Broncos at the Bye: Grading Each Position Group

Courtland Sutton's 45 receptions for 649 yards and four touchdowns have been a saving grace. When the Broncos have called his number, he has delivered.

Troy Franklin has been great, at times, as the No. 2 receiver, but his inconsistent hands have been a detriment to the Broncos moving the chains. That shouldn't take away too much, though, from the impact Franklin has provided in some big moments, whether it's catching low-percentage passes in clutch moments, including two-point conversions, or tipped passes for touchdowns. He's been far more of an asset than a liability.

Pat Bryant has been a high-impact player when called upon, whether as a receiver or as a blocker. He only has 15 receptions this season, but all but one of them have gone for a first down or a touchdown. The Broncos need to get the rookie even more involved.

Marvin Mims Jr.'s impact this season, sadly, has been minimal as a receiver, but it's hard to know if that's on the coaches, the play-calling, the quarterback, or him. His yards-per-reception average is hovering at what would be a career-low (10.6) and he only has 22 grabs for 234 yards and a touchdown. He's a weapon just waiting to be used.

The Broncos' 26 dropped passes rank as the second-most in the NFL thus far, and it's a big reason why this unit barely receives a passing grade, Sutton's excellent contributions notwithstanding. By the way, if the Broncos are going to help him notch his second straight 1,000-yard campaign, he's got to be a much bigger focal point down the stretch.

Left tackle Garett Bolles has been arguably the league's best blind-side protector this season. He's in line for his first-ever Pro Bowl selection and should be a shoo-in for the All-Pro team. He may even be in the running for the NFL's new award — the Protector of the Year.

Right tackle Mike McGlinchey has been solid, as has left guard Alex Palczewski (for the most part) and center Luke Wattenberg. Right guard Quinn Meinerz has turned it on of late after his slow start to the season. Meinerz is once again playing at an All-Pro level.

The Broncos have only surrendered 13 sacks thus far (second-fewest) and have blocked for a top-10 rushing offense. The only thing keeping this from an A+ grade? The penalties. Too many false starts and holding fouls.

It's hard to believe, but the Broncos' defensive line has stepped it up a level from its phenomenal 2024 performance. Led by Zach Allen, the Broncos do a great job at the point of attack against the run, and are a big reason for this team once again leading the NFL in sacks.

Allen has six sacks, while John Franklin-Myers has 4.5. D.J. Jones has been consistent after getting his three-year extension, while Malcolm Roach helped turn things up a notch when he returned from injured reserve a few weeks back.

Eyioma Uwazurike has taken a step forward in his development. Jordan Jackson was the weak link of the group, but since Roach has been back, he's often been a healthy scratch.

Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper headline arguably the NFL's most fearsome rush linebacker group, with Dondrea Tillman, Jonah Elliss, and Que Robinson rotating in. Elliss has been injured a lot this season, unfortunately, which has prevented him from taking the massive step forward we were expecting in Year 2, but the bye should help him heal up.

Tillman only has 1.5 sacks, but he leads the team with two interceptions, both of which he rumbled forward for big returns. Robinson has been impressive as a rookie. Despite only having a half-sack thus far, he's been stacking up the pressures, including last week against Patrick Mahomes while Elliss was sidelined.

Bonitto and Cooper have combined for 17 sacks thus far, with both well on pace to crack the double-digit mark for the second straight year. A+ all around.

The Broncos didn't get Dre Greenlaw on the field as early as they'd have liked to, but he's been a force multiplier when he's been available. Alex Singleton's slow start impacts the unit's overall grade thus far, but he turned a corner a few weeks before his scary cancer diagnosis.

Justin Strnad has been an absolute blessing to this unit, once again. Strand has taken his game to another level, and the Broncos will have to decide whether to re-sign him or Singleton next offseason, as both are in a contract year.

The signs are good that Singleton could return after the bye, giving the Broncos their solid three-man rotation at inside linebacker. It hasn't been perfect, but this unit has been very good at times, and the ticker is definitely trending up.

The only thing keeping this unit from an A+? You guessed it: penalties. Riley Moss has been, obviously, the biggest perpetrator, but he's resolved to clean things up moving forward.

Patrick Surtain II's pectoral injury, which has seen him miss the past three games, has been a blow, but Jim Leonhard's group has done an excellent job of stanching the bleeding. In fact, I'm not sure fans could have expected any more than what this unit has delivered without the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Moss deserves a lot of credit for this, as does Ja'Quan McMillian, who turned in an epic performance last week vs. the Chiefs, with two sacks and an interception. Jahdae Barron, the first-round rookie, has played on the boundary in base defense while Surtain has been out, and he's more than held his own.

The Broncos have also been using Barron as a tight end eraser, which has worked wonders, mostly. That's been a big Achilles heel over the years, covering tight ends, and the Broncos have made big strides thanks to Barron.

A special shout-out goes out to Kris Abrams-Draine, who's been called to play the boundary in sub-packages sans Surtain. Abrams-Draine has turned in starter-worthy snaps when called upon.

The Broncos' safety tandem has been astoundingly good. It would be A+-worthy, if it weren't for Talanoa Hufanga's butterfingers when it comes to him dropping nearly 10 would-be interceptions.

I guess there's a reason he plays defense. But in all seriousness, Hufanga has easily been the Broncos' best free-agent acquisition of 2025, and has turned in first-team All-Pro-caliber play.

Brandon Jones hasn't made as many splash plays, but his savvy, experience, and high football IQ have been a bastion as Denver's last line of defense in the secondary. This is a safety tandem the Broncos could ride with for years with a little luck from the injury bug.

There have been way too many gaffes in the third phase this season, including a costly "leverage" penalty that saw the Broncos lose a heartbreaker to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. However, the unit has begun to rebound, with the return of the aforementioned Humphrey.

Mims' two-game absence with a concussion torpedoed the return game, but his impact as a punt returner vs. the Chiefs energized the Broncos and led direcetly to points. When he's healthy, he's as good as it gets in the NFL.

Rookie punter Jeremy Crawshaw has been solid, but far from the killer he was expected to be as a sixth-round draft pick. However, he's been great in pinning opponents inside their own 20-yard line. A bit more time on task should be all he needs to realize the Broncos' high expectations.

The Broncos' return coverage has been abysmal for most of the season, but, again, that has improved of late. This is a trend that needs to continue.

Wil Lutz has been this unit's saving grace. He's kicked multiple game-winners this season, and has already garnered weekly recognition from the NFL.

The Broncos rewarded Lutz with a three-year contract extension on Friday, locking him in through the 2028 season.

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