The Denver Broncos have Super Bowl aspirations in 2026, and they put on an absolute display of their depth as a team against the Atlanta Falcons in the first week of the preseason.
The Broncos have one of the best and most complete rosters in the entire NFL heading into the 2026 season, and spots on the 53 are going to be incredibly difficult to come by.
Although there's still time left in the preseason for players to make an impression, which players might have locked up their roster spots in the first week of the preseason, and which players might already be in serious trouble?
3 Broncos players who locked up roster spots (and 2 in trouble)
Red Murdock, LB -- Roster spot locked up
Not that there was really much of a question entering the preseason, but 7th-round rookie Red Murdock absolutely looks the part out there for the Denver Broncos' defense.
Murdock led the team with 8 tackles in his preseason debut, looking very quickly like the steal everyone hoped he could be when the Broncos took him with the final pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Among his 8 total tackles, Murdock blew up a screen pass by the Falcons, knifing through blockers to make a stop with very few other Broncos defenders in sight.
One of the things Murdock was known for at the college level was forcing fumbles, and he was great at it. He set the NCAA record with 17 of them. He didn't force any fumbles against the Falcons, but not for lack of trying. He did a great job of wrapping up while still trying to punch the ball out almost every time he made a tackle.
Adam Prentice, FB -- Roster spot locked up
Fullback Adam Prentice has been a player whose roster status has come into question, only because of the Broncos' depth elsewhere on the roster and flexibility with Prentice's veteran status.
The working theory has been that the Broncos could stash another player on their 53-man roster and bring Prentice back on the practice squad as one of their veteran additions, and it makes some sense. After seeing how heavily involved he was in the offense during the first half of the preseason win over Atlanta, and how successful he was on his own opportunities, the Broncos might not even mess around with cutting him at all.
Prentice was utilized a lot as a lead blocker, but also converted a 3rd-and-short to keep the opening touchdown drive alive, and then he capped off the drive himself with a physical touchdown run.
Jarrett Stidham, QB -- Roster spot locked up
All throughout the offseason, the talk has been that backup QB Jarrett Stidham is in danger of losing his job to Sam Ehlinger.
And, to be fair, it does appear that the Broncos have put those two players in a bit of a position battle throughout the course of camp, with Ehlinger taking some of the 2nd-team reps at certain days of practice.
Against the Atlanta Falcons, Stidham was accurate, he showed great ability to escape pressure in the pocket, and he was aggressively hunting throws downfield. We saw big chunk plays to Courtland Sutton (x2), Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Evan Engram while Stidham was in the game.
Perhaps Ehlinger would have thrived with the same supporting cast, but Stidham's performance solidified him as a roster lock in my eyes.
Jaleel McLaughlin, RB -- In serious trouble
You could also throw Tyler Badie in this category, but fourth-year player Jaleel McLaughlin could find himself in some serious trouble when it comes to earning a roster spot after the game against the Falcons.
Even though McLaughlin had a couple of nice plays, he also fumbled against the Falcons, and had 12 yards on five carries outside of the solid 12-yard run he had.
Maybe even more than the fumble from McLaughlin, we saw Jonah Coleman come into the game as the second back behind RJ Harvey, which means he's already ascended up to the third back on the depth chart behind Harvey and JK Dobbins.
Not only did Coleman come into the game before McLaughlin, but he was pulled from the game rather quickly as well. With Adam Prentice also requiring a spot, the Broncos may not be able to keep a 4th back on the 53.
Matt Peart, OT -- In serious trouble
The last time we saw offensive lineman Matt Peart was in London as the Broncos took on the New York Jets. He was playing in that game as an injury replacement for Ben Powers, and then Peart ended up getting injured himself.
That wasn't before he committed three penalties in the game, and had fans wondering if he was going to be a major liability for the overall operation of the offense. He picked up right where he left off last season in London, committing a false start penalty on 4th-and-3, forcing the Broncos to attempt a field goal instead of going for it on 4th down.
The ensuing snap was botched, and the Broncos got no points.
Later in the game, Peart was supposed to be on the field for a field goal attempt, but had to rush on the field as the play clock was winding down. Wil Lutz had to direct traffic while attempting a long kick, and the Broncos just got the snap off in time. Lutz pushed his kick left of the uprights.
Sean Payton ripped into Peart on the sideline after that, and you can tell it's not looking good for him at the moment.
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