading the way, but their depth helps boost them even more. 

Tight End

Dec 10, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Adam Trautman (82) celebrates his touchdown scored against the Los Angeles Chargers during the second half at SoFi Stadium. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

• Grade: D

• AFC West Rank: 4th

• AFC Rank: 14th

• NFL Rank: 29th

This is one of the worst groups in the NFL. Sure, the Broncos' tight ends have some potential in Lucas Krull, but his limited experience and stats don’t lead to a super high score.

Adam Trautman is the No. 1 guy but is best suited as the third tight end. Nate Adkins doesn’t have experience, and Greg Dulcich has had issues staying on the field. It was surprising to see three other teams with a worse tight end room than the Broncos. 

The Chargers are only slightly better, thanks to their more experience than the Broncos' unit. Having Travis Kelce gives the Chiefs star power at the position, and his production and experience carry them to the top unit in the division. As for the Raiders, they edged out the Broncos thanks to Brock Bowers' potential and their good depth at the position. 

Offensive Tackle

Oct 13, 2019; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles (72) reacts after receiving a penalty in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Empower Field at Mile High. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

• Grade: C+

• AFC West Rank: 2nd

• AFC Rank: 9th

• NFL Rank: 18th

While the Broncos don’t have a great tackle unit, it isn't terrible. Garett Bolles is one of the top 10 left tackles in the NFL, which helps them rank as high as they are.

Mike McGlinchey helps, but not a lot, and how he helps is almost canceled out entirely by the Broncos' terrible depth at the position. However, tackle quality is down around the NFL, which works in the Broncos' favor with these rankings. 

The Chargers are the only divisional foe rated higher because Rashawn Slater is an outstanding left tackle, and Joe Alt has much potential. Kolton Miller of the Raiders scored similarly to Bolles, but Thayer Munford struggled last year, and their depth is even more questionable for the Broncos. As for the Chiefs, Jawaan Taylor was the worst tackle in the division last year, and Wanya Morris is expected to start at left tackle, which is an unknown quality. 

Offensive Guard

Dec 16, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey (17) celebrates with guard Quinn Meinerz (77) after scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the third quarter at Ford Field. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

• Grade: A-

• AFC West Rank: 1st

• AFC Rank: 4th

• NFL Rank: 6th

Moving inside to guard, the Broncos rewarded one of the best guards in the NFL, Quinn Meinerz, with a huge contract extension. Ben Powers is a solid starting guard, and in his second year in the scheme, he can still take a step forward.

While the Broncos don’t have great depth, their starting duo is enough to carry them over most teams in the NFL. There are a lot of teams who lack a good quality starting guard, let alone have two of them. 

In the division, Joe Thuney and Trey Smith are close to the Broncos, but injury concerns with Thuney and the Chiefs' depth dropped them to second place. The Chargers and Raiders have one quality starting guard, but the second starter has questions. Jackson Powers-Johnson is a highly-rated rookie with potential, but no experience wasn’t enough to boost the Raiders from their third-place ranking in the division. 

Center

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

• Grade: F

• AFC West Rank: 4th

• AFC Rank: 16th

• NFL Rank: 32nd

There isn’t much to say here. Of the three centers the Broncos have, Alex Forsyth is the favorite to start, but he has no NFL experience. Luke Wattenberg has 28 snaps as a center, and Sam Mustipher one of the worst starters at the position. Every other team either has a for-sure starter, quality experience, high draft pedigree, or serious potential at the position. 

Offense

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Bo Nix at rookie minicamp. / Ben Swanson/Denver Broncos

• Grade: C

• AFC West Rank: 4th

• AFC Rank: 12th

• NFL Rank: 23rd

Despite ranking last at the most critical position, the Broncos have quality rankings at guard and running back while not being terrible at wide receiver and tackle, which helps keep them from being at the bottom. Having two positions rank out as the worst, and another not far from it will drag them down some. 

The Takeaway

It would be extremely easy to grade each position based on vibes, which would lead to higher rankings for the Broncos, especially at the quarterback position. However, production, experience, injury history, and all that stuff matter, and ranking on vibes can ignore some of that.

The vibes surrounding the Broncos' quarterback room have them falling somewhere between No. 20 and 25, but they need more experience, better production, and better analytics. Again, it will be interesting to see where the Broncos rank at the end of the season and again before 2025 and how much things change, especially at quarterback.

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