The Denver Broncos are now just days away from their first official game of the 2025 campaign. Denver opens their pre-season on Saturday night against the San Francisco 49ers, and there will be much to look for in pre-season week one. With a wealth of new faces in new places, there are a few key pieces that Broncos fans, coach Sean Payton, and general manager George Paton should be looking for this weekend.
Not only did Denver make multiple splashes in free agency, but the Broncos were one of the more interesting teams during the 2025 NFL Draft. The team went defense with their first round selection before taking UCF's RJ Harvey in round two, followed by Illinois' Pat Bryant in the third. Ultimtaely, the team made it quite clear that there was special attention paid to a few positions on the field.
As game action begins this week, a few players will be under the spotlight, and a few positions on the field will receive more attention than others. For Harvey and Bryant specifically, the offensive skills positions will be a point of conversation all season, especially after they might have cost the Broncos a few positions in AFC playoff seeding last year.
Best-case scenarios for the Denver Broncos in preseason Week 1
Running Backs Show Out
Maybe the biggest position of need for the Broncos heading into the offseason was the running back position. Denver addressed this group in a few ways, with subtractions such as Javonte Williams, and additions, such as Harvey and JK Dobbins. Below them on the depth chart (in no order) are the returning Broncos backs Blake Watson, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Audric Estime.
It is already clear who Denver's top-two backs will be this season, but Sean Payton and his offensive staff will take all the depth they can at running back. Strong performances from those three could be a significant development for the Broncos and potentially secure their roster spots as well. McLaughlin is entering the final season of his contract as a former undrafted free agent, making him incredibly easy to move on from if you're Payton and Paton. The same goes for Watson, who was also a UDFA. Estime might have a bit of a longer leash, especially given his big days at camp early on.
Wide Receivers Make Plays
The Broncos are going to need some big plays from their wide receivers in pre-season action. Everyone knows that Courtland Sutton, who made sure in a recent press conference that everyone knows he is incredibly excited to be back with the Broncos, will ball out and make plays. Everyone knows that Marvin Mims Jr. is an electric playmaker who was incredibly valuable to the Broncos down the stretch. Beyond those two, question marks run wild.
Evan Engram will be a huge part of the Denver passing attack and will fill a huge hole at tight end, but he isn't a wide receiver. Denver has plenty of options on their roster, but the team will need to see something out of Bryant, DeVaughn Vele, or Troy Franklin to give them more confidence heading into the season that not adding a veteran wide receiver wasn't a mistake. Other options on the roster include AT Perry, Michael Brandy, and other lesser names who don't exactly inspire confidence.