3 biggest surprises from Denver Broncos first unofficial depth chart

Finally, the Denver Broncos have their first unofficial depth chart of the 2023 NFL season. There could be many positions that look different come week one, but there are a few initial surprises. The depth chart looks, for the most part, how many of us expected it to look, but there are some surprises for sure.

Most of the defense is just about set in stone, so the surprises are mostly on the offensive side of the ball, where the Denver Broncos need to be much, much better in 2023. Fortunately, Sean Payton is a historically good offensive mind, so there is a very good chance that the offense is just fine in 2023.

Are there any major surprises on the Denver Broncos' first unofficial depth chart? Let's dive into three obvious ones.

3 biggest surprises from Denver Broncos first unofficial depth chart
1. Adam Trautman is TE1 over Greg Dulcich

This seems to be a bit of a surprise, as Sean Payton has spoken highly of Greg Dulcich this offseason, and I'm not sure we've heard Adam Trautman's name called much this offseason. Perhaps this is just a seniority thing until both hit the field, but it's still a bit of a shock. While Trautman is a more established tight end who has two more years of experience, Dulcich is clearly the higher-ceiling player and probably the better player.

In 2021 with Sean Payton, Trautman caught 27 passes for 263 yards and two scores, which was a noticeable improvement over his rookie season. However, he managed just 207 yards and one score in 2022. Tight end is a very tough position to learn in the NFL, and it usually takes TEs multiple years to settle into the role.

In Dulcich's rookie season, he caught 33 passes for 411 yards and two scores in just 10 games. HIs 41.1 yards per game in 2022 translates to nearly 700 receiving yards over a 17-game season. Greg Dulcich probably begins the year as the TE1, but it's still a bit of a shock to see him behind Trautman.