The Denver Broncos have everything in place to win the Super Bowl this year, and while it's much easier said than done, Denver is one of a handful of teams that can actually win it all. With training camp for the rookies beginning on July 22nd, the Broncos will soon see players returning to the mix.
Besides the obvious at stake, there are a handful of players that also have a lot on the line. Not only do the Broncos have a rather notable free agency class in 2027, but other players are in different situations where a breakout season is much-needed and could propel this team to the next level.
Are these five Broncos primed to breakout at the right time for the 2026 season?
Could these five Denver Broncos players breakout at the perfect time in 2026?
Bo Nix, QB
With the additions that the Broncos front office made this offseason, quarterback Bo Nix finds himself playing with the most talented supporting cast of his career. Not including players who were re-signed, the Broncos brought in four new notable playmakers in Jonah Coleman, Jaylen Waddle, Justin Joly, and Dallen Bentley.
All four players addressed key positions of need or at least added to a unit that just needed a little boost. And through two seasons, Nix has shown a bit of everything you'd love to see in a franchise quarterback, but the high-end passing production just has not been there.
With Nix now entering year three, having a new playcaller who could better understand what he wants to do, and more talent around him, it's rather logical to suggest that Nix is slated to play the best football of his career,
J.K. Dobbins, RB
After a 10-game 2025 season, J.K. Dobbins was able to land a two-year deal that can be worth up to $20 million. Dobbins' career has been a productive, but unfortunate reality. He's not been able to play more than 15 games in a season but does average 5.2 yards per carry and also still averages over 1,000 rushing yards across a 170-game season.
With Coleman and RJ Harvey in the mix, the Broncos are likely going to be able to deploy Dobbins in a much more higher leverage role that best maximizes his elite rushing ability. This could mean that he doesn't get as many carries as he typically averages, but that could also make it much more likely he stays on the field for a full 17 games.
At the same time, the Broncos may simply be able to run the ball more given the new-ish look offense, so Dobbins could see lighter boxes and be in an overall more efficient operation. A 1,000-yard rushing season is on the table.
Pat Bryant, WR
Pat Bryant might actually be the perfect de-facto WR3 for the Broncos this year behind Waddle and Courtland Sutton. Bryant is a bigger target at 6-2 and 205 pounds. He also run blocks well and has better hands.
Overall, he has a more desirable skill set than Troy Franklin, and, as Sayre Bedinger recently noted, actually out-snapped Franklin on offense in the second half of the 2025 season. Denver obviously won't be able to give 100 percent of the targets to Waddle and Sutton, so another receiver is going to need to step up and slide into that third role.
There is a non-zero chance it's Bryant, as he has the overall skill set and opportunity to make it happen.
Eyioma Uwazurike, DE
Primarily playing in a backup role in 2025, Eyioma Uwazurike finished with 3.5 sacks, 39 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 5 quarterback hits, playing in all 17 games and just 36 percent of the defensive snaps. At 6-6 and 320 pounds, Uwazurike has the size and length to gain an advantage along the defensive line, and he plays with a high enough motor that he's never fully out of the play.
Not only that, he's displayed chops as a run defender and as a rusher. With the Broncos having lost John Franklin-Myers in free agency and having two rather inexperienced players in the room behind Uwazurike in Tyler Onyedim and Sai'vion Jones, Uwazurike's chance to start for the Broncos could not be more open.
The Broncos defensive line is also one of the best in the league, so he'd likely see some advantageous matchups with the other top-end players the Broncos have like Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto, and even DJ Jones is able to absorb double-teams.
Justin Strnad, LB
Justin Strnad has been a part-time starter for the Broncos the last two seasons, starting in 8 games in 2024 and 2025. Strnad is a slick player, too, as he's held his own in coverage according to Pro Football Reference, allowing a passer rating of 79.6 the past two seasons, and he's also been able to get into the backfield quite a bit.
Since the start of 2024, he's also amassed 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits. With Strnad, similar to Uwazurike, having a clear runway to be a full-time starter for the Broncos, it might all come together, which would be much-needed, as Denver's linebacker room feels like the weakest unit on the roster right now.
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