3 Broncos offensive players under pressure with starters out vs. Cardinals

The Denver Broncos will host the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night at Empower Field for their second preseason game of 2025. Following Thursday's joint practice between the two teams, head coach Sean Payton announced that the starters will not play and instead will see action in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints.

With starters out, it is a perfect opportunity for backups, depth players, and undrafted free agents to showcase their talents and prove that they belong on the team's 53-man roster. Some key position battles can be decided in these two final preseason games. That being said, let's look at three offensive players to keep an eye out for during Denver's game against the Arizona Cardinals.

3 offensive players under the microscope vs. Cardinals

1. Tyler Badie, running back:

Second-round rookie RJ Harvey and veteran free agent acquisition JK Dobbins are locked in as the top two running backs heading into the season. It's unknown who will be the starter, as both have been excelling in training camp. I would even say they could be considered 1A and 1B instead of 1 and 2. Behind them, the room is quite open. Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, Blake Watson, and Audric Estimé are competing for an RB3 spot, and possibly roster spots, as it's unclear how many players Sean Payton will include in the final roster.

We have seen McLaughlin the most among these four, which makes Badie the one to watch on Saturday against the Cardinals. He is an explosive running back and has shown flashes when healthy. Last week against the 49ers and in the few games he played last season, he has demonstrated the talent and capability to be a key, underrated player for Denver. It will be interesting to see what happens with these four backs, but Saturday is a perfect opportunity to secure at least a roster spot.

2. Caleb Lohner, tight end:

Denver heavily upgraded their tight end room in free agency, with the signing of former Pro Bowler Evan Engram. Alongside Engram, the roster has veteran Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, Nate Adkins, Caden Prieskorn, and Caleb Lohner. Adkins is injured and has seen snaps at fullback due to his blocking abilities. Trautman will likely be the team's number two tight end. Now the other three are interesting names to watch.

Krull has had flashes but has not been consistent; now, the two rookies are ones to watch. Prieskorn had good plays in Week 1 of the preseason and has also shown flashes in camp, but the one to watch on Saturday is the 7th-round pick and former basketball player Caleb Lohner. The former Utah tight end has a big size and could emerge as a key red-zone threat for Denver due to his ability to catch jump balls. He had a few snaps last week, but did not have a catch. If the Broncos used a draft selection on him, it is because they saw something in the player that could help the team. If Lohner does not have a good reminder of the preseason, he will likely be cut.

3. Jerjuan Newton, wide receiver:

In recent years, the Denver Broncos have found undrafted gems on both sides of the ball that eventually end up being underrated players for the team. Following the 2025 NFL Draft, Denver signed four wide receivers: Courtney Jackson, Jerjuan Newton, Joaquin Davis, and Kyrese Rowan.

Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Devaughn Vele are locks to make the roster. It seems like veteran Trent Sherfield will likely get a spot as the WR6, but ... could an undrafted receiver earn a roster spot? Courtney Jackson was the returner during last week's matchup. He looked nervous. Rowan and Newton have had important moments in camp. Newton is a name to watch on Saturday, as he was a player mentioned multiple times in a positive way this week.