It’s finally here. After a long, uneventful summer offseason, Denver Broncos training camp has finally arrived.
The Broncos are set to begin training camp on Friday and the team will have 16 practices open to fans this summer (free tickets are required to attend).
The most notable position battle this summer, of course, will be the quarterback competition between Jarrett Stidham, Bo Nix and Zach Wilson. That’s certainly not the only position battle on deck, though.
After losing Lloyd Cushenberry during NFL free agency, Denver needs to find a new starting center this summer. The Broncos also lost Josey Jewell during free agency, creating an open spot at inside linebacker.
Denver also opted to not re-sign Fabian Moreau during free agency, creating another opening at cornerback across from Pat Surtain.
QB, C, ILB and CB are perhaps the four most notable positions featuring competitions this summer. Here’s a quick list of 10 position battles to keep an eye on as the Broncos begin training camp this week.
1
Quarterback
After moving on from Russell Wilson, the Broncos will have Jarrett Stidham, Bo Nix and Zach Wilson battle it out for the QB1 job. They’re listed in that order intentionally. Stidham is entering his second year in Sean Payton’s offense. Nix has the advantage of being a first-round pick. Wilson already seems to be the odd man out. If Stidham and Nix are close this summer, it would not be surprising to see Denver roll with the rookie.
2
Center
Alex Forsyth, Sam Mustipher and Luke Wattenberg are competing to replace Cushenberry this summer. Mustipher is the most experienced option, but Forsyth played with Nix in college. Wattenberg seems likely to make the team as a versatile swing center/guard, but he’s probably not the favorite to start in Week 1.
3
Cornerback
Pat Surtain is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, but it’s unclear who will start across from him this fall. Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis are the ideal candidates, but Levi Wallace was signed this spring presumably as a veteran fallback option. Kris Abrams-Draine probably isn’t ready to contend for a starting spot just yet.
4
Inside linebacker
The top contenders to replace Jewell are Cody Barton and Jonas Griffith. Payton has mentioned undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey as also being part of the competition, but it’s hard to imagine him beating out one of the veterans. Griffith was a starter in Denver before consecutive injuries. Barton has started the majority of the last two seasons elsewhere. Whoever wins the job will line up next to Alex Singleton this fall.
5
Safety
After releasing Justin Simmons, the Broncos signed Brandon Jones. He seems poised to start at one of the safety spots in 2024, and Caden Sterns will likely start next to Jones if healthy. Sterns has struggled to stay on the field throughout his career, though, and he’s beginning training camp on the PUP list. That might open the door for P.J. Locke to enter the season as a starter. Denver has three starting-caliber safeties in Jones, Sterns and Locke, but only two will be listed as starters in Week 1.
6
Running back
Javonte Williams seems poised to keep the starting job, but spots 2-4 are up for grabs. Samaje Perine is the team’s best blocking and receiving back, but the team could save $3 million if he’s released. Jaleel McLaughlin is probably locked into RB3 duties as a scatback. Meanwhile, the team seems to be high on fifth-round pick Audric Estime, and undrafted rookie Blake Watson will be a sleeper to keep an eye on once he returns from the NFI list. Assuming that Williams, McLaughlin and Estime are safe, Perine and Watson might be competing for the fourth spot this summer.
7
Punter
Fans might not be very intrigued by a special teams competition, but it’s an important part of the game. After Riley Dixon averaged 46.3 yards per punt last season, Denver brought in former Chicago Bears punter Grenton Gill to provide competition. Gill is younger and cheaper than Dixon, so the incumbent might need to create some separation in the competition if he wants to keep his job.
8
Tight end
Greg Dulcich is finally healthy (knock on wood), but it remains to be seen if he can snatch the TE1 role away from Adam Trautman this summer. The Broncos have also been impressed with Lucas Krull, so the tight end battle will be an intriguing competition this summer.
9
Wide receiver
The top four spots on the wide receiver depth chart seem to be set with Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Josh Reynolds and Troy Franklin. After them, the Broncos have Tim Patrick, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Jalen Virgil, Brandon Johnson and seventh-round pick Devaughn Vele among the players competing for one of the final WR spots. It’s an extremely crowded position and Denver will have to make some tough decisions at WR this summer.
10
Defensive line
Similar to WR, the Broncos have their starters set at the top of the defensive line depth chart, but the backup spots are yet to be determined. Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers and D.J. Jones seem poised to start in the base 3-4 defense with Malcolm Roach serving a run-stuffing rotational role. The candidates to fill out the final roster spots on the defensive line include Angelo Blackson, Matt Henningsen, Elijah Garcia and Jordan Jackson. Eventually, Eyioma Uwazurike could return from his gambling suspension as well. There will be more than five players competing for the last two spots, creating another intriguing position battle to monitor in the coming week.
To view Denver’s complete training camp schedule, click here.
