The Denver Broncos roster is so strong ahead of the 2026 season, that it's hard to see just where a potential starting spot is up for grabs. Slowly but surely, we're approaching the middle of June, and before you know it, training camp will be here.
The NFL is about three months away from the start of the regular season, but that period should fly by. For the Broncos, they surely want to fast-forward and get the season started, as this team has all the motivation in the world to get some revenge on how the 2025 campaign ended in 2026.
Even with the roster being one of the best in the NFL, there are some interesting position battles to follow as training camp slowly but surely appraoches.
Denver Broncos key roster battles could end up turning ruthless before camp arrives
Who sees RB2 snaps behind J.K. Dobbins?
I am not sure it's a slam-dunk guarantee that second-year running back RJ Harvey is slotted in as that RB2. With J.K. Dobbins having been extended this past offseason, he's clearly going to get most of the carries, but ideally, Dobbins' workload is lessened a bit, as this would give him a better chance to make it through the season.
Where rookie running back Jonah Coleman could find advantages over RJ Harvey would be, potentially, in pass protection and even running between the tackles. Harvey wasn't particularly special in doing either in 2025.
His down-to-down efficiency just was not good enough, despite finding the end zone 12 times. This de-facto RB2 spot is going to be a big one, as the Broncos running game took a nosedive when Dobbins got hurt, so it's imperative that this spot is someone who can be an efficient option.
Harvey could have an advantage since he's entering year two, but, either way, the Broncos did go out and draft another running back for a reason, so this spot should be viewed as up for grabs.
Who takes John Franklin-Myers' position?
Unless something changes, one of Tyler Onyedim, Sai'vion Jones, or Eyioma Uwazurike will slot into that starting defensive end spot that John Franklin-Myers held down for two seasons. All three players appear to have something going for them, too.
Uwazurike played quite well as a rotational piece in 2025, and also has exceptional size and length. Onyedim is a solid run defender with pass-rush upside, and Jones appears to be a bit of the opposite. Since the Broncos did seem to use more of a committee approach at that spot in 2025, there is reason to believe that the same thing could be the case in 2026.
However, one of these three will need to step up to be viewed as the starter. Denver's defensive line was, arguably, the best in the NFL in 2024 and 2025, so Franklin-Myers departure should be viewed as significant.
Sorting out the inside linebacker room...
Well, with Jonah Elliss remaining at outside linebacker and Drew Sanders also returning to that spot, the inside linebacker room did get a bit of clarity. Although outside of the starting duo of Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, those other two spots, if the Broncos indeed keep four inside linebackers, are up for grabs.
The team brought in two rookies of note in Red Murdock, a tackling machine, and Taurean York, an undersized, but high-IQ player. Both could have a legitimate shot at making the roster, but all of Jordan Turner, Karene Reid, and Levelle Bailey could have something to say.
You could surely find a notable 'plus' with all of these non-starters, so there is reason to believe that this could end up being quite the battle. Teams typically do not keep more than four inside linebackers on their active rosters, so of the five players not named Singleton and Strnad, three may end up being cut...
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