The Denver Broncos have officially assembled their 53-man roster for the 2026 season.
While it's one of the best and deepest rosters in the league, the Broncos have some obvious question marks on the team, just like everyone else around the league. After making a handful of decisions to cut recent draft picks, including some notable names from the team's most recent class, the Broncos' initial 53-man roster might hint at something even bigger on the horizon.
This team has taken a clear leap of faith in some players at their biggest positions of weakness last year. Let's take a look at the entire 53-man roster for the Broncos, what holes remain, and what moves could still be coming.
Denver Broncos' 53-man roster might indicate big moves are on the horizon
Quarterback, 3: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger
Running back, 4: JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman, Tyler Badie
Wide receiver, 6: Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, Lil'Jordan Humphrey
Tight end, 4: Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, Dallen Bentley (Caleb Lohner to IR)
Offensive line: Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Kage Casey, Alex Forsyth, Matt Peart (Frank Crum to IR)
Defensive line, 7: Zach Allen, DJ Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Onyedim, Jordan Jackson, Sai'vion Jones
Edge rusher/OLB, 4: Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, Dondrea Tillman (Jonathon Cooper on Commissioner's Exempt List; doesn't count against roster)
Inside linebacker, 4: Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Karene Reid, Jordan Turner
Cornerback: Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja'Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron, Kris Abrams-Draine
Safety: Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner, Tycen Anderson
Specialists, 2: Wil Lutz, Jeremy Crawshaw
Let's first talk about what could be the "big moves" on the horizon for the Broncos after this initial roster was unveiled.
The Broncos' tight end and linebacker positions obviously need to be addressed. The team just cut two prominent draft picks from their 2026 class (Justin Joly and Red Murdock) in what would have to be considered a couple of the most surprising moves among the bunch that were made.
Yes, it's a good problem to have depth on your roster. Yes, those players were Day 3 draft picks. But the fact remains that they both play positions the Broncos were weakest at in the 2026 season, and they were the primary additions at those positions.
Dallen Bentley made the 53-man roster over Joly, who the Broncos will obviously hope to bring back to the practice squad. But even a return to the practice squad would be a tough pill to swallow for the 5th-round pick out of NC State, especially if other opportunities are out there.
If the Broncos aren't pursuing upgrades to the linebacker position, at the very least, it would be a shocker and borderline roster malpractice on the part of Sean Payton and George Paton. That position was a clear area of weakness last year, and the Broncos decided to run it back with Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad in the starting lineup.
Now, they are one injury away from having either Karene Reid or Jordan Turner possibly entering the lineup? Even with the possibility of someone like Red Murdock or Taurean York on the roster, the Broncos would have been taking a huge risk. And the fact that neither Murdock (the last pick in the draft) or York (the highest-paid UDFA in franchise history) could show enough to crack the 53 is a huge disappointment.
The Broncos' roster might be deep, but it's not too deep for players like that to even make it in the first place.
Investing in the future is part of building a roster. Maybe they'll be able to bring all of these guys back onto the practice squad, and all will be well that ends well. But until that happens, the question marks the Broncos have left at a couple of key positions must lead to some more moves in the very near future...right?
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