The Denver Broncos are absolutely one of the better teams in the NFL, and recent power rankings are further proof of that.
It wasn't too long ago that the Broncos were ranked 30th or even lower in NFL power rankings. They got out to a putrid 1-5 start to kickoff the Sean Payton era back in 2023, and many folks were quick to say that Payton was washed-up and not the right man for the job.
Well, in the following 28 regular season games to end the 2024 NFL Season, Denver went 17-11, so they've won nearly 61% of their games since that brutal 1-5 start. And at this point, there may not be many better teams in the AFC.
The Broncos could be in a great spot to join the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens in the AFC to form a 'big four.'
Broncos ranked 10th in PFT's post-minicamp power rankings
Mike Florio ranked the Denver Broncos 10th in his post-minicamp NFL power rankings:
"10. Broncos: Combining a Sean Payton offense with an improved defense could make things very interesting in the AFC West."Mike Florio
Denver is actually fifth across the entire AFC in these rankings, as they are ranked behind the teams mentioned above and the Houston Texans. I would argue that Denver is better than Houston, though, as they may have the better QB and absolutely have the better head coach and offensive line.
If the two teams played on a neutral site right now, the Broncos are probably winning that one. I would personally rank Denver fourth in the AFC, but they really aren't all that far away from the Kansas City Chiefs, as the AFC West could end up being a bloodbath in the 2025 NFL Season.
But with Denver possessing the best offensive line, pass rush, and secondary in the entire division, they could get enough from the rest of the roster, and, coupled with a year two Bo Nix leap, could take the division back for the first time since the 2015 season.