Denver Broncos Player Grades at the Quarter Pole

The Denver Broncos could be on the brink of critical mass.

Sep 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws a pass during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

After the first four games, the Denver Broncos have a  2-2 record. The Broncos have displayed some questionable offensive play, while their defense has been exceptional.

There's a lot of the season left to go, but the Broncos seem on the cusp of putting it together to compete for a playoff spot. At the quarter pole, let’s examine the players' individual grades.

To qualify for a grade four games in, a player must have at least 60 snaps under their belt and at least one snap in all four games. With that said and done, let’s get into the grades and a key stat from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats, or Pro Football Focus.

Quarterback

Bo Nix | Grade: 47.1

Nix's start to the season hasn’t been great. The rookie struggled a lot in the first two games.

Nix's last game wasn’t ideal either, but it was in a torrential downpour for the first half. His performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been the highlight and what the Broncos need to build on going forward. 

Key Stat: 7.6  Air Yards per Attempt, 14th of 33 qualifying quarterbacks. 

Running Backs

Jaleel McLaughlin | Grade: 42.3

After struggling for the first three weeks, McLaughlin found his groove against the New York Jets defense. The Broncos need him to keep him effective as an explosive play-making threat that the offense currently lacks. 

Key Stat: Rushing Expected Points Added (EPA) -3.9, 26th lowest of 53 qualified running backs. 

Javonte Williams | Grade: 40.7

After one of the worst starts to a season ever for a running back, Williams bounced back against the Jets. The Broncos need him to find consistency and show that this wasn’t a fluke against a bad run defense. 

Key Stat: Rush yards over expected in -36, 7th worst of 53 running backs. 

Wide Receivers

Lil’Jordan Humphrey | Grade: 59.1

Humphrey has landed a key role in the Sean Payton offense and has proven to have good chemistry with Nix. The Broncos need more after the catch, and Humphrey has been the only one who has done well in that department. 

Key Stat: Yards after catch over expected +19, team-high. 

Courtland Sutton | Grade:  58.7

Sutton has had issues as a receiver, but he has done well as a blocker, and his effort has been more consistent than we have seen in a while. However, his timing with Nix is still a work in progress. 

Key Stat: Team low catch rate over expected with -16.5%.

Josh Reynolds | Grade:  53.9

Reynolds has been the Broncos' most efficient receiver so far, but his target rate has declined as the season passes. This could be attributed to some effort questions and his inability to be a blocker. 

Key Stat: Receiving an EPA of +10.6 leads the team. 

Tight Ends

Nate Adkins | Grade: 49.5

Adkins has improved as a blocker after a rough start to the season. However, he needs to find more consistency as he sees the field more. 

Key Stat: 54th of 81 qualifying tight ends in PFF run blocking grade. 

Adam Trautman | Grade: 48.7

As the blocking tight end, Trautman hasn’t done terribly, but they need more from him as the blocking from the position has left a lot to be desired overall. 

Key Stat: 36th of 81 qualifying tight ends in PFF run blocking grade. 

Greg Dulcich | Grade: 32.2

The Broncos need to find a replacement for Dulcich. He isn’t a blocking tight end, and his receiving ability has not developed. He's hard to trust when on the field, no matter the play call. 

Key Stat: One of seven tight ends with two drops on the season.

Offensive Tackles

Garett Bolles | Grade: 61.3

It was a rough start for Bolles, who allowed seven pressures and one sack in the first two games. In the last two games, he has allowed four pressures and no sacks while improving as a run blocker. 

Key Stat: 54th of 82 qualifying offensive tackles in PFFs pass blocking efficiency. 

Interior O-Line

Ben Powers | Grade: 63.3

Powers has come along and is playing at a high level for the Broncos. While there have been some hiccups in pass protection, with six pressures allowed, he has had a strong season as a run blocker, improving with each passing game. 

Key Stat: 25th of 43 qualifying guards in PFFs run block grade. 

Quinn Meinerz | Grade: 62.9

Meinerz's season started terribly. He could have been more effective as a run blocker and not much better in pass protection. However, he has gotten back on track over the last two games and is coming off his best showing as a run blocker, arguably in his career. 

Key Stat: 30th of 43 qualifying guards in PFFs run block grade. 

Luke Wattenberg | Grade: 56.2

Has Wattenberg been serviceable for the Broncos? Yes, but he has been bad enough that they should be looking for an upgrade this offseason. He lacks experience, and it shows, so he needs that experience to find consistency in his play. 

Key Stat: 20th of 23 centers in PFFs overall offense grade. 

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Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) and Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) sacks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Defensive Line

Zach Allen | Grade: 70.7

Allen has had a monster season and is off to one of the best starts among interior defensive linemen. He's at least in the top 5 in almost every advanced stat for pass rush. 

Key Stat: Second of 45 qualifying players in PFFs pass rush productivity. 

Malcolm Roach | Grade: 68.9

Roach has outplayed his contract so far in Denver. He has been a good find and a crucial player on the defensive line. There is a good argument about him seeing the field more than he is. 

Key Stat: 17th or 69 qualifying players in PFFs overall defense grade. 

John Franklin-Myers | Grade: 63.1

While he has started to impact the box score, much of what Franklin-Myers shows up in the box score for other players, as he is eating blocks and space as a run defender and garnering attention as a pass rusher. 

Key Stat: Tied for 10th most sacks among 60 qualifying defensive linemen. 

D.J. Jones | Grade: 53.2

Jones has been up and down, with a lot of down for the Broncos this season and last. He had a great game against the Buccaneers and is a solid rotation piece, but Roach should take his starting spot. 

Key Stat: Tied for 15th in PFF run stop percentage 

Jordan Jackson | Grade: 50.2

Jackson is showing technical improvement, which you want to see from a young rotational piece that sees less than 20 snaps per game. 

Key Stat: Two pressures on 35 pass rush snaps. 

Outside Linebackers

Jonathon Cooper | Grade: 64.4

Cooper has exploded this season, showing exceptional growth as a pass rusher while being the most reliable run defender from the position. The Broncos need to get an extension done with him as soon as possible before he gets even more expensive than he is. 

Key Stat: Tied 9th in quick (under three seconds) quarterback pressures. 

Jonah Elliss | Grade: 57.6

The rookie has made some big plays for the Broncos, showing explosive athleticism off the snap. Moreover, he shows crucial growth in critical elements as a pass rusher and run defender. 

Key Stat: The second-fastest time to pressure among Broncos pass rushers at 2.66 seconds.

Nik Bonitto | Grade: 50.5

There is no doubt that Bonitto is an explosive pass rusher, but he needs to continue to develop as a run defender as he fights to remain in a starting role. 

Key Stat: The second fastest snap get off at 0.79 seconds. 

Inside Linebackers

Cody Barton | Grade: 53.7

Barton has been reliable enough, but he has some issues with his zone drops in coverage that need corrected for the final 13 games. 

Key Stat: Fourth most stops for the Broncos.

Cornerbacks

Ja’Quan McMillian | Grade: 68.7

While it has only been four games, McMillian has had one of the best starts to the season among corners this year. He makes an impact in all three phases, and there can be a case to be made that he has been the best-performing slot corner in the NFL. 

Key Stat: Team best -15.9 coverage EPA. 

Patrick Surtain II | Grade: 66.1

Surtain has been lockdown in coverage, blanketing the opposing team's top receiver. It hasn’t been perfect, as he has been penalized in coverage a few times. However, this is the most consistent coverage from game to game in his career. 

Key Stat: Only a 9.5 target percentage. 

Riley Moss | Grade: 63.5

With Surtain on one side, the Broncos needed someone who could hold their own on the other side. Moss has stepped into that and rose to the occasion. 

Key Stat: Second highest tight window force percentage on the Broncos at 33.3%

Safeties

Brandon Jones | Grade: 66.2

Jones has two takeaways and has exceeded expectations, despite missing training camp and the preseason.

Key Stat: Team leading 28.6 ball-hawking percentage. 

P.J. Locke | Grade: 57.6

Key Stat: Four pass-rush snaps with two pressures and one sack. 

Jones and Locke are versatile safeties who open the door for Vance Joseph to change what he is doing with them consistently and make the defense harder to read. They can cover, blitz, and defend the run. 

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