The Denver Broncos roster is not going to look much different from now until Week 1 of the 2024 NFL Season, so let's give a letter grade to each position group. It's nice to see the front office address the weaknesses of this roster. At the moment, we do not know if said weaknesses will turn into strengths in 2024, but they have tried, at least.
They've also embraced a clear plan with a rookie QB, which is a breath of fresh air. Bo Nix is going to be in the spotlight for a while, and the pressure is already on the rookie to perform. However, there are 52 other players on an active roster, so with many colleges and high schools heading toward final exams, let's give a letter grade to each of the Broncos positional units for 2024.
Quarterback: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson
Grade: C
As of now, we cannot grade the Denver Broncos QB room more than about average. Some may think that this grade is a bit high, but the Broncos do have some interesting pieces in here. Bo Nix is obviously the team's hopeful franchise QB, and has the skillset to play a long time in the NFL, especially in Sean Payton's offense.
Jarrett Stidham is the most stale and uninspiring player in the NFL, but he at least raises the floor of the QB room. Zach Wilson is a fun reclamation project that the Broncos are taking a chance on. For virtually no cost, there isn't a risk involved here. Wilson was a second overall pick for a reason, and it's clear that some in the Broncos organization think he might have something to him.
Running Back: Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime
Grade: B+
The Denver Broncos rushing attack wasn't special last year, but I just have a feeling the unit is going to take a huge step forward in 2024, and if 2024 NFL Draft pick Audric Estime can be a viable RB in the NFL, this room is, as of now, four legitimate running backs deep. The Broncos may honestly have no choice but to keep four RBs on the active roster if they all show out this offseason.
And all four do have a chance to do that and bring varying skillsets to the offense. My guess is that one of these four is not on the active roster come Week 1. I would bet that it's Samaje Perine, but I can be wrong. On paper, though, this unit could wear down defenses and be a huge aid to Bo Nix's development.
Wide Receiver: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr, Tim Patrick, Josh Reynolds, Troy Franklin
Grade: B-
Perhaps the highest floor of any WR room in the NFL, the Denver Broncos at least appear to have amazing depth. Brandon Johnson and Lil'Jordan Humphrey might compete for some playing time here, but if the team does not move on from Courtland Sutton, you may be looking at your top five WRs in Sutton, Mims, Patrick, Reynolds, and Franklin.
A lot of the skillsets in this room do overlap, so if one of Sutton or Patrick isn't on the team come Week 1, that would not surprise me, but you have to figure that head coach Sean Payton would want to give Bo Nix as many weapons as possible, so maybe this is how the top five looks.
Tight End: Adam Trautman, Greg Dulcich, Lucas Krull
Grade: C-
Ugh. The Denver Broncos tight end room was one of the most least productive units in the NFL in 2023 and might not look at all different in 2024. Perhaps the team is banking on Greg Dulcich being able to stay healthy and perhaps Lucas Krull developing more. Adam Trautman is a floor-raiser in this room, being an adequate blocker and occasionally contributing in the passing game.
Dulcich is the true receiving threat here, but he's not been able to stay on the field through his first two seasons in the NFL, and Krull is a huge question mark. I do actually see a very high ceiling in this unit, but the grade cannot be higher until they get their stuff together.
Offensive Line: Garett Bolles / Ben Powers / Alex Forsyth? / Quinn Meinerz / Mike McGlinchey
Grade: B+
The lone question mark here is who ends up winning the starting center job, and my bet is that Alex Forsyth wins. He snapped balls to Bo Nix at Oregon, so there should be some existing chemistry present. Overall, though, until the center position gets solidified, this unit is four OL strong, which not many other teams can say.
The Broncos OL in 2023 was quite good, and even though Russell Wilson took a ton of sacks, many of those were on him, so the OL was perhaps viewed much worse than it actually was. If Bo Nix ends up being a QB who can get the ball out on time and does not have a chronic habit of dancing in the pocket for too long, Broncos fans will begin to see how solid this unit is.
Right now, it's a B+.
Defensive Line: Zach Allen, DJ Jones, Malcolm Roach, Angelo Blackson, John Franklin-Myers
Grade: B-
Now not a massive liability, at least on paper, the Denver Broncos went into the offseason with the worst DL unit in the NFL, and now are set to enter the 2024 NFL Season with a unit that can at least be considered average. In the NFL, games are won or loss down in the trenches, and the Broncos DL was a unit that constantly lost that battle.
The two notable additions here are Malcolm Roach, a former New Orleans Saint who excels at stopping the run, and John Franklin-Myers, a pass-rushing threat at DE who the Denver Broncos stole from the New York Jets. Angelo Blackson may round out the top five contributors in this unit, and it's nice to see that the Broncos made a legitimate investment in it.
The unit still isn't great, and it might not even be very good, but it's in a much better spot now than where it was in 2023.
EDGE Rushers: Nik Bonitto, Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss
Grade: C+
Eh. A unit that is still missing its alpha, the EDGE room did see the addition of rookie third-round pick, Jonah Elliss, who is another pass rusher that struggles to set the edge against the run. You have to figure that the pass rush takes a step forward with the DL improved, so maybe there is a "dawg" in this unit that can emerge in 2024. Both Baron Browning and Jonathon Cooper are in contract years, and if both perform reasonably well in 2024, I would love to see them back on modest deals.
As of now, though, the unit is filled with rotational rushers and does not feature a game-wrecker. Hopefully that changes
Inside Linebackers: Alex Singleton, Cody Barton, Drew Sanders?, Jonas Griffith
Grade: C+
Fortunately, teams do not need an elite inside linebacker to win games. The Broncos ILB unit is pretty average with some interesting backups in Drew Sanders and Jonas Griffith. The starting duo will likely be Alex Singleton and Cody Barton, who was signed to replace the departed Josey Jewell. Both Singleton and Barton are tackling machines, so that's at least neat.
Drew Sanders might already be headed toward the bust label, and Jonas Griffith oozes potential but did miss a lot of the 2023 season with a torn ACL. This unit should not be a liability for the Broncos in 2024.
Secondary: Patrick Surtain II, Ja'Quan McMillian, Levi Wallace, Kris Abrams-Draine, PJ Locke III, Brandon Jones, Caden Sterns
Grade: B
A modest B grade, the secondary has gone under a bit of a makeover this offseason with the additions of Brandon Jones and Levi Wallace in free agency and Kris Abrams-Draine in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Broncos appear to have some legitimate players now who can slide into the CB2 role in Wallace or Abrams-Draine, which was a sore spot for the team in 2023.
The safety room is missing Justin Simmons, but Brandon Jones steps in. Overall, the unit isn't hugely special, but with Patrick Surtain II in the picture, it can be. I am quite interested to see what happens with guys like Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis. Both might have legitimate shots at that CB2 role, but Wallace and KAD could play huge factors in that offseason battle.
The secondary as a whole seems to feature great depth, which is going to prove handy lae in the offseason.
Specialists: Wil Lutz, Riley Dixon, Mitchell Fraboni
Grade: B
Wil Lutz is one of the better kickers in the NFL, but Riley Dixon is a pretty average punter. Long-snapper Mitchell Fraboni seems to know what he's doing, so the specialist unit is fine. Lutz did have a nice bounce-back year in 2023, making nearly 90% of his field goal attempts including some clutch late-game kicks.
Dixon was up and down for the Denver Broncos, and it'd odd that the team didn't try to upgrade. Fortunately, the unit is good and the special teams as a whole was quite good in 2023, which was a nice change from prior seasons. Lutz did receive a contract extension from the Denver Broncos earlier this offseason.
GPA: 2.63
Using a GPA calculator, the Denver Broncos finish with a 2.63 GPA. It's not a great roster, but it is a lot better than where it was in 2023, and if Bo Nix can end up being what the Broncos needed, the team is going to be a lot better than how good they seem now.
Other units like TE and the EDGE group can all see their grades rise if the potential is seen. The Denver Broncos are the classic case of a student who "has potential but does not always apply themselves."
How would you grade the 2024 Denver Broncos roster?