One Broncos player to watch at every position in preseason opener vs. Colts

The Denver Broncos open up their preseason schedule on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, and with a young roster from top to bottom, every snap of the game is going to be loaded with intrigue in all three phases.

Which players should you be keeping a particular eye on as the team kicks off the preseason and a brand-new era of Denver Broncos football? Who has a chance to steal a roster spot or move up the depth chart? Which players need to step up after a disappointing or slow start to training camp?

Denver Broncos players to watch at every position group vs. Colts

Quarterback: Bo Nix

Well, let's start with the blatantly obvious. Everyone is going to be absolutely thrilled to see rookie first-round pick Bo Nix make his Denver Broncos debut, even if it is "just" a preseason game. Nix has been outstanding in the first two weeks of training camp and has been running with the starters for the majority of the time.

Nix is going to be a primary focus all year, but every Broncos fan is going to be locked in to see him make his preseason debut. Can he win over the fan base in a preseason game?

Running back: Audric Estimé

The Denver Broncos had a third-round grade on Notre Dame running back Audric Estimé coming out in the 2024 NFL Draft and they were able to snag him in the fifth round. One of the best players in all of college football last year at creating yardage after contact, Estimé is a force with the ball in his hands and rarely gets tackled behind the line of scrimmage. He could end up having a dominant preseason and should get a lot of reps.

Wide receiver: Devaughn Vele

There is a lot of competition at the wide receiver position and there are a handful of players everyone is excited to watch already, especially players from the 2024 NFL Draft class. Fourth-round pick Troy Franklin is probably the more notable player here, but Devaughn Vele could end up being one of the Broncos' top NFL Draft steals and has a chance to win a roster spot with a big preseason.

Tight end: Lucas Krull

It's going to be interesting to see if Greg Dulcich plays a lot in the preseason due to his history of injuries. He will have to play at some point, but the player to watch at tight end throughout the preseason is Lucas Krull. Krull has been getting talked up all offseason and should be in line for a ton of preseason work. He led the entire NFL last year among tight ends in preseason receptions and yards.

Offensive line: Alex Palczewski

The Broncos kept Alex Palczewski on last year's roster after the former undrafted free agent out of Illinois impressed throughout the preseason. With the injury this year to Quinn Bailey, Palczewski may have a chance to be the Broncos' sixth man on the offensive line. He's primarily going to be playing the right tackle position, but don't be shocked to see Palczewski potentially get some work at guard and also work in the team's "jumbo" offensive line sets.

Defensive line: Matt Henningsen/Eyioma Uwazurike

The defensive line group for the Denver Broncos will look a lot different this coming season compared to what we saw last year. They've added the likes of John Franklin-Myers, Malcolm Roach, and Angelo Blackson to the mix, and recently welcomed back Eyioma Uwazurike. Uwazurike and Matt Henningsen -- two members of the 2022 NFL Draft class for the Broncos -- are competing for roster spots this year and need strong showings in the preseason to crack the 53-man roster.

Edge rushers: Thomas Incoom

The Broncos are going to get a good look at third-round rookie Jonah Elliss in the preseason as well, and he's certainly going to be a fun player to watch, but Thomas Incoom has made more splash plays at training camp off the edge than any other player on the Broncos' roster. The 2023 undrafted free agent gem could force his way onto the roster again with a big preseason.

Linebacker: Levelle Bailey

Former Fresno State star Levelle Bailey has a knack for making clutch plays at the linebacker position and the Broncos will be watching him closely and giving him a ton of work both defensively and on special teams. If he can limit the number of mistakes he makes, Bailey should be in line to steal a roster spot.

Cornerback: Riley Moss

Riley Moss could end up being a starter at outside cornerback on this team, but none of us have seen him play the cornerback position since he was at Iowa. He got work last year on special teams and in the dime package for the Denver defense, but we need to see him make some plays at outside corner. Even though Moss is listed as a co-starter on the defense right now, he should be in line for plenty of work during the preseason.

Safety: JL Skinner

Free agent acquisition Brandon Jones has been on the shelf for most of training camp with a hamstring injury, and the release of Caden Sterns means we're going to see a lot of JL Skinner during the 2024 preseason. The Broncos have a number of other young players they want to get looks at including Devon Key, but Skinner needs all the reps he can get.

Special teams: Anyone returning kicks

The Broncos will probably get looks at a lot of different potential kickoff returners with the new format, and this has now become a play you can't miss when watching a game. We are expecting to see no fewer than six different players rotating in the kickoff return mix, including Tremon Smith, Jalen Virgil, and potentially even Jaleel McLaughlin.