Broncos Camp Stock Report: Position Battles Getting Fierce

With training camp about a week in, the Denver Broncos coaches and front office are starting to see position battles heat up. Some of those battles are getting even tougher as others are stepping up.

So, as we near the close of the first week of Broncos camp, how are the battles stacking up? 

Quarterback

Only one person is battling here, and that's Sam Ehlinger. He isn’t fighting with another quarterback for a spot, but with players at other positions to earn a place on the 53-man roster. 

A week in, the chances of Ehlinger making the roster seem even smaller than they were before camp. It has been a rough week of practices for him, as he appears to be approaching a cut. The good news is, there is plenty of time left to change things. 

Running Back

J.K. Dobbins is the top back as RJ Harvey works on picking up pass protection and receiving stuff. However, Sean Payton and the  Broncos are adding wide zone to their rushing offense, and that benefits Harvey more than anyone else. 

Those are the top two backs, and Harvey has a chance to take the top spot. The real battle was for the two spots behind them between Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, Tyler Badie, and Blake Watson. 

Based on the tea leaves and coach and player comments, McLaughlin seems to have that third spot pretty much on lock. There appears to be a gap between him and the top two backs, and a gap between him and the fourth back. The wide zone can also benefit McLaughlin with his cutting ability. 

As for the final spot, that seems to be Estime’s to lose, but Badie and Watson aren’t going down without a fight. On Day 5, Watson had an eye-popping run to keep him in the fight, despite being the low man on the totem pole. 

Wide Receiver No. 2

Any receiver not named Courtland Sutton is basically in this competition. Every single wide receiver has had great moments in practices, but the big five are Marvin Mims Jr, Devaughn Vele, Trent Sherfield, Pat Bryant, and Troy Franklin. 

Vele is the favorite, but he missed Day 5 with an undisclosed injury and the Broncos' mandatory minicamp. Every practice he misses only opens the door for someone else to step through. 

Mims and Franklin had been looking great, thanks to an expanded route tree and increased confidence. Both are showing improvements in the key areas they needed to. Mims will likely remain a gadget player on offense, but Franklin has a legit shot. 

It seems that every practice Franklin has made a big play or two, and he doesn’t seem to be having those issues that plagued him last year. With improvements in catching and tracking the ball, he could become the second receiver. 

Sherfield has received some praise, but he appears to be focusing primarily on special teams and blocking on offense. You don’t want to write him off, given his recent performance, but the odds of him winning it are slim. 

The unknown element is Bryant, the rookie, who has had some up-and-down moments during camp so far. While he's had some big plays, he has also had those moments that make it clear he's a rookie. 

Vele is the favorite, with Bryant after him, but Franklin is firmly in that battle. It appears to be rotating the second receiver every week based on matchups. 

Linebacker Depth

With Alex Singleton and Drew Sanders missing time with injuries, the Broncos are getting a lot of opportunities to see their depth. Dre Greenlaw looks as advertised, which is good, but you still have to worry about the potential for injury there. 

So, with Singleton and Sanders out, Levelle Bailey and Jordan Turner have stepped up. That could put Justin Strnad at risk, depending on special teams. Bailey has been a standout, while Turner had some bright moments in their latest practice, mixed with some low lows. 

Cornerback No. 2 & No. 3

Jahdae Barron is going to fill one of them, but where exactly? Based on what has been said and how practices have been going, it seems that Riley Moss has separated himself on the outside, with Barron playing the inside. 

Kris Abrams-Draine has also looked good and could push himself into the picture as well. The only one who hasn’t gotten much hype so far is Ja’Quan McMillian, helping establish Moss and Barron as the other two starting corners alongside Patrick Surtain II. 

The Takeaway

We are only approaching the end of the first week of camp, so there is a lot of time to go. Hot starts can be wasted by bad finishes or even bad showings in the preseason games. So, the status of these battles right now could be completely different next week. 

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