6 winners (and 4 losers) from the first week of Broncos training camp

One week of training camp is in the books for the Denver Broncos, and the preseason games are right around the corner.

The Broncos have arguably the best and deepest roster of any team in the NFL in 2026, which means the battle for each of the team's 53 roster spots is going to be one of the most intense you will see.

There were a lot of fascinating storylines entering camp, including the return to action for quarterback Bo Nix, the arrival of Jaylen Waddle, Davis Webb calling plays, how the team might replace John Franklin-Myers on the defensive line, and more. And after one week of camp, we've learned a lot.

After scouring all of the reports, we've made our picks for the top 6 winners of training camp so far for the Broncos, and the 4 unfortunate "losers" for one reason or another.

6 biggest winners after the first week of Denver Broncos training camp

Riley Moss, CB

There probably hasn't been a more consistent standout at Broncos training camp so far than cornerback Riley Moss. And it's coming at the absolute perfect time. Not only is Moss coming off of an extremely polarizing season in which he simultaneously led the NFL in passes defensed (19) and penalty yardage, but he's also entering a contract year.

Moss has responded with an outstanding camp so far for the Broncos, including some notable passes broken up on passes deep downfield. The biggest play, up to this point, was an interception he wrestled away from Courtland Sutton on a deep ball from Bo Nix.

Whether or not the play should have been blown dead because of an offside penalty or a false start is irrelevant. The rep still happened, and Moss was able to win it. He's managed to make standout plays every single day at camp, and the conversation has shifted from whether or not he could lose his job to, How soon might the Broncos pay him?

One thing is certain: Nobody is remotely close to taking Moss's job. As the cornerback playing opposite Pat Surtain II, Moss is inherently one of the most trusted players on the team. Entering his fourth season, the Broncos are clearly banking on him making even more strides.

Marvin Mims Jr., WR

If there was one receiver on the team who really needed to have a big training camp, it was Marvin Mims Jr.

Ask and you shall receive.

Mims has been making one big play after another so far at Broncos training camp, proving his elite ball tracking skills, strong hands, and generally picking up right where he left off in the playoffs this past season.

Believe it or not, it's not just the big plays being made by Mims that have him in the "winners" category. Early reports coming out of camp indicated that Mims was being utilized on some pre-snap motion -- something the Broncos didn't do a ton of last season -- as well as running a "diversified" route tree.

That's been one of the biggest knocks on Mims in the first three years of his NFL career: He doesn't run an expansive route tree.

It almost feels like the Broncos have rediscovered Mims, in a way. We all know he's extremely valuable to the special teams as one of the league's best return men. And despite an extremely low volume of targets going his direction, Mims has been extremely clutch as well as dynamic, and even consistent...when the opportunities come.

As he continues to stack days, it is feeling more and more like Mims is trending toward the third or fourth-most targets of any receiver on the team.

Pat Bryant, WR

The best way to describe the way Pat Bryant feels entering his second NFL season is "trustworthy".

Even though Bryant was scrutinized during the NFL Draft process for his lack of speed, he seems to be a big-play threat to every level of the field. And he's building on the trust he had built with the coaching staff down the stretch last season.

The Broncos refuse to say they have a true "WR3" in the offense, or put any labels on those players at all, but Bryant definitely seems to be that guy behind Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle. Sean Payton's words about Bryant speak volumes:

“I think his weight’s at a good spot. He has some of the better hands in traffic with his feet on the ground, he’s really good [at] run after the catch. I said this to you guys a year ago, he’s real smart. So he’s someone that can move from ‘X’ to the slot. It’ll be easy creating his role.”

- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)

Bryant has excellent chemistry with Bo Nix early on. The Broncos are getting him involved more downfield. It would be a shock if the second-year player out of Illinois doesn't have an expansive role in 2026 based on what we're seeing and hearing early at training camp.

Bo Nix, QB

Considering how quickly Bo Nix has erased any doubts about his ankle early on at training camp, he has to be in the "winners" category.

Nix hasn't been flawless at practice against the Broncos' top defense, but he's got a new level of command of the offense and is impressing with his mobility, considering the injury he's coming off of. Early in camp, those in attendance at practice were noting that the ball was really flying off of Nix's hands, and that he was throwing with more anticipation.

Sean Payton was asked about how Nix is doing when it comes to reading defenses, and the progress he's making in that area. His answer should have everyone in Broncos Country absolutely giddy about the QB entering year three:

“I think to simplify all of it, the sub-defenses, the third-down defenses that they face in our league sometimes can be a little bit more complex. I think it begins to slow down a little bit when you get into Year 2, Year 3. You begin to see and maybe not get fooled as much. There are certain indicators, certainly we get a lot of pressure from our defense, and you’re always working to find those tells to help the quarter. So I think in that area, he’s a lot further along.”

- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)

That verbiage, slow down, is crucial. When the game starts to slow down for a quarterback, it means their mental processing has reached a new level. Nobody denies what Nix can do physically, but if he's playing the game smarter, he's going to be a much more dangerous all-around weapon.

Jonah Elliss, EDGE

Jonah Elliss is one representative of something that doesn't get brought up a ton when people are evaluating the Broncos' roster as a whole: Breakout players.

A lot of the talk this offseason has been about the Broncos retaining so many guys, running it back with the majority of their starting lineup, and that has caused players like Jonah Elliss to go extremely underrated. But entering year three, Elliss is ready to take a step into stardom, and the only question is how the Broncos get him the snaps required to show it.

With or without the pads, Jonah Elliss has been creating consistent pressure off the edge. But it should come as no surprise that when the pads came on, he really turned up the juice.

Elliss was a 3rd-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie team in 2024. The Broncos thought about the idea of moving him to inside linebacker this offseason, but Sean Payton said he was too good off the edge to make that move this offseason.

If the Broncos are going to achieve their goal of breaking the sack record (72) in the 2026 season, Elliss' improvement -- and consistent availability -- will be instrumental in making it happen.

Que Robinson, EDGE

Que Robinson had himself a strong performance throughout OTAs and minicamp, and he's continued that into training camp.

The second-year player off the edge has continued to flash during camp, and is looking poised for a much bigger role in 2026 than we saw from him as a rookie. When the Broncos took him in the 4th round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it was a bit of a confusing pick overall due to the team's depth off the edge already.

But the Broncos subscribe to the idea that your roster can never have too many pass rushers, and now, everyone is thankful to have Robinson around after seeing Nik Bonitto limp off the field.

With 33.5-inch arms, Robinson has elite length off the edge as well as quickness off the ball. The Broncos bought a rather small sample from him at Alabama, but he flashed as a rookie. His growth in year two has been notable, and he'll have a spot in the rotation.

Denver Broncos biggest 'losers' through first week of training camp

Jarrett Stidham, QB

Sean Payton said not to read too much into it, but the media in attendance at Broncos training camp clearly believes that Jarrett Stidham's backup job is up for grabs.

With Sam Ehlinger practicing well, this has less to do with Stidham having poor practices and more to do with the idea that his job could be available/in jeopardy.

After starting in the AFC Championship Game last year, Stidham has been thrust into a potential battle for the backup position with Ehlinger, and it wouldn't be a shock if there were a couple of teams interested in Stidham as their own backup, or potentially a bridge starter in the event there is some type of injury.

This will be a situation to monitor throughout the rest of camp and going into the preseason.

Jahdae Barron, CB

There were some inaccurate reports early in camp -- which have since been debunked by Sean Payton himself -- that Jahdae Barron was working at the safety position. He is not.

Barron has continued working in the same role he had last season as a dime defensive back, and he's also getting reps on the outside.

At this stage, there are a couple of reasons why he's (hopefully temporarily) landing in the "losers' category. The first reason is that Barron has yet to make any notable good plays during the first week of training camp. The former 1st-round pick has received praise from his teammates, but there hasn't been a single noteworthy play shared by those observing practice regularly.

The second reason he's in this category is the fact that he's not even remotely competing for a starting job. That could be viewed as more of a good thing in Riley Moss's favor, but Barron also isn't rotating for reps with Ja'Quan McMillian in the slot.

For a first-round pick to have this kind of blockade in front of him for playing time entering his second season would be concerning if the Broncos didn't have great players in those slots. And it might still be slightly concerning anyway. Barron needs some positive press ASAP.

Troy Franklin, WR

Similar to Jahdae Barron's situation, Troy Franklin being in this "losers" category has less to do with the plays he's making at practice, and more about the guys seemingly in front of him.

This report from Luca Evans is a pretty significant concern. If there aren't many touches for Troy Franklin, it brings his role this season into question.

The arrival of Jaylen Waddle certainly has a ripple effect, but it didn't seem to negatively impact anyone but Franklin so far at camp. Marvin Mims and Pat Bryant both made the "winners" category with their camp performances so far. Lil'Jordan Humphrey has been making some plays as well.

That's not to say it's been a bad camp for Franklin, but his role coming into question after finishing second on the team in targets last year is an eyebrow raiser.

Caleb Lohner, TE

You can't make the club from the tub.

The old adage rings true in the situation facing second-year tight end Caleb Lohner. The Broncos are desperate for playmakers to step up at the tight end position, and after receiving praise from Sean Payton following rookie minicamp, Lohner has been unable to practice due to an injury.

For such a raw, developing player, the lack of on-field reps is a concern. Lohner appears destined for the practice squad once again this year, at least to start things off.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow