The Denver Broncos sport one of the best starting lineups in the NFL, but no team wins a Super Bowl with only starters. Fortunately, Denver's depth appears to be top-tier, as well. It's been quite the turnaround for this franchise in the Sean Payton era, and this 2026 group does feel like one of the more talented teams the Broncos will field.
Much of the offseason chatter has been about the starters, and for good reason. Most fans were wondering if Bo Nix would be 100 percent healthy this offseason, and the monumental Jaylen Waddle trade has dominated much of the talk.
But what about the backups? If the Broncos hope to win it all this year, they'll need some strong performances from a few backups who could truly make or break the season this year.
3 Denver Broncos backups who could make or break the 2026 season
Malcolm Roach, DT
Malcolm Roach is a heck of a player, even though he's not a full-time starter. According to ESPN's data, Roach was 7th among all defensive tackles in 2025 in run stop win rate. DJ Jones ranked 3rd, and the Broncos run game ranked 2nd in yards allowed per game.
Roach has also been able to get into the backfield as well. In just 12 games for the Broncos in 2025, Roach had four sacks, three tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits. He had eight quarterback hits in 2024. He's played fewer than half of the defensive snaps for the team in his Broncos tenure, and his counting stats do not jump off the page.
However, especially with John Franklin-Myers departing in free agency, more pressure falls on the shoulders of the entire defensive line room. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph loves to rotate in fresh defensive linemen throughout the game, and now that Roach is more of a veteran in this room, his role could grow in 2026, and his ability against the run and rushing the passer must continue to exist.
The third LB behind Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad
The Broncos ended up primarily using three inside linebackers during the 2025 season, as Dre Greenlaw had missed about half the year, and when he was healthy, he wasn't staying on the field for all of the snaps. Denver cut Greenlaw this offseason and are now likely rolling with a room of Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock, and Taurean York. There are other players in this room who could make noise, and we're obviously still a ways away from this group being sorted out, but whoever falls into that third ILB role is going to likely see significant snaps.
Singleton is on the wrong side of 30, a total liability in coverage, and could very well decline further in 2026, which has been the case the past couple of seasons. Strnad is likely going to be an every-week starter, but he's only been a part-time starter for Denver the past couple of years, so the coaches may want to ease him into a full-time starting role by sharing a certain amount of snaps with the third linebacker.
And, as a duo, Singleton and Strnad are among the worst in the NFL, so I highly doubt this would be the type of duo you could justify playing nearly 100 percent of the snaps week to week.
Justin Joly, TE
Justin Joly was a fifth-round draft pick by the Broncos this year and has a nice receiving profile. He's still just 21 years old but does have a strong receiving profile, and that's really what the Broncos have been missing in this room for years now. Evan Engram finished with modest production in 2025, but it was nothing to write home about. He's also in the last year of his deal and is who he is at this point.
He's been in the NFL for a decade now and has a lot of tread on his tires, so what we saw from Engram in 2025 could be all that is left. This could open up the door for another tight end to contribute as a receiver, and with the Broncos having improved the wide receiver room this offseason, finding legitimate production at tight end would have this offense in a new stratosphere.
Joly seems to have a realistic shot at not only making the roster, but sliding into a TE3 role to begin the season, as neither Engram nor Adam Trautman are notable players. His youth, upside, and overall 'plus' receiving frame could be plenty to get him snaps as a rookie and contribute in this room
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