The Denver Broncos have been back on the field for training camp now for just over a week, and we've had plenty of time to digest the biggest winners and losers...so far.
There's plenty of time left in camp with joint practices against both the 49ers and Cardinals, not to mention three preseason games for these guys to go out and make an impression. The team is going to evaluate the entire body of work of the offseason program to assemble the best possible 53-man roster for the start of the 2025 regular season.
And this season is absolutely crucial for the team, building on a 10-win season from a year ago and looking to potentially challenge the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. The Broncos won't be sneaking up on anybody this year. Who have been the biggest winners and most unfortunate "losers" so far of training camp?
Broncos training camp biggest winners and losers after the first full week of practices
Broncos winner: Sean Payton, head coach
What Sean Payton has done for the Denver Broncos cannot be overstated. Payton has instilled a winning culture back with this franchise and taken a team that was a national embarrassment on Christmas in 2022 and turned them into a legitimate playoff team in the AFC.
A year ago at this time, folks were laughing at Payton for putting himself in such a dismal situation with what was considered to be one of the worst rosters in the league, with a quarterback nobody thought was worth anything at the NFL level. Now, the Broncos are considered to have one of the best overall rosters in the NFL. Payton is simply one of the best head coaches in the NFL, full stop.
Broncos loser: Drew Sanders, Linebacker
You hate to include a young player in a list like this because Drew Sanders is only in the "loser" category for something completely out of his control. Sanders is expected to be back at some point early this season, but he was carted off of the practice field one week ago with a foot injury. While that injury could sideline Sanders for up to two months, other players are getting busy taking his reps on the practice field.
You can have all the talent in the world, but if you can't stay on the field, you're not going to make it long in the NFL. Everyone in Broncos Country is rooting for Sanders to figure it out and eventually become a core player of this team, but this latest setback is a rough one.
Broncos winner: Troy Franklin, Wide Receiver
Earlier in the offseason, Sean Payton said that he didn't feel like the wide receiver position was as much of a need as the outside perception seemed to think it was. Payton has been bullish on his young group of receivers, and so far, they're proving him right.
Perhaps nobody is proving him more right than Troy Franklin, a second-year player out of Oregon who has been making big plays all throughout training camp and giving the Broncos fan base hope that he can return to the form we saw from him with the Ducks a couple of years ago.
After struggling with drops and missed opportunities as a rookie, Franklin is one of a number of young players that looks poised to take a huge leap forward for the Broncos in 2025.
Broncos winner: Levelle Bailey, Linebacker
It's been a trying training camp for the Denver Broncos at the linebacker position already, but Levelle Bailey has been a bright spot. After dropping a little bit of weight after OTAs, Bailey has jumped into the conversation to become a full-time starter in 2025 next to veteran Dre Greenlaw.
The injury to Drew Sanders paved the way for more reps, but a recent injury for Alex Singleton that required a procedure (thumb) has paved the way for even more work, and he's impressed.
"We were discussing him last night. He’s very smart. So for a second-year player at a position like that, it’s night and day where he is at today and a year ago as an undrafted free agent where he was at. Special teams will be important. All those things where he could get on the field. We’ve been impressed, and I’m glad we have him.”
- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)
Broncos losers: Dre Greenlaw & Alex Singleton, Linebacker
There's been a heavy emphasis on the linebacker position for this post, but it has to be discussed. At this point, you could easily consider Dre Greenlaw both a winner and loser from the standpoint that he's had fans on edge all offseason. A pulled quad early in the offseason followed by another injury scare in the early goings of training camp where he jogged to the locker room isn't helping anyone sleep at night.
Alex Singleton is another interesting case, a 31-year-old player coming off of a major knee injury who now is dealing with a broken thumb. Even though he's expected back on the field, and the same is true for Greenlaw, you can't help but be a little bit worried about this position group with three injuries popping up early in camp.
Broncos winners: Talanoa Hufanga, SAF; Evan Engram, TE
I wanted to lump these two guys together, because it's entirely possible that no two players make more of an impact on their respective teams than these two new arrivals in Denver.
The Broncos took some risks in NFL Free Agency, but what players aren't risks in NFL Free Agency these days? The Broncos brought in former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga as well as a true "joker" at tight end for Sean Payton's offense in Evan Engram, and they've been exactly what the team needed at both positions.
It wouldn't surprise me by the end of the 2025 season if Hufanga was perceived as the second-best or second most impactful defensive player on the team behind Pat Surtain, and I'm not forgetting about Zach Allen or Nik Bonitto. He's going to be that good for this team if he's able to stay on the field.
Engram has a chance to add an element to the Denver offense that the team hasn't had since Julius Thomas. The Broncos have a true all-around threat at the tight end position in the passing game, someone who can beat defenses in every way imaginable.
Broncos losers: Honorable mentions
There are other players who have to be considered as training camp "losers" thus far, but maybe not on the same level as some of the other guys. Wide receiver AT Perry has yet to practice, which isn't going to help him make this team in 2025.
The Broncos also already played their top UDFA -- EDGE rushers Johnny Walker -- on IR for the season. We won't even get the chance to see him play in preseason action.
There are a number of players entering crucial training camps that we simply haven't heard much from yet, though it doesn't necessarily mean they're doing bad, it just means they're doing very little that's notable to the naked eye: Safety JL Skinner, running back Tyler Badie, and cornerback Damarri Mathis could fit on this list.
You might also have to include Ja'Quan McMillian in there as well. The fourth-year player is in competition for a starting nickel job with rookie Jahdae Barron, and there hasn't been much reporting whatsoever about him fending Barron off.
Broncos winners: Honorable mentions
How can you not shout out Courtland Sutton as an honorable mention winner here? The man signed a four-year contract worth $92 million.
It also sounds like it's been a really strong start to camp for rookies Pat Bryant and RJ Harvey, who are acclimating and adapting well day to day.
Another player who is starting to stack some good days together offensively is 2024 fifth-round pick Audric Estimé, whose power out of the backfield has been shining ever since the team put on the pads.
And what post about winners on the team would be complete without a mention of Bo Nix? The Denver Broncos QB1 has been markedly improved in a wide variety of areas already this offseason, making quicker decisions with the ball and showing much better command of the offense, overall. Nix has a special work ethic and appears poised to take another jump in his game in 2025.