The Denver Broncos might not have a lot of wiggle room on the roster for some unsung heroes to make some noise, but it's always possible. Denver is flat-out stacked at a few positions, so the starters and even backups feel rather locked in at this point.
And with OTAs out of the picture and minicamp approaching, we really did not find out a ton about this group that we already did not know. The players appear to look as expected. That doesn't mean, though, that there isn't mounting pressure on a few players.
For various reasons, there are several, and perhaps even more than in our list, that are entering a make or break summer. Let's dive into the four most obvious examples here.
Denver Broncos have key players entering a make or break summer
Evan Engram, TE
Tight end Evan Engram turns 32 years old later this year, is in the final year of his contract, and did see the Broncos take two rookie tight ends in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Broncos brought in Justin Joly in the fifth round and Dallen Bentley in the seventh round.
Joly's youth and receiving upside could make him a huge threat, and Bentley's two-phase ability is also something that could get him on the field earlier than expected. With the Broncos having extended Adam Trautman earlier this offseason, I am not so sure Engram is a lock for this roster. He did appear to have quite the time at OTAs, which is a help, but there is still a ton of time before final roster cuts have to happen.
The Broncos are in such a strong financial spot that cutting Engram wouldn't really impact the team's books that much, either. According to Over The Cap, cutting Engram would save just under $6.5 million on the team's cap for 2026, but they would take on a dead cap hit of $7.6 million.
If the other tight ends in the room really step up the rest of the way, the Broncos might have no choice.
Drew Sanders, EDGE
Drew Sanders has teetered back and forth between being a true off-ball linebacker and being a true EDGE rusher. Heading into the 2026 season, Sanders is now back at EDGE. He's a high-end athlete and is someone who does have the talent to thrive at both spots, but injuries have derailed what otherwise could have been a productive career thus far.
At the moment, there isn't a ton of room for another EDGE rusher to break through, so Sanders could be facing an uphill battle here. His athletic upside, though, might be too good for the Broncos to just cut ties with, but the best ability is availability, and Sanders just has not been consistently available.
This feels like the very last chance he'll have with the Broncos to make a name for himself.
Jaleel McLaughlin, RB
Still just 25, Jaleel McLaughlin spent much of the 2025 season on the practice squad for the Broncos, and while McLaughlin is a speedster with adequate receiving ability, he's not been able to find another gear in his game thus far.
He appears to be a solid RB3 option, but with the Broncos drafting Jonah Coleman, re-signing J.K. Dobbins, and still having second-round pick RJ Harvey in the picture, it is quite hard to see where McLaughlin factors into this roster.
The Broncos might end up keeping Dobbins, Coleman, and Harvey as the three running backs with Adam Prentice rostered as the fullback. However, a strong offseason from McLaughlin could force the Broncos to do some math gymnastics if they're decided that he should be on the roster.
It could be another trip to the practice squad unless something major happens, but he's already in year four, so if he's not making any sort of notable roster impact at this point, he likely never will for the Broncos.
Eyioma Uwazurike, DE
In the final year of his rookie deal, Eyioma Uwazurike was quite solid in mop-up duty for the Broncos in 2025, finishing with 3.5 sacks, 39 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits in 36 percent of the defensive snaps.
Where Uwazurike wins is his size and length. At 6-6 with over 35-inch arms, Uwazurike is simply bigger than most offensive linemen he'll see. This plays to his advantage, obviously. The main reason why this is a make or break summer for the veteran, though, is that there does not appear to be a legitimate threat to overtake him as the starting defensive end.
Tyler Onyedim is a rookie, and Sai'vion Jones is a second-year player who hardly saw the field in year one. Both players are developmental, and given how much of a strength the defensive line was these past two seasons, it's all the more important that it remains a strength in 2026.
John Franklin-Myers was a high-end player for the Broncos, so there is a ton of pressure, likely right on Uwazurike, to take that next step, perhaps undergo a natural progression, and lock down that starting spot.
Doing that could also likely get him to the table for a potential contract extension as well, so there is clearly some money on the line for the former Iowa State product as well.
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