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Sep 29, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) celebrates after making a catch during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Broncos Player Grades at the Quarter Pole of the Season

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Erick Trickel | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Denver Broncos sit with a 2-2 record after four games, and they have been highly inconsistent getting to this mark. The Broncos sit at .500 at the quarter pole of the regular season due to two literally last-second field goals against teams that are a combined 6-2 through four weeks.

Those losses were heartbreaking and frustrating, but the Broncos are a good team with some issues to correct. And they need to find some consistency.

When looking over the Bronocs' collective player grades from the first four games, you can pinpoint how the inconsistency has been the biggest issue.

To qualify for a grade at the quarter pole, players must have played at least 80 snaps overall, which only 29 players have achieved, including a single rookie. So, let’s get into the grades over the first four games, broken down by position.

Remember, each player starts with a baseline grade of 50.00 and it can rise or fall based on each play from every game.

Quarterback

Bo Nix: 57.3

The latest game was an improvement for Nix, but he was struggling through the first three weeks. He has made gradual progress, but the Broncos need him to be on point in their upcoming game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.

Entering Week 4, Nix had inconsistencies to address, and he did so. He needs that Monday night performance to be just Game 1 of a resurgence.

Running Backs

J.K. Dobbins: 61.7 | RJ Harvey: 60.1

There has been a lot of praise for Dobbins, but his play in the first three weeks was boom-or-bust. However, he found more consistency against the Cincinnati Bengals, which makes his numbers more efficient. Denver has to continue to build off that, and Dobbins could be in for a big day in the team's upcoming matchup.

As for Harvey, the Broncos started to find a groove with him against the Bengals as a threat out of the backfield. He was on the verge of multiple explosive plays, but couldn’t quite make it through; those will come.

Wide Receivers

Courtland Sutton: 64.7 | Troy Franklin: 55.1 | Marvin Mims Jr.: 66.8 | Trent Sherfield: 52.4

The Broncos have struggled to get a good game out of two receivers, but they managed to get Sutton and Mims going against the Bengals. The Broncos have settled on using Mims as that gadget player and have found success, while the chemistry between Sutton and Nix is exceptional.

Franklin started the season hot, but he has fallen off in the last two games. Denver needs him to bounce back, especially after such a poor showing against the Bengals. As for Sherfield, he has not lived up to expectations on special teams or as a blocker.

Tight Ends

Adam Trautman: 53.1 | Evan Engram: 48.9

The Broncos need more out of their tight ends, which is a simple statement. Engram has been dealing with injuries, which was a significant risk when the Broncos signed him. Engram has yet to make an impact.

Then you have Trautman, who has been awful as a blocker, and his limitations as a receiver are clear. He's a fine third tight end, but he is forced to be the No. 2.

Offensive Line

Garett Bolles: 75.8 | Ben Powers: 61.5 | Luke Wattenberg: 41.6 | Quinn Meinerz: 48.1 | Mike McGlinchey: 54.9

The Broncos' offensive line has struggled. While Bolles has been outstanding and Powers has been good, the rest of the line has struggled. Meinerz was terrible in the first three games, and McGlinchey has been struggling, which creates an issue on the right side of the line.

As for Wattenberg, he ranks in the bottom six for centers in most metrics. There used to be a strength in pass protection for him, but he has struggled in this area and has shown no improvement as a run blocker.

Defensive Line

Zach Allen: 60.1 | D.J. Jones: 65.6 | John Franklin-Myers: 63.5 | Eyioma Uwazurike: 54.2

Jones has been great so far this season and has shown significant improvement from last year. Allen still shows flashes of the dominant player he was a year ago, which earned him his big extension, but he needs to see it more consistently.

Franklin-Myers is pushing for a significant contract extension, and he has played well, but he hasn’t made the splash plays that you typically need for the big contract. With Uwazurike, there are flashes, but he has to be consistent with his pad level and hand fighting to be more productive.

Outside Linebackers

Nik Bonitto: 70.4 | Jonathon Cooper: 69.9 | Jonah Elliss: 64.1 | Dondrea Tillman: 59.8

There isn’t a lot that can be said about the Broncos' edge room. They are the strength of this defense, particularly with their pass rush, and they have great depth, with Elliss and Tillman both playing well. That said, there is room for improvement from top to bottom in the run game.

Linebackers

Alex Singleton: 37.4 | Justin Strnad: 68.2

The linebacker room hasn’t turned into what they wanted with Dre Greenlaw missing time with an injury and not on injured reserve. Strnad has been doing quite well in Greenlaw’s place, but Singleton was a liability for the first three games. While it was a better game from Singleton against the Bengals, there are still issues that better teams than the Bengals can exploit.

Cornerbacks

Patrick Surtain II: 56.1 | Riley Moss: 62.3 | Ja’Quan McMillian: 68.7

When you look at the Broncos' defense for the first four games, the cornerback play is full of inconsistency. While McMillian has been the best corner in the room, he has been splitting reps with Jahdae Barron, though the rookie doesn’t have enough snaps to qualify for a grade.

Moss and Surtain have had some bad moments, but they both played well in Weeks 1 and 4. Surtain struggled with the two losses, and Moss has had his issues.

Through the first four weeks, Moss has been the third-most-targeted corner in the NFL, while allowing fewer than 50% of his targets to be caught, and has the lowest catch allowed rate on the Broncos' defense.

Safeties

Talanoa Hufanga: 64.5 | Brandon Jones: 62.3

There have been issues with the safeties, not because of their play, but rather, the way they've been used. The usage improved against the Bengals, and Jones and Hufanga showed how well they can play when used correctly. However, even when that wasn't happening, they still played at a high level.