Some of the backup players along the Denver Broncos defensive line truly showed out in the team's Week 1 preseason victory. One thing is for certain heading into the 2025 NFL Season, and it's that this team's defensive line is not only excellent at the top, but the depth is top-tier as well.
Denver fell behind by nine points but ended up scoring the final 30 in the contest to notch a three-touchdown win over the limp San Francisco 49ers' roster, which is poorly built and injured. Anyway, Denver knows how to build a winning football team, as they are punishing in the trenches on either side of the ball.
But what the team's Week 1 preseason game showed us was just how amazing the team's defensive line can be for the 2025 NFL Season.
Denver Broncos had key performances from backup DL players in preseason Week 1
Second-year EDGE rusher Jonah Elliss and rookie pass rusher Que Robinson were both all over the place in the team's victory over the San Francisco 49ers:
Jonah Elliss just blew off the edge and sacked Carter Bradley like he was sleepwalking
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) August 10, 2025
This Broncos front just has so many bodies on any given rotation, man
Rookie EDGE Que Robinson blows up a screen play 💪pic.twitter.com/rUTaowhOJp
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) August 10, 2025
Not only are the Denver Broncos returning their top rushers in Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Zach Allen, and John Franklin-Myers, but other key backups like Dondrea Tillman, Jonah Elliss, and now Que Robinson could all play notable roles in 2025.
Denver being able to rotate fresh but efficient players along the DL is going to be huge for their success in 2025. especially when it gets late into the season and the team is competing for playoff seeding.
We do have a long way to go, but the Denver Broncos again appear to be a top-flight team along the defensive line, and a ton of credit goes to George Paton and Sean Payton for putting the right players along this unit for the present and for the long-term.