ESPN Projects Surprising Depth Chart Holes on Broncos Roster Pre-Draft

The bulk of free agency is now very much in the rearview mirror. There will be some filler signings to help bolster positional groups, as well as some draft day trades moving veterans during Day 3 or at the conclusion of the selections, but for the most part the main needle-movers who will shape the upcoming season are now in place on their new NFL teams (with the exception of the impending draft classes).

The Denver Broncos came away as one of the bigger winners in free agency. Thanks, in part, due to the cheat code that is a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract, the lessened burden of the dead-cap hit from Russell Wilson this offseason, and blessed with the wealthiest owners in the entire NFL, the Broncos aggressively pursued free agents that strengthened and filled most holes on the roster.

A hole at nose tackle by D.J. Jones hitting free agency? Psych, he’s coming back.

Questions up the spine of the defense at linebacker and safety? Why not just bring over some of Jones’ buddies from the San Francisco 49ers in Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw at safety and linebacker?

The mythological beast that is the joker position? Thank you, Jacksonville, for releasing tight end Evan Engram. He will be quite happy in the Rocky Mountains.

Backup quarterback, special teams role player, a fullback, linebacker, and offensive line depth? Check, check, check, check, and check.

The one missing move the Broncos haven't made is adding a running back, with some questions surrounding the viability of the punter they added. Other than that, what are the Broncos’ needs?

According to ESPN’s Jordan Reid and long-time local beat writer Jeff Legwold, the Broncos still have questions on the depth chart at running back, wide receiver, and… cornerback?  

Pointing towards the Broncos’ second-year running back and one of the youngest players in the NFL last season in Audric Estime, Reid suggests that he could be a part of the team’s plans at the position and that the need at the position might not be as egregious as currently projected.

However, Reid also acknowledges that Estime’s erratic usage last season, including him being a healthy scratch against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs, on top of the departure of the steady but unspectacular (post-injury) play of Javonte Williams, likely makes running back an area of need still. The Broncos brass would likely agree, given comments made about the running back position by GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton at the NFL owners meetings in Florida.

Reid and Legwold also indicate that wide receiver is a position of need on the roster. While he was not a very impactful player, the Broncos did lose their second-highest snap earner at receiver last season in Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who signed with the New York Giants. Perhaps Engram and his hybrid wide receiver/ tight end role could alleviate the need to outright replace Humphrey with another big slot receiver, but wideout is certainly an area the Broncos could use another pick on.

After all, outside of the soon-to-be 30-year-old Courtland Sutton entering last year on his contract, the Broncos' pass-catchers behind him are more theory than substance at this point in their respective NFL careers. 

Perhaps most surprising, though, was the addition of cornerback as one of the Broncos’ biggest needs entering draft season. The Broncos have two linebackers who played very few snaps last season due to injury, a tight end room that still could utilize an additional early draft pick, and a defensive line that is set to have three of its top four interior players entering a contract year.

However, cornerback is a sneaky area the Broncos could address. As Legwold states, “The Broncos saw very clearly last season how Riley Moss’ injury impacted their defense, so they should always look at bolstering the room.”

On a recent episode of our Broncos For Breakfast Podcast, our guest, Coach Cody Alexander, also voiced support that cornerback could be a sneaky area Denver could address somewhat early in the draft. Proclaiming that cornerback, much like wide receiver and edge rusher, is a position that teams should try to use top-100 picks to address, and at least be an option on the table in every single draft, the Broncos could certainly utilize a pick on the position.

The position is so volatile year-to-year, and with Moss’ extensive injury history and Ja’Quan McMillian’s questions in zone coverage as opposed to man, the Broncos could look to add further competition to the room to raise the floor. Whether it be a perimeter corner or a boundary corner (or a nickel who might move to safety), if the team evaluates a corner highly, it shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

Of course, Broncos' 2024 fifth-rounder Kris Abrams-Draine has a spot on the team, but given his size and limitations, he will have to compete for how high up the pecking order he is at corner, depending on whether the team makes a pick at the position in the upcoming draft.

The general consensus is that this is a cornerback draft class overall lacking a number of quality perimeter options and depth in general. That doesn’t mean there won’t be options, but given the demand for the position, perhaps there is a run on corner earlier than the Broncos would be interested in investing in a prospect.

Still, cornerback is a spot to keep an eye on this season. Undoubtedly, Moss and McMillian were good for Denver last season, but they play a position that requires them to re-earn their spot and status week-to-week, given the volatile nature of cornerback play.