Grading the full Broncos roster by position after 2023 draft

Denver Broncos roster grades: Quarterback

Players:

- Russell Wilson
- Jarrett Stidham
- Ben DiNucci
- Jarrett Guarantano

Despite the fact that many people are down on Russell Wilson after the 2022 season (understandably so), I simply refuse to believe that the guy we saw last year is the guy we're going to see going forward. Now, Russ will deservedly be on a bit of a short leash in 2023, but I think we're going to see him bounce back in a big way in Sean Payton's offense.

Last year, Wilson was dealing with a lot of injuries, way more than people even realized on the surface. We found out in the 2023 offseason that he has been dealing with a knee issue for a couple of years, so he had arthroscopic surgery to have it repaired. Wilson missed some time last season with a partially torn hamstring and also dealt with a torn lat. He had a concussion late in the season.

Wilson had added weight last offseason to attempt to be less prone to soft-tissue injuries and it actually worked against him. We've seen images surface in the 2023 offseason of a much leaner Russell Wilson and hopefully much healthier.

Behind Russ, the Broncos brought in Jarrett Stidham, a younger player who seemingly has a bright future according to Sean Payton. Stidham was a fourth-round pick of the Patriots out of Auburn in 2019, and got the chance to show what he could do at the end of last season as a member of the Raiders. He impressed the Broncos, and specifically, Payton.

I would characterize Stidham as a high-upside but relatively unproven backup option at this point.

The Broncos also still have Jarrett Guarantano, a player they brought in from the Cardinals' practice squad last year, as well as former XFL QB and former Dallas Cowboys draft pick Ben DiNucci. DiNucci impressed the team with his showing at the minicamp last weekend and I wouldn't be shocked if he was your odds-on favorite to be the team's QB3 in 2023.

Overall, I think you have to grade this position heavily toward Russell Wilson, and your grade will change based on what version of Russ you think the Broncos are getting. I think he will be much more like his old self in 2023. The options behind Wilson of Stidham, DiNucci, and Guarantano are intriguing, at the very least.

Overall grade: 88/100 (B+)

Denver Broncos roster grades: Special teams

Players

- Brandon McManus
- Riley Dixon
- Mitchell Fraboni

The Denver Broncos replaced Corliss Waitman with Riley Dixon at the punter position in 2023, and that's the only change that's been made to the specialists on the roster. They have not brought in any substantial competition for Brandon McManus, which is at least slightly worrisome considering McManus is coming off of a down year.

Long snapper Mitchell Fraboni was added last year when Jacob Bobenmoyer dealt with injuries, and he remains the only long snapper on the team. This special teams unit just looks solid, overall.

Overall grade: 80/100 (B-)