Denver Broncos: Ranking the team’s top three weaknesses

1. Replacing Aqib Talib at CB

This is a situation where the Broncos can’t really replace what they had in Talib this season. Not realistically, anyway.

Talib was a top-five cornerback in the entire NFL last season, arguably, and replacing his level of production is going to be tough.

With that said, the spot open in the Broncos’ offense opposite Bradley Roby with Chris Harris Jr. in the slot appears to be the weakest position on the team, currently.

That’s not to say someone won’t step up. The Broncos have high expectations for Brendan Langley and Isaac Yiadom, third-round draft picks in the past two classes.

Any Denver Broncos fans attending training camp will likely notice the difference in the level of play when the players put pads on and take the field. Talib was a shutdown cornerback at the peak of his game. Langley and Yiadom are young players still learning the basic nuance of the game.

Next: What we learned from Broncos OTAs

With a couple of really good veteran receivers on the roster and some extremely talented rookies, the cornerbacks will be tested daily and that testing should prove very valuable in the long run.

The Broncos also have veteran Tramaine Brock to add into the mix, but there is no guarantee he will return to the level of play we saw from him back in 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers.

Replacing Talib is going to be extremely difficult for the Broncos, and may need to be a group effort.