Final Broncos 53-man roster projection as Sean Payton's first cuts loom (2024)

The Athletic has live coverage of NFL roster cuts and projections ahead of cutdown day

Sean Payton since the start of training camp has routinely shared “the vision” he and the Denver Broncos have for various players up and down the roster. Now, it’s time to see how those visions come together to form Denver’s initial 53-man roster.

The Broncos closed their preseason schedule with a 41-0 blowout against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night. Payton, general manager George Paton and their staffs now continue what special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica called “dynamic” conversations about which players the Broncos will assemble ahead of the Sept. 10 regular-season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. That’s not to say the group the Broncos announce at Tuesday’s 2 p.m. MT cut deadline will be set in stone. The Broncos have several players who are locks for the roster but might have to miss time with injuries. If those absences require a stint on injured reserve — a move that could be made one day after cuts — the Broncos could quickly bring back a player they initially waived.

Denver also is near the top of the waiver claim order by virtue of its 5-12 record in 2022, and the Broncos could be anticipating making outside decisions depending on how cuts are made elsewhere in the league.

With that sea of caveats aside, here is my best projection of what the roster will look like by Tuesday afternoon:

Quarterback (2)

Russell Wilson, Jarrett Stidham

Ben DiNucci has had a strong camp in a third-string role and Payton routinely kept three quarterbacks on his roster as the coach in New Orleans. But Payton has emphasized he has no hard-and-fast rules about how many players he keeps at a given position, and depth needs elsewhere on the roster might tip the scales against DiNucci.

Running back (3)

Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin

Dwayne Washington has only been on the roster for a couple of weeks, but his significant experience playing special teams for Payton — at least 52 percent of the snaps with the New Orleans Saints from 2018 to 2021 — suggested that his signing was about more than merely bringing another body to camp once reserve Tyler Badie got dinged up. If the Broncos do keep a fourth running back, Washington would be my pick.

Jaleel McLaughlin, who could make Broncos roster as undrafted rookie, says it is easy to keep day-to-day perspective given what he’s overcome to reach this point: pic.twitter.com/5hwgghad56

— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) August 22, 2023

Fullback (1)

Michael Burton

Burton has picked up first downs on short-yardage runs, paved the way for a strong team running game in the preseason and has shown sure hands out of the backfield. He brings championship experience after winning a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs last season. This was a solid free-agent pickup by the Broncos.

Wide receiver (6)

Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Marvin Mims Jr., Brandon Johnson, Marquez Callaway, Kendall Hinton

This position has changed significantly since the start of camp. Tim Patrick suffered an Achilles tear during Denver’s fifth practice, ending his season. At the same time, the Broncos waived Hamler, the 2020 second-round pick, with a non-football illness designation related to a heart condition. The Broncos then lost speedster Jalen Virgil to a knee injury during last week’s preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Then, Thursday, Jeudy suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out for a few weeks. The Broncos could keep seven wide receivers initially to cover for Jeudy’s potential absence, which could give Montrell Washington or Lil’Jordan Humphrey a shot to sneak onto the roster.

Whether the Broncos are “snake-bitten” at wide receiver or not is immaterial. The bottom line is that any time lost for Jerry Jeudy, Denver’s most offensive dynamic player, will sting for a team with questionable depth to begin with: https://t.co/1Wlv3z9L5s

— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) August 24, 2023

See Also

Meet the 53: The 2021 Broncos' initial active roster in photos

Tight end (4)

Adam Trautman, Greg Dulcich, Chris Manhertz, Albert Okwuegbunam

Okwuegbunam’s strong performance over the final week of camp and Saturday’s preseason finale will have played a significant role if he does make the roster. Okwuegbunam was a standout player for the Broncos during their first joint practice with the Rams, which came on the heels of a strong night against the 49ers as a blocker and on special teams and a touchdown catch against the Rams. Okwuegbunam has strong competition from undrafted rookie Nate Adkins, and the Broncos could keep only three players at the position.

7 catches for 109 yards and a TD for @AOkwuegbunam, including this one-hander. 🔥

📺: #LARvsDEN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlushttps://t.co/624TrfDUF6 pic.twitter.com/rli3ytSVhq

— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2023

Offensive line (8)

Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Lloyd Cushenberry, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Cam Fleming, Alex Palczewski, Kyle Fuller

Payton suggested early last week that spots on the offensive line after the starting five were still very much open for competition. Fleming’s experience as a 10th-year player, including 15 starts for the Broncos last season, makes him the logical choice as Denver’s swing tackle. Not much is clear after that. Alex Forsyth, the rookie seventh-round pick, could be in the mix for a reserve interior line spot. The surprise of this group is Palczewski, the undrafted rookie out of Illinois who impressed in camp with his ability, as Payton put it: “He gets the job done.”

Defensive line (5)

Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Mike Purcell, Jonathan Harris, Matt Henningsen

Purcell practiced for the first time in camp Thursday. Payton said the team will bring the veteran nose tackle along slowly, but it appears he is on track to be ready for Week 1. Harris, after a strong training camp, could be a Week 1 starter for the first time in his career. If the Broncos decide to keep a sixth defensive lineman, second-year player Elijah Garcia, one of Denver’s preseason standouts, could find his way onto the roster.

Outside linebacker (5)

Randy Gregory, Frank Clark, Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Aaron Patrick

Baron Browning did not participate in training camp and will almost certainly begin the season on the physically unable to perform list. Undrafted rookies Thomas Incoom and Marcus Haynes had some bright moments during training camp, and the Broncos might target both players for the practice squad. That leaves a pretty clear lineup at a position that was arguably the most pleasant surprise of training camp. Patrick brings special teams versatility that should put him on the roster.

Inside linebacker (4)

Josey Jewell, Alex Singleton, Drew Sanders, Justin Strnad

I did not have Strnad making the team in my initial 53-man projection, but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph praised the fourth-year veteran’s command of the mike linebacker position during camp, and the season-ending ACL injury to Jonas Griffith opened another spot. The biggest question at this spot is how quickly Sanders, the rookie third-round pick, can work his way into a significant role. Joseph has said they’ll have a special package of calls for Sanders, whose progress over the final two weeks of camp was hard to ignore.

Watch back Drew Sanders’ 25 snaps against the 49ers and it’s easy to see why the Broncos are tantalized with the talent of the rookie linebacker.

The 22-year-old is quickly getting up to speed, and a unique role in Denver’s defense will soon follow: https://t.co/XfqV3lfIJh

— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) August 23, 2023

Cornerback (7)

Pat Surtain II, Damarri Mathis, Ja’Quan McMillian, K’Waun Williams, Essang Bassey, Riley Moss, Tremon Smith

The ankle injury for Williams that has kept the nickel out for the second half of training camp and the core muscle injury that has sidelined Moss could complicate the math at the position. If the Broncos believe both players will need to miss time — be it a one- or two-game absence or an eventual stint on IR — they’ll likely have to carry an extra player at the position. Smith, who signed a two-year contract with the Broncos in training camp, has played behind Mathis and McMillian at outside corner, but he brings special teams versatility that should help him make the roster.

Safety (5)

Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke, JL Skinner

Safety is a difficult position to peg given the undisclosed injury to Locke, who has sat out of practice for the better part of the last two weeks. Skinner, a sixth-round pick in April’s draft, was brought along slowly in camp as he recovered from a pectoral injury he suffered just before the NFL Scouting Combine, but the Boise State standout played significantly during Denver’s final two preseason games and will edge out second-year player Delarrin Turner-Yell in my projection.

Specialists (3)

Brett Maher (kicker), Riley Dixon (punter), Mitchell Fraboni (long snapper)

It was a shaky ride at times for Maher, who signed with the Broncos shortly before training camp, missing both of his field goal attempts in the preseason opener and then finding his stride just as the Broncos waived his in-house competition for the job, Elliott Fry. The Broncos still could select a kicker who loses a competition elsewhere in the league — Payton hinted at that possibility numerous times during camp — but the Broncos should be able to head into the season with reasonable confidence they have a reliable answer in Maher, who made 50 of his 53 field goal attempts in 2022.

(Photo of Albert Okwuegbunam: David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

“The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Preorder it here.