Most, if not everything, has to go right for a team to win the Super Bowl, and the Denver Broncos nearly got there in 2025. What made it sting the most is just how hard it is to get back there and knowing that unfortunate fact.
Well, nothing would stop the team from getting there in 2026. On paper, the Broncos have a Super Bowl-caliber roster and really aren't missing anything in the equation to win it all. However, there are some clear areas for improvement for 2026.
We talked about those three major areas here.
Denver Broncos key improvement areas for 2026 can make or break Super Bowl hopes
Defensive turnovers
The Broncos were tied for the fourth-fewest turnovers in the NFL in 2025. The only teams that had fewer were the New York Jets, Washington Commanders, and Dallas Cowboys. For reference, Denver had 25 turnovers in the 2024 NFL Season, which was the sixth-most in the league.
Sure, the Broncos may have just gotten unlucky with not having as many in 2025, but this has to get better. It felt like safety Talanoa Hufanga dropped about 29 interceptions last year, but the overarching idea here is that this has to be an area of emphasis
Even in the 2023 season, the Broncos had 26 turnovers, with many coming in that second-half resurgence. Sure, the defense can sort of make up for the lack of turnovers with a ton of sacks, but even getting this number to a league-average spot would be huge.
Run game consistency
Yes, this was largely due to J.K. Dobbins getting hurt, but still, it's an area for improvement. The Broncos did re-sign Dobbins, which was the right move, but they also continued to add to the room by taking Jonah Coleman in Round 4 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Along with RJ Harvey, the Broncos may be set to field a three-headed monster at the position. Given Coleman is an efficient runner and great in pass protection, he could become more of the RB2 before you know it. With Dobbins, in order to preserve his body and healthy, the Broncos should shave a few carries off his load and perhaps not ask him to get involved with a ton of blocking.
Harvey is more of a change-of-pace player, but no matter what you may think about the individual players in the room, what does have to happen is that the run game needs to simply be more efficient. During Dobbins' healthy games, in Weeks 1-10, the Broncos averaged 128.6 yards per game.
They hit at least 100 yards on the ground in 70 percent of those games. Including the two playoff games, the Broncos were without Dobbins for nine games. In those games, Denver averaged 97.9 yards per game, hitting the 100-yard mark in just 44 percent of those nine games.
The run game and passing attack work off each other, so when one is suffering, the other gets less efficient.
Tight End production
It's not a secret that the Broncos tight end production just has not been good enough these past few seasons. Signing Evan Engram last year, who was then unofficially billed as the Joker, did not yield the kind of results that many were hoping for.
Sure, Engram caught 50 passes, but he had just one touchdown and less than 500 yards. Fortunately, the Broncos brought in two new faces at the position in Dallen Bentley and Justin Joly in this year's draft, both of whom have traits to become future starters.
Second-year player Caleb Lohner could always factor into things if he takes a leap, and, if nothing else, the Broncos do now appear to have a viable room developing. A future room featuring Engram, Adam Trautman, Bentley, and Joly could end up being one of the deepest in the NFL.
There's a lot of 'what if' at play here, but the Broncos have to find more production at this position. The running back room and wide receiver room both seem to now be in good spots, and most of us would be shocked if those positions were drastically improved in 2026.
But the tight end room has sometimes felt like a bad sickness you just can't kick. Given the additions the Broncos just made, a slight uptick in production could be on the table.
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