The Denver Broncos put on the pads this week, so training camp is truly ramping up. This is when the brutal summer practices really begin, as the Broncos have a reputation, under Sean Payton, of having very intense practices.
This has benefited the team, though, and it should continue to have that same impact. As we roll into August, approach preseason, and also near the regular season, it's clear which players on the roster simply cannot underperform.
We talked about those four veterans here.
These Denver Broncos cannot afford to underperform as camp intensifies
Troy Franklin, WR
I recently talked about why wide receiver Troy Franklin is under a ton of pressure already. With both Marvin Mims Jr and Pat Bryant making plays, and even Lil'Jordan Humphrey seemingly always sticking around in the mix, Franklin's unofficial WR3 spot could be in jeopardy. Now, yes, the Broncos don't have to do anything special with Franklin, but if his camp performances don't begin to become notable, you almost wonder if the team would find themselves in another Devaughn Vele-type situation.
What I mean by that is the Broncos traded Vele last offseason primarily because, while he was a solid player, there just wasn't much space in the wide receiver room for Vele, as his skillset overlapped with other players. With the Broncos having added Jaylen Waddle to the mix, Courtland Sutton not going anywhere, and both Mims and Bryant showing out so far, there is a non-zero chance that Franklin could be the next Vele unless something changes.
Jarrett Stidham, QB
Not only is there a veteran wide receiver needing to uptick his performance, but there is also a veteran quarterback that needs to do the same, as Sam Ehlinger has definitely taken strides in year two with the Broncos, and there does appear to be a legitimate battle for this primary backup spot.
Jarrett Stidham is a reliable backup, and while he's been with the Broncos since 2023, that should not guarantee his roster safety this year. While 'Stiddy' has seemed to have done everything that's been asked of him so far, his performance in the AFC Championship Game was flat-out horrendous, and where Ehlinger has an advantage over Stidham is with his movement and athleticism.
And as I talked about in the link above, that does line up more with the type of player Bo Nix is, so while Stidham is being paid more and could be the favorite, the Broncos don't seem to be in a rush to slot him in as the QB2 yet again.
Ben Powers, OG
There also appears to be another battle involving a veteran player, as left guard Ben Powers not only missed half the season last year, but he suffered two notable injuries and is now back on an adjusted contract. Alex Palczewski scored a two-year deal in the offseason and also filled in quite nicely for Powers during the 2025 season.
And this isn't to say that Powers isn't a capable player - he's quite good and did sign a four-year deal with the team worth over $50 million for a reason, but he has played a ton of football and simply was not available much last year.
Palczewski might simply present a better option at this point, but Powers could still be the favorite in the clubhouse to retain his left guard spot for the fourth year in a row. Like the backup QB battle, the starting left guard spot seems to be up for grabs.
Jahdae Barron, DB
Jahdae Barron is a former first-round pick entering his second year with the team, and with camp ramping up, now is the time for Barron to make some noise. While Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian both seem to be entrenched in their starting jobs, there is still plenty of time for Barron to somehow make some noise.
Barron's selection in the 2025 NFL Draft was an odd pick at the time, and it's still an odd pick today. This isn't to say that he's a bad player, but he didn't make much noise as a rookie and again appears to have an uphill battle for 2026. If Barron can't slide into some sort of notable role in year two, this pick would continue looking worse by the day.
He's also already turning 25 years old this December, so while he's still young, he's definitely a year or two older than you average second-year player. Barron has to step up in some capacity as the pads come on.
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