3 Broncos players who need to bounce back after brutal preseason debut

3. Christopher Allen, EDGE

The Denver Broncos' edge position has floated between being a major question mark, possibly having a ton of upside, and being a major question mark once again.

The team certainly has a loaded group here on paper:

Frank Clark
Randy Gregory
Baron Browning
Jonathon Cooper
Nik Bonitto
Aaron Patrick
Christopher Allen
Marcus Haynes
Thomas Incoom

Christopher Allen was someone fans were particularly eager to see this season coming back from injury. Allen was one of the team's top UDFA pickups last offseason and the Broncos effectively gave him a medical redshirt year in 2022 to get healthy from an injury he suffered early in the 2021 season at Alabama.

He's undoubtedly going to be a little bit rusty, but he finished the game against Arizona with no tackles and a QB hit. The QB hit is certainly promising, but given the Broncos' current situation off the edge, we need to see a much bigger performance out of Allen in order to make a case for the final 53-man roster.

Frank Clark didn't play. Baron Browning won't be back until October. Nik Bonitto suffered a hip injury. Aaron Patrick didn't play. The Broncos are bleeding at EDGE just a little bit and it's a golden opportunity for Christopher Allen, one he can't afford to squander.

Allen was once projected as a possible early Day 3 pick by some NFL Draft prognosticators. He has speed off the edge and led the SEC in tackles for loss back in 2020. The talent is definitely there, but Allen is running out of time to prove to the Broncos that he can contribute in a meaningful way.