Projected Broncos' starters who could be on the bench come week one
The current projected starting lineup for the Denver Broncos is solid from top to bottom, but could there be some projected starters who may end up on the bench come week one? There is no indication that any of these players are going to be replaced, but between the potential of more free agency moves and losing starting battles during camp, there could be a few projected starters who may find themselves on the bench come week one.
On the more personal side of things, losing a starting spot has to feel awful. Some players have lost their starting spots only do eventually lose their roster spot and never got signed by an NFL team again.
Former Broncos' guard Dalton Risner lost his starting spot in free agency and still remains unsigned, for example. It's a tough world out there. Changes to the Broncos' starting lineup could still be coming, too. Let's look at three projected starters who could lose their starting spot come week one.
Projected Broncos' starters who could be on the bench come week one
1. Lloyd Cushenberry, C
Perhaps the worst projected starter in the Denver Broncos' lineup is Lloyd Cushenberry, a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of LSU. He's struggled to find his footing in the NFL as a starting-caliber center in the NFL, and at this point is astoundingly below average.
PFF actually ranked him as one of the worst starting centers in the entire NFL ahead of the 2023 season. One of my more bold predictions for the Broncos this year is that seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth out of Oregon ends up winning the starting center spot, but right now, there really is no indication that Cush's job is at risk.
If Denver really wanted to chase an upgrade, they could look to grab Ben Jones, the best center free agent left on the market. Denver already has a top-10 offensive line on paper, but signing someone like Jones could truly elevate the unit to an elite level.
I do not think Cushenberry's spot on the OL is as safe as some may think.