NFL.com's Power Rankings Still Have Broncos Starting From the Bottom

Can Bo Nix alter the Denver Broncos' outlook?

Jul 26, 2024; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) during training camp at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

On the doorstep of preseason Game 1, NFL.com released its first 2024 power rankings for the upcoming season, and the Denver Broncos are staring up at the rest of the league at No. 30. There are many questions about the Broncos' roster, whether it be talent or who the starting quarterback is, along with some critical departures like Justin Simmons.

Denver has been counted out over the past few years, and 2024 will be no different. Let’s examine how NFL.com’s Eric Edholm sees this version of the Broncos heading into the 2024 season — before the cleats have hit the preseason grass.

“This feels painfully low for a team that was 8-9 last season and in the playoff hunt until New Year's Eve. But the Broncos achieved that success in spite of a defense that ranked near the bottom of the league, and it's not obvious how that unit will make massive strides this season. There's also the QB situation, which keeps me in stasis until I know more. It just feels like Bo Nix is going to get every opportunity possible to win the starting job out of the gate. He'd be Denver's 13th starting QB since Peyton Manning left. Even so, I suspect Broncos fans would be fine if Nix won the job early (or fairly early), kept it and offered some promise heading into next season. Call me a skeptic if you want. It's possible I am vastly underestimating this team's potential upside, but as much as I respect Sean Payton's coaching ability, I just can't yet see the big picture coming to fruition in 2024," Edholm wrote.

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!

What stands out the most about the Broncos going into 2024 is their potential, but potential only goes so far. This franchise has underachieved since winning Super Bowl 50, and the word potential always gets brought up year after year, but it’s time for substance.

Payton proved that despite what some would say was a lackluster roster, rallying his team to an 8-9 finish in 2024, much higher than anyone would’ve predicted. It was a three-win improvement in the standings. He and the Broncos need to prove that this team is worth paying attention to because they haven’t given anyone outside of Denver a reason to do so in years.

The quarterback situation will work itself out very soon, with Nix building momentum in every practice. Still, he's a rookie, and to expect him to blow the doors off the AFC like C.J. Stroud last year might be a bridge too far. The unknown of a rookie signal-caller gives any analyst doubts about how much he can elevate the roster around him, whether that QB was the No. 1 overall pick or the No. 12. 

If the Broncos are to climb the NFL power rankings ladder, they must find their footing through the preseason. If any man can maximize the potential of this roster and squeeze out actual tangible results, it’s Payton.

The days of preseason hype not translating to the regular-season results have to be over, and it’s time to prove that Denver is more steak than sizzle. 

---

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