It's a full team effort for any NFL club to win the Super Bowl, and that would have been the case for the Denver Broncos in 2025. Fortunately, the Broncos are better now than they were when the season ended, so it might be more likely that a Super Bowl run is in the cards.
And while much of the offseason chatter has been about Bo Nix, and for good reason, there are some other players that have flown under the radar or simply play bigger roles than fans might think on the surface.
Below, we looked at some less-than-obvious players who are key to 2026 success.
Underrated Denver Broncos players who are key to success in 2026
Justin Strnad, ILB
As of now, Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton are the starting inside linebackers for the Broncos. While Singleton is a below-average, declining player, Strnad is a solid starter and a productive player in the middle of the defense. He's been a true part-time starter these past two seasons, but he's also missed just one game the past four seasons.
Since the start of 2024, Strnad has tallied one interception, six passes defended, 7.5 sacks, 131 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits. According to Pro Football Reference, he's also held up in coverage, allowing a passer rating of 79.6 since 2024, as well.
Far from a household name, Strnad has been uber-productive for Denver and is someone who can clearly rush the passer well. He's also competent in coverage and someone who can do a bit of everything at the position.
With the Broncos having an aging player next to Strnad, he'll have to step up and simply do what he's done the past two seasons, but the main difference will be his likely weekly starting spot. It's going to be a heavier workload, but history could tell us that he's ready for it.
Wil Lutz, K
In 2025, while Wil Lutz wasn't showing off a massive leg, he came through on a ton of occasions to help the Broncos win a slew of games. Whether it was an overtime winner or a last-second field goal for victory, Lutz came through many times in 2025:
-Week 7 vs. New York Giants
-Week 9 @ Houston Texans
-Week 11 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
-AFC Divisional Round vs. Buffalo Bills
Against the Giants, Texans, and Chiefs, Lutz was on the field for the final play of the game, kicking the game-winning field goal. In the Divisional Round, Lutz secured the Broncos victory in overtime.
He went 28/32 on his field goals in 2025, for a solid 87.5 percent make rake. That was actually the lowest of his Broncos career. In total, Lutz has made 89/100 field goals and 114/116 extra points. He's gone 100 percent on extra points the last two seasons.
He's never made a field goal longer than 57 yards with the Broncos, but he makes up for it with insane efficiency and kicks in the clutch. If 2025 tells us anything about how 2026 will go, Lutz is again going to have to make a ton of late-game kicks to help the Broncos on what could be a Super Bowl run.
The third wide receiver after Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton
With all of the attention now being on Jaylen Waddle and his acquisition, the Broncos could end up seeing other receivers step up. Waddle is surely going to be the go-to target on offense. Courtland Sutton has been a mainstay with the team since being drafted in 2018.
With back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Sutton is a quality pass-catcher but clearly best suited in a No. 2 role. With Waddle in the picture, Sutton should enjoy a more efficient season, even if he doesn't hit 1,000 yards for the third year in a row.
However, a great wide receiver room, like the Broncos appear to have, is going to require another player to step up. The obvious choice might be Troy Franklin, who, in his age-22 season, saw his production skyrocket.
Franklin might be a perfect WR3 for the Broncos, but Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. have a non-zero chance of grabbing that role. No matter who it is, the Broncos are going to need one of them to step up, and when I say step up, I do not mean they need to catch every pass thrown their way and finish with 900 yards and 10 touchdowns.
What I mean by this is stepping up in a functional WR3 role. While defenses figure out how to take away Waddle and Sutton, space could be freed up for a third player to take advantage of matchups against depth cornerbacks.
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