Final Questions Broncos Must Answer Before Preseason Ends

Over the course of the preseason, there have been nothing but questions about the Broncos' offensive line depth. They're dealing with injuries to their top two centers, have lost their third center for the season, and their emergency center, Calvin Throckmorton, has surprisingly stepped up.

Throckmorton's emergence has been encouraging, but Denver's backup guards and tackles have played poorly, raising those concerns. 

On the other side of the ball, the Broncos' depth after their top five defensive linemen has been questionable, including rookie Tyler Onyedim and Sai’vion Jones. Onyedim had a good game against the Green Bay Packers, but struggled against the Atlanta Falcons, which raises concerns over consistency for the rookie.

Meanwhile, Jones has looked like a liability against the run in both games, with minimal impact as a pass rusher, despite him going against third- and fourth-string offensive lines. 

Will the Broncos Get the TE Help They Desperately Need?

I've been harping on the Broncos' tight end situation for a while, and the preseason has done nothing to change that. Evan Engram remains a terrible blocker and hasn’t stood out in the games or padded practices, while Adam Trautman is still... well, Adam Trautman.

Caleb Lohner is hurt and has yet to practice this summer; Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley are rookies, and they look like it; Nate Adkins was fine against the Packers but missed the Falcons game due to injury. Lastly, Lucas Krull has been a category-five disaster on offense and special teams. 

Denver overcame a terrible tight end room a year ago, though its run game suffered. The Broncos seem content to roll with their tight end room, though, which is a serious concern.

Hopefully, the Broncos see someone get cut around the NFL this coming weekend that they can pounce on. It will be a tough ask to match last year's lack of success, but this tight end room could be even worse.

Do the Broncos Keep an Extra WR or CB for Returner Abilities?

Denver has clearly been looking for other returner options behind Marvin Mims Jr, and beyond Michael Bandy. The Broncos had issues finding a partner for Mims on kick returns last year, going through three or four different players, and have seemingly been rotating different players back there through camp/preseason, including rookie running back Jonah Coleman. 

Through the games, cornerback Sean Fresch Jr. and undrafted rookie wideouts Cameron Ross and Kolbe Katsis have been the Broncos' returners with Mims injured, and they've all shown some success, though nothing elite.

Ross and Fresch have also looked fine on offense and defense, respectively, with Katsis looking like the Broncos' best returner. Due to their returner ability, could Denver keep one of them for special teams only? 

What to Do With Jahdae Barron?

Outside of three plays against the Falcons, Barron has had a terrible preseason for the Broncos. His game against the Packers should raise alarm bells, not only because of how badly he played, but also because he seemed unenergetic after he got beaten for a touchdown.

Now, I can’t say for sure, but watching Barron after that touchdown, it was like his energy and confidence fell off, and he didn’t want to be out there on the field. 

That isn’t a good sign, and Barron's play isn’t overly inspiring as Denver continues to tout him as a future boundary corner. Between his play and Riley Moss, Denver should look to extend Moss and think of something else to do with Barron, like moving him into the slot and letting Ja’Quan McMillian walk, or even moving Barron to safety as a potential replacement for Brandon Jones in 2027.

The Broncos drafted Barron to be a boundary corner, but his future may be elsewhere. 

Can the Broncos Find a Way to Generate Takeaways?

Last year, the Broncos barely avoided setting a franchise low in takeaways in a season, and they needed a 17th game to do it. They've emphasized in practice generating more takeaways, primarily in the trenches, by getting their defensive linemen's hands in the air to tip passes.

The early returns are encouraging. One interception against the Falcons came from a defensive line tipped pass, and a second came from a linebacker tipping a pass in coverage. 

Against the Packers, you could see the Broncos' emphasis on trying to pull the ball free after completions or runs. Patrick Surtain II got close to forcing one fumble, but the call ended up being overturned due to the receiver being down just a frame before the ball was pried loose.

Strip sacks are the only thing we haven’t seen yet. Hopefully, this takeaway momentum carries over into the regular season, helping the Broncos improve their turnover differential and making their defense even better. 

What to Do With Their International Player Exemption After the 53-Man Roster Deadline?

So, this isn’t an overly important question to answer, but it has me curious. Right now, punter Jeremy Crawshaw carries the international player exception, which allows the Broncos to have 91 players on their offseason roster.

However, Crawshaw loses that designation when he makes the 53-man roster. During the regular season, that exemption can only apply to a practice squad player, allowing 17, not 16, players on the squad. 

Last year, Denver brought in former Utah tight end Thomas Yassmin as their international player exemption after having Crawshaw as that player during the offseason. Yassmin is currently with the Packers and made some good plays against the Broncos last week.

Denver will likely bring in someone to be its regular-season international exemption, but who?