Sean Payton Highlights 'Asset Starter' on Broncos Offense

One might consider incumbent starting center Luke Wattenberg as the weak link along an otherwise top-shelf Denver Broncos offensive line — a line that features an All-Pro guard and a former Pro Bowl tackle.

And head coach Sean Payton would vehemently disagree.

“It’s a lot different," Payton said Monday of Wattenberg's evolution. "A starter, asset starter, smart. He played really well last year for us in his first year as a starter.”

A 2022 fifth-round pick, Wattenberg toiled in relative obscurity for his first two years in Denver before winning the starting pivot job over Alex Forsyth ahead of the 2024 campaign. The Washington product made 13 appearances, limited by an ankle injury that temporarily took him out of the lineup.

Wattenberg graded out as Pro Football Focus' 18th-rated center but finished with the NFL's second-highest pass-blocking mark (82.5) among 40 qualifiers. He allowed only two sacks and was charged with seven penalties across 822 offensive snaps.

“He did a really good job coming in in Year 1. I think you’re going to see an ascension," Payton said on June 11. "He’s exceptionally smart. I like his frame. He loves football. So I think that first year [of] full-time starting is going to benefit him greatly.”

Barring the unforeseen, Wattenberg — like the rest of his linemates — will enter the fall with little challenge to his starting gig. He's entrenched as the proverbial quarterback of the front-five, tasked with keeping franchise signal-caller Bo Nix upright while creating running lanes for JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and the rest of the Broncos' backfield.

The latter being a "point of emphasis" in 2025.

“I really want to take the next step in the run game and running off the ball," Wattenberg told reporters Monday. "[Assistant Offensive Line Coach] Chris Morgan has been helping me a lot with that and taking the next step in my run game… Playing fast, playing with my hat [and] getting my backside hand in have all been a point of emphasis for me, and he’s been helping me a lot with that.”

He added: "It goes back to my confidence. Being around the four guys around me brings my confidence up. We play so well together. They’re fantastic players, and I couldn’t ask to be on a better [offensive line].”