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Jul 24, 2025; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos inside linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding with linebackers Levelle Bailey (56), Justin Strnad (40), Drew Sanders (41), Dre Greenlaw (57), and Alex Singleton (49) during Denver Broncos Training Camp Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Broncos Camp | Week 1: Biggest Winners & Losers

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 6:41 PM ET

The first week of Denver Broncos training camp is in the books. We're starting to get an exciting read on the direction this team is headed, with national reporters who've made stops at Dove Valley to observe gushing about the Broncos being "contenders" this year.

Bo Nix looks poised to make a significant Year-2 leap, while the offense has finally shown the promise of fielding an explosive rushing attack. The defense... oh, the defense... we could actually be talking about the NFL's best unit, as many prognosticators predicted during the offseason.

With the first week of Broncos camp in the books, as always, there have been clear winners and losers. Regardless of which side of the ledger a player is on, the good news is that each guy still has plenty of time left to convice the coaches they not only belong, but deserve playing time.

Let's get into it, starting with the winners.

Winners

Levelle Bailey | LB

Bailey has been the biggest winner of training camp thus far. With injuries above him on the inside linebacker depth chart, he's making the most of an expanded opportunity.

Even if there hadn't been injuries to the unit, Bailey clearly showed up to this year's camp ready to take a quantum leap. Whether against the run or in coverage, the former undrafted linebacker has delivered a "night and day" performance, compared to his rookie season, according to head coach Sean Payton.

Riley Moss | CB

Moss entered this year's camp under the direct threat of a first-round pick possibly outshining him and stealing his starting job. However, the third-year veteran has successfully staved off Jahdae Barron, and with the help of some added weight to help make him stronger and, hopefully, more durable when the season rolls around, there's no doubt that Moss is a big winner thus far.

Eyioma Uwazurike | DL

Praised for his "infectious" approach and play style by Payton, Uwazurike seems primed to capitalize on his fourth-round draft pedigree this year. His career was interrupted by a gambling suspension, and while he returned to the team and made the roster last year, Uwazurike needed time to get his football legs beneath him again.

Based on the first eight practices, Uwazurike has done just that. He's a guy to keep an eye on as the defensive line competition shapes up during the preseason.

Troy Franklin | WR

On the other side of the ball, we have another player in Franklin who added weight this offseason, and he's put himself squarely on pace to make that traditional year-2 jump that typically marks an NFL receiver's path.

Whether in one-on-ones or in team period, Franklin has made some big plays. As the battle for the Broncos' No. 2 receiver job continues, he's forced his way into the conversation.

Jaleel McLaughlin | RB

McLaughlin has garnered praise from Payton, offering that slashing change-of-pace twitch and pop that makes him stand out in a crowd. RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins have clear depth chart supremacy, but McLaughlin (who's also added 12 pounds of muscle to his previously 187-pound frame) looks like a shoo-in for the roster and the No. 3 role in Payton's running-back-by-committee attack.

Joaquin Davis | WR

Out of this year's undrafted ranks, Davis has emerged as a legit playmaker and threat to make the roster. The North Carolina Central product has a long row left to hoe on a crowded wide receiver depth chart replete with one Payton draft pick after another, but the rookie has built up a serious head of steam early on.

Losers

Drew Sanders | LB

This one's a bit obvious, but Sanders entered this training camp with so much promise. Finally healthy, he was looking to make good on the third-round draft pick the Broncos invested in him.

Alas, only a few practices in, Sanders suffered a foot injury. He's recently undergone surgery to repair a torn ligament in his foot (thankfully not a tendon), and will return in about two months.

I still feel sick to my stomach when it comes to the bad hand the Football Fates have dealt Sanders early in his career.

Mario Goodrich | CB

The Broncos signed the UFL standout back in June, and considering how well Dondrea Tillman did last year, there was some intrigue surrounding Goodrich. Alas, he was quickly a camp casualty, although it may have had as much to do with injuries and thus, the roster math needed elsewhere, than it did with his play.

The Broncos cut him last week.

Johnny Walker Jr. | OLB

Another newcomer with some high hopes, Walker went undrafted this past spring, but the Broncos have a stalwart history of finding such diamonds in the rough. After suffering a lower-leg injury, though, the Broncos put him on injured reserve.

Second-Team Offense

Individually, there have been some standouts on the second-team offense, but overall, this unit hasn't been able to sustain the same level of momentum that its first-team counterparts have. Whether that's on Jarrett Stidham or the supporting cast, I'm not sure.

At times, the second-stringers have bogged down by pre-snap penalties, turnovers, and overall lapses in discipline, but it's nothing to worry about yet. Let's wait to see what this unit looks like against outside competition next week before jumping to conclusions.