4 biggest winners (and 3 losers) from Broncos preseason win vs. Cardinals

The Denver Broncos flexed their depth yet again in another dominant preseason performance against the Arizona Cardinals, but the (good) problem about having depth is, you've got to make some brutal roster decisions in the coming weeks.

The Broncos have merely 10 days to assemble a 53-man roster, which means the next week is going to be absolutely critical. And truth be told, if you haven't made enough of an impression at this point, you might already be out of luck when it comes to making this final team.

This preseason game against the Cardinals was a big one, as was the joint practice with them on Thursday of last week. Which Broncos players were the biggest winners (and most unfortunate losers) in Week 2 of the preseason here in 2025?

Denver Broncos biggest winners (and losers) from preseason win vs. Cardinals

Broncos winner: Troy Franklin, WR

Nobody needed to have a bigger offseason than Troy Franklin on this Denver Broncos roster, and Franklin has delivered in a very big way. Ever since his touchdown catch last season in the playoffs against the Bills, Franklin has been a completely different player.

The narrative about him has shifted from a guy who looks overwhelmed to even be in the NFL at all to a player who looks poised to play a substantial role for the Denver Broncos in year two. Franklin had four receptions for 67 yards in this game on five targets, two of them going for touchdowns.

The amount of days he's stacking together at this point are too many to count. Franklin looks like he's going to be a staple piece in this offense, and this was truly the exclamation point of his phenomenal offseason progress. We're seeing a completely different player out there who is not only making great catches, but blocking downfield as well.

Broncos loser: Audric Estimé, RB

Everyone noticed something was up when the Broncos shut down the promising Audric Estimé for the playoff game against Buffalo, and he's been in the proverbial doghouse ever since. For whatever the reasons, Estimé cannot get above 5th or 6th on the pecking order at running back, and in a crucial game against the Cardinals, he was the 6th man up.

It's almost as if the Broncos are making an example of their former 5th-round pick out of Notre Dame, but whatever their motivation, it's clear that he's not going to be on this roster much longer. As much as people loved this pick when the Broncos made it, Estimé seems to be firmly behind Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie, at the very least, and maybe even Blake Watson.

He's going to have to figure it out on another NFL squad, and hopefully if he's not in the Broncos' plans, they will be able to trade him to someone.

Broncos winner: Pat Bryant, WR

Just like we've seen a tremendous offseason from Troy Franklin, we're also seeing outstanding progress from rookie minicamp to now from Pat Bryant. Bryant was a highly contested third-round pick for the Broncos because of his slower 40-yard dash time (4.61 seconds), but he's proven to be nothing but an absolute stud out there.

Bryant has great hands, a knack for getting open, and the ability to make plays after the catch look easy. He just knows how to get open, and because of that, he's built a significant level of trust with each quarterback on the roster.

It would be absolutely shocking if Bryant didn't have some type of role immediately as a rookie with his soft hands and knack for being a quarterback's best friend out there. He led the team against the Cardinals with 70 yards on four receptions.

Broncos loser: Alex Palczewski, OT

There's one way to make sure you get chewed out by the coach in a film session, and it's repeating the same mistake multiple times. Alex Palczewski, who played outstanding last year in relief of Mike McGlinchey when he was called upon, had multiple pre-snap penalties for the Broncos against the Cardinals, and they were unacceptable.

And he knows it.

There's obvious competition going on for the Broncos on the backup offensive line and Palczewski is trying to prove himself as a backup right tackle who can swing to guard as needed, but penalties will get you out of any coach's circle of trust. He's got to clean things up in Week 3.

Broncos winner: Jarrett Stidham, QB

I'm not sure you can make a list of winners and losers from this preseason game and not include Jarrett Stidham. The veteran quarterback looks like he's playing in the wrong league out there. He's clearly got a masters degree in Sean Payton's offense, and he's giving the team such a great look at their young receivers and offensive role players, in general.

It's not that the Broncos want this, but you would feel really good about it if Stidham needed to start some games for you in the near future. He's playing with confidence, he's having fun out there, and he's dominating. Against the Cardinals, Stidham completed 16-of-23 passes for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

He's not only pushing the ball downfield, but spreading it around to the group of receivers the Broncos are trying to get involved. He's done a phenomenal job operating the offense, executing, and making plays.

Broncos loser: Caleb Lohner, TE

There was always going to be a tough learning curve with 7th-round rookie Caleb Lohner, whose skills as a pass-catching option are undeniable based on what we saw from him at Utah.

The Broncos spent a 7th-round pick on Lohner, who played way more basketball in college than he did football. And in this preseason game against the Cardinals, that was evident. Lohner got some extensive work in this game and was flagged for a variety of penalties out there. He's still obviously learning the ropes, but it was enough that you had to question a little bit whether the Broncos would truly stash him on the 53-man roster, or risk letting another team sniping him away and putting him on waivers.

I tend to believe they're going to stash him and develop his craft alongside him, but there's no denying this was a rough performance.

Broncos winner: Jonah Elliss, EDGE

Nobody has impressed more defensively in the preseason than Jonah Elliss off the edge. The Broncos have a stud on their hands with the former third-round pick out of Utah, who had another TFL and QB hit against the Cardinals and was applying pressure all throughout the game.

Elliss is behind both Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto on the depth chart, but is always one injury away from being a full-time starter, a role in which I'm certain he would thrive. The Broncos had to feel great about Elliss racking up five sacks as a rookie, but this season, it'll be interesting to see how they stack up that rotation.

Having too many pass rushers is a great problem to have, and many other teams would kill for it. But the Broncos have to make sure they not only manage the snaps of their start correctly, but also getting guys like Elliss and Dondrea Tillman more opportunities.