Denver Broncos News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) and defensive end Zach Allen (99) react after a sack against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Broncos' Position Groups: Rankings & Grades Ahead of Playoff Debut

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Erick Trickel | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 9:00 AM ET

The Denver Broncos are getting ready to take on the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the playoffs after earning a first-round bye. This rematch is a chance for the Broncos to exact some revenge on the Bills for ending their season in the Wildcard Round last year.

As we await this heavyweight bout, we're looking back at the season to gauge where the Broncos can improve for the playoffs.

Today, we're grading and ranking the Broncos' position groups, highlighting what each did well, and discussing where they need to improve in the playoffs. Let’s get into it.

Interior Defensive Line

The Broncos' interior defensive line was an outstanding unit this season, even as D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers, and Malcolm Roach each missed time. Zach Allen and company were tough for opposing offensive lines to handle, and these Broncos put together a great year as pass rushers and run defenders.

There isn’t a lot the Broncos' D-line can do better in the playoffs than it did in the regular season, outside of finding even more consistency. The unit had its down moments as both run defenders and pass rushers, and eliminating those could help carry the Broncos to another championship.

Rank: 1st

Outside Linebackers

If it weren’t for some late-season hiccups and issues, this position group would probably get an A and rank at the top, but the problems are hard to ignore. The unit was great at getting after the quarterback, and its depth went unmatched as Jonah Elliss, Dondrea Tillman, and even Que Robinson stepped up when needed.

Where they need to improve is in rush-lane discipline, which became a big issue late in the season. That lack of discipline would allow quarterbacks to extend plays, either for significant gains through the air or on the ground. Jonathon Cooper is primarily responsible, but everyone had their moments here.

Rank: 2nd (Tied)

Safety

Talanoa Hufanga carries this room, as he is such a disruptive force. Brandon Jones had some issues, but he wasn’t a liability.

P.J. Locke and Devon Key played well when they had to step in for Jones. Unfortunately, Jones appears to be done for the season with the pectoral injury he suffered in Week 15.

Where this unit needs to improve is tackling and ball skills. The safety tackling was inconsistent across the team, and the Broncos can’t keep allowing yardage to leak.

As for ball skills, the lack of takeaways is an issue, especially when you watch so many passes hit their hands only to fall incomplete.

Rank: 2nd (Tied)

Offensive Line

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

This unit did a good job all season. Still, the O-line definitely had its down moments, especially given the injuries they've had to deal with. Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz have been the stalwarts of the units, earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors, but the Broncos need everyone on their A-game for a Super Bowl run.

The O-line's biggest issue was the lack of consistency, especially with its run blocking. In the playoffs, you need that run game to be able to grind out games, so the Broncos have to figure out their issues and show they can excel as much as a run-blocking unit as they do as pass-blockers

Rank: 4th (Tied)

Cornerback

Ja’Quan McMillian has had a good season, and Patrick Surtain II started rough, but he got things figured out and, in some ways, had a better year than he did during his Defensive Player of the Year run. However, Riley Moss has been an issue not only with penalties but also with getting lost in coverage over the past few weeks, and Jahdae Barron has been hit-or-miss.

The most significant area the Broncos need to improve is getting Moss to play well, but also eliminating some miscommunications in their coverage. A lot of those issues involve Moss often making mistakes, leading to multiple big plays over the last few weeks of the season.

Rank: 4th (Tied)

Special Teams

The Broncos' special teams unit was terrible to start the season, but it got things figured out and ended the season as one of the team's best units. Wil Lutz and Jeremy Crawshaw brought stability as specialists, while the return game and coverage units took massive strides.

As the Broncos push for a Super Bowl, they need to turn those close calls into big plays. Marvin Mims Jr. has been close to breaking multiple significant returns, and the Broncos have been close to blocking a few punts. If they can turn those into the big plays, this unit could bust through to the next level.

Rank: 6th

Wide Receiver

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Denver has struggled to find a consistent No. 2 receiver to complement Courtland Sutton, even though Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant have had their moments. Mims being sprinkled in as a playmaker can make this a dangerous unit.

However, to become truly dangerous, these Broncos need to find consistency in making plays, their hands, and route running. Everything about this unit could be far more consistent than it has been this season.

Rank: 7th

Quarterback

The start of the season wasn’t great for Bo Nix, but in multiple games, he was terrible outside of the fourth quarter. However, he quickly settled down and started playing great, but there are still two major concerns with his game.

Nix has some bad habits in how he handles pressure, leading to issues and panic even when there isn’t any pressure. He also has trouble working the middle-to-intermediate area of the field, where many playoff teams struggle to defend.

These are areas the Bills will be keying into, and the onus is on Nix to show improvement and make them pay.

Rank: 8th

Linebacker

Justin Strnad has been playing great, while Alex Singleton is showing his prowess as a run defender, even as the Broncos cover his issues in coverage. However, Dre Greenlaw has struggled to stay on the field, and when he has been healthy, his play hasn’t been at the level expected.

Denver needs to find a way to avoid such a glaring weakness in coverage from its linebackers, and it starts with Greenlaw meeting expectations. If the Broncos can get that corrected without having to consistently shade their coverage to compensate for the linebackers' issues, this defense could reach another level.

Rank: 9th

Running Back

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The injury to J.K. Dobbins derailed things, as RJ Harvey has not shown consistency as a runner to be the top back. Jaleel McLaughlin is showing signs of life, while Tyler Badie finally made some plays in the season finale. But as things stand now, only Harvey should be guaranteed a spot on the roster next year.

Denver has struggled to create a ground attack capable of taking pressure off the passing game, and a lot of that falls on Harvey. The blocking has been problematic as well, but Harvey is consistently looking for the big play and spending too much time behind the line of scrimmage.

Rank: 10th

Tight End

Evan Engram has been a bust signing due to the lack of playmaking in the passing game, and he offers nothing as a blocker. Nate Adkins has dealt with a knee injury for much of the season, while Adam Trautman has been as inconsistent as it gets.

In so many ways, Denver needs improvement out of this room. Adkins needs to stay healthy and keep playing at his level as a blocker, while Trautman needs to find consistency. The Broncos then need Engram to become a more viable weapon in the passing game than he has been.