Breaking down the Broncos' initial 53-man roster

After making 30 roster moves on Tuesday, the Denver Broncos have set their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season. Here’s our reaction to the squad with a quick look at each position group.

Quarterback (3)

Bo Nix QB 10

Jarrett Stidham QB 8

Zach Wilson QB 4

Broncos coach Sean Payton wasn’t lying when he said he expected all three QBs to make the team. If other teams get desperate for a backup (or starter) during the season, perhaps Denver could hear from clubs before the in-season trade deadline.

Running back (4)

Javonte Williams RB 33

Jaleel McLaughlin RB 38

Audric Estime RB 37

Blake Watson RB 43

The top four were easy to predict and there’s a chance Tyler Badie could return on the practice squad. Samaje Perine will likely get picked up elsewhere.

Tight end/fullback (4)

Nate Adkins FB/TE 45

Greg Dulcich TE 80

Adam Trautman TE 82

Lucas Krull TE 85

Michael Burton was cut, but he’s a candidate to return on the practice squad. Denver might look for tight end depth on the waiver wire.

Wide receiver (5)

Courtland Sutton WR 14

Marvin Mims WR 19

Josh Reynolds WR 11

Troy Franklin WR 16

Devaughn Vele WR 81

Tim Patrick was a surprise cut and he quickly landed on his feet with the Detroit Lions. Lil’Jordan Humphrey is a practice squad candidate.

Offensive line (9)

Mike McGlinchey OT 69

Garett Bolles OT 72

Frank Crum OT 73

Alex Palczewski OT 63

Matt Peart T/G 79

Quinn Meinerz G 77

Ben Powers G 74

Luke Wattenberg C/G 60

Alex Forsyth C/G 54

This is a position group that could use some improved depth. Don’t be surprised if the Broncos put in a few claims for offensive linemen.

Defensive line (6)

Zach Allen DE 99

John Franklin-Myers DE 98

D.J. Jones DL 93

Malcolm Roach DL 97

Eyioma Uwazurike DL 96

Jordan Jackson DL 94

Eyioma Uwazurike returned from suspension and immediately made the 53-man roster. Denver has a promising defensive line.

Outside linebacker (4)

Baron Browning OLB 5

Jonathon Cooper OLB 0

Nik Bonitto OLB 42

Jonah Elliss OLB 52

Dondrea Tillman and Thomas Incoom are likely priority candidates for the practice squad because the Broncos could use more bodies at the position.

Inside linebacker (4)

Alex Singleton ILB 49

Cody Barton ILB 55

Justin Strnad ILB 40

Levelle Bailey ILB 56

Jonas Griffith was a surprise cut at linebacker, but Levelle Bailey deserved to make the squad. Denver might look to add to the position through waivers.

Cornerback (6)

Pat Surtain CB 2

Ja’Quan McMillian CB 29

Riley Moss CB 21

Levi Wallace CB 39

Kris Abrams-Draine CB 31

Tremon Smith CB 1

After the Broncos placed Damarri Mathis on injured reserve, the rest of the cornerback room was easy to predict.

Safety (5)

Devon Key DB 26

Keidron Smith DB 43

Brandon Jones S 22

P.J. Locke S 6

JL Skinner S 34

Even after moving on from Justin Simmons and Caden Sterns this offseason, Denver remains very deep at safety. Keidron Smith was one of the big winners of preseason.

Special teams (3)

Wil Lutz K 3

Riley Dixon P 9

Mitchell Fraboni LS 48

Riley Dixon won the punter job after beating out Trenton Gill this summer.

Not on the active roster (3)

The Broncos placed safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) and linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and cornerback Damarri Mathis (ankle) on the short-term IR list. Those three players will not count against the 53-man roster and will be eligible to return after four games.

Up next: After making waiver claims on Wednesday morning, Denver will begin building a 17-player practice squad. We will track all of the team’s upcoming moves on Broncos Wire.