4 Biggest weaknesses on Denver Broncos roster at OTAs

The Denver Broncos may not have a perfect roster right now, but nobody in the NFL does. In fact, the Broncos have been getting really unfairly criticized for the current state of the roster, which is frankly better in many respects than the 2023 version.

Even though we have every right to be optimistic at this time of year with all of the winds of change blowing across the NFL landscape, it's also important to take an objective look at the roster and what areas of the team could be weaknesses right now.

What are the biggest roster weaknesses for the Denver Broncos in 2024? Where does the team lack proven players or carry the most injury risk? What areas of this team have a lower ceiling or lower floor than others?

Denver Broncos 4 biggest roster weaknesses in June

1. Center

The Denver Broncos have a number of players they could use at the center position, but this team has moved on from Lloyd Cushenberry III and is moving forward with someone at least partially unknown.

The current candidates for the Broncos at center are 2022 5th-round pick Luke Wattenberg, 2023 7th-round pick Alex Forsyth, 2024 7th-round pick Nick Gargiulo, and 2024 free agent signing Sam Mustipher. Mustipher and Wattenberg are the only ones with NFL experience at this point, but it feels like Forsyth is the odds-on favorite to start this season for Denver.

This situation feels oddly similar to the Matt Paradis situation back in 2015. Paradis spent his entire rookie year (2014) on the practice squad and was surprisingly the borderline unquestioned starter going into year two, which ended up being a Super Bowl year for the Broncos and Peyton Manning's final season. The pressure on whoever starts this year won't be quite that bad.

2. Linebacker

The Denver Broncos have one of the NFL's foremost tackling machines in Alex Singleton, who has turned out to be a great free agent signing despite the move initially being met with a lot of skepticism and pushback. The question right now is -- who is going to take Josey Jewell's spot next to Singleton?

It seems like right now, there is a competition between Jonas Griffith and Cody Barton, while Justin Strnad is lingering somewhere right behind them. Griffith was supposed to be a breakout player in 2022 as a starter while Cody Barton has started for the Commanders and Seahawks the last two years. It's tough to peg a favorite at this point but there's at least a decent ceiling at this position given the athletic traits of both Griffith and Barton.

3. Tight End

One of the true "boom or bust" positions on the Denver Broncos roster in 2024 is the tight end position. It sounds like Lucas Krull is a player worth keeping an eye on here, especially in the passing game. Greg Dulcich is a wild card who, if he can stay healthy, can be a dynamic weapon. Adam Trautman is solid as an every-down player, but this position being a strength or weakness in 2024 is almost totally dependent on Krull/Dulcich.

4. Safety

The departure of Justin Simmons has left many wondering about the quality of the safety position in 2024, which is absolutely fair. Simmons is a fantastic player and Broncos legend. The team replaced him in free agency with Brandon Jones, who spent the first few years of his NFL career in Miami with the Dolphins.

PJ Locke has developed nicely and will take on an expanded role in 2024. If Caden Sterns can stay healthy, the Broncos have an intriguing trio atop the depth chart here. But this unit will have to prove itself over time. JL Skinner gives the Broncos another wild card option, but there are just so many question marks at this spot.