One of the most difficult days in the NFL is getting closer: the roster cuts deadline. A few seasons ago, teams had to cut their rosters from 90 to 85, then from 85 to 80, and finally from 80 to 53 players. Now there is only one deadline to trim rosters from 90 to 53. Over one thousand players lose their jobs around the league, and some get the opportunity to return to practice squads.
During the preseason, the Denver Broncos have gotten clarity at different positions, but it will be interesting to see how coach Payton builds his final roster.
A position the Broncos have bolstered over the past few seasons is the defensive line, which mainly consists of All-Pro Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, DJ Jones, Malcolm Roach, Sai'Vion Jones (rookie), Jordan Jackson, and Eyioma Uwazurike. The other depth guys are not expected to make the final 53-man roster.
Broncos have rough decision to make between young defensive linemen
Ahead of the deadline, there is a big question mark at this position. Specifically, how many defensive linemen will Denver include in their 53-man roster? Will it be six or seven? Regardless of whether it is six or seven, the question is who will that final player be, as the top 5 are locked, in my opinion.
I think it is clear, the five guys who are locks to make the 53-man roster at this position are: Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, DJ Jones, Malcolm Roach, and Sai'Vion Jones. Now the biggest question.
After the running back battles, in my opinion, this is a very underrated dilemma Sean Payton and his coaching staff could be discussing while building the final 53-man roster ahead of Tuesday's deadline. Both Jackson and Uwazurike have emerged as interesting players for this young Broncos team. They have had good camps and solid preseason performances.
Eyioma Uwazurike today: team-high-tied 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL. No easy 53-man decisions on that #Broncos interior defensive line.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) August 23, 2025
This was Uwazurike's first full camp following his gambling suspension. He got back in action in the 2024-25 season, specifically in 4 games, but was not present for training camp, which gave Jackson the edge. Jackson had six more tackles compared to Eyioma despite playing in 13 more games. During the 2025-26 preseason, Jordan Jackson had 10 tackles and no sacks, while the former Broncos draft pick from Iowa State, Eyioma Uwazurike, had 4 tackles and 1 sack.
It will be interesting to see if Sean and staff decide to have 6 or 7 defensive linemen. If they have seven, it will be interesting to find out how the roster gymnastics are shuffled. If Payton decides to have six DL's, I expect that either Jackson or Uwazurike, specifically the one who gets waived, will be brought back to the practice squad.