NFL positional group rankings: Broncos have a top roster, multiple top-10 units

The Denver Broncos went out and made some important additions to the roster in the offseason, and received multiple top 10 nominations in ESPN's positional group rankings as a result

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

Aug 19, 2025, 9:55 AM

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The Denver Broncos had one of the worst rosters in the NFL heading into the 2022 season, and it showed as the team slumped its way through one of the most underwhelming seasons in franchise history under former head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Fast forward three years, and Sean Payton and the rest of the organization has flipped the script on this team and has the Broncos ready to compete for a Super Bowl with a viable roster.

Denver has a quarterback in Bo Nix. They have multiple defensive stars in Pat Surtain II and Nik Bonitto. They have some of the best linemen in the league battling in the trenches. All of these are key components for a team looking to make it back to the mountaintop.

In ESPN’s positional group rankings heading into the regular season, the Broncos got the respect they deserve in some areas, but were underrated in others with some puzzling choices. How did they stack up against the rest of the AFC West by position, and where did their overall roster fall in compared to the rest of the league?

Quarterback

No. 17.

Nix did a lot of good for the Broncos in his first year, but is still a young player who needs to grow a lot more as he learns the ins and outs of the NFL more. He threw for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns a season ago, and has the ability to improve on that mark even more based on what opposing players have been saying about him throughout training camp.

Running Back

No. 29.

This is the biggest question mark for the Broncos’ offense in 2025, as the run game gave the team next-t0-nothing a season ago. They brought in RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins to pair alongside Jaleel McLaughlin and the other depth guys in the room, and signs are pointing to the fact that this unit will at least be better than it was last year. Someone is going to have to be the odd man out when the final roster cuts happen next week, and it very well could be 2024 fifth-round draft pick Audric Estime

Wide Receiver

No. 31.

Even though this unit ranks lower than the running backs, this group at least has some things figured out. Courtland Sutton is obviously the top dog who is Nix’s go-to target in high-pressure situations, and is also a guy who has magnet hands as soon as the catch probability drops below 25%, but it’s the depth pieces below him that are the questions. Troy Franklin has looked good in camp, but will that translate to regular season ball? Pat Bryant has also been turning heads, and Marvin Mims is still around to make explosive plays with his elite speed. Outside of Sutton, the group didn’t help Nix a whole lot last year, but things are looking different so far.

Tight End

No. 12.

The addition of Evan Engram, who looked sharp in his first action at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday, is what really bolsters the ranking for a group that didn’t have much juice for the Broncos last year. Even though he’s more of a big wide receiver than a traditional tight end, the label is still there, and he should be one of Nix’s favorite targets this year.

Adam Trautman will still be in the room as well. He’s proven over the years that he can be a reliable target in certain situations, as he led the tight end room in receiving yards in 2024 (188).

Offensive Line

No. 2.

This is the Broncos’ best group by far. All five starters from last year are returning from a 2024 group that dominated the NFL in both pass block and run block win rate. As long as this group stays healthy, they will be the best asset for Payton and company.

Interior Defensive Line

No. 7.

With Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach leading the way in Denver’s 3-4 base defense, the orange and blue will be able to get a good blend of run stuffing and pass rushing from this unit, just like they did last year. Zach Allen led the way in the room with 8.5 sacks, and with a new contract under his belt, he should be poised to be the leader once again.

Edge Rusher

No. 23.

This is where the disrespect starts to creep in, as this unit is ranked very low despite leading the NFL in sacks last year by a wide margin. Nik Bonitto (13.5 sacks), who also needs a new contract, and Jonathon Cooper (10.5 sacks) dominated last year, and with Dondrea Tillman and Jonah Elliss returning behind them, there’s no reason why this group shouldn’t be in the top 10.

Last year, the Broncos also became just the 15th team in NFL history to record at least 63 sacks in a single season, but No. 23 seems fair to some pundits.

Off-Ball Linebacker

No. 4.

The addition of Dre Greenlaw clearly gives the Broncos’ linebacker room some new life, and the looming return of Alex Singleton will also be nice to have for a group that struggled to stop the run against Buffalo in the postseason last year. Drew Sanders won’t be around for the start of the season, but Levelle Bailey and Justin Strnad are two guys that can be viable backups in this league.

Cornerback

No. 13.

While the Broncos have the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year in Pat Surtain II on one side of the field, what Riley Moss can do on the other side throughout an entire season largely remains a mystery as he continues to grow as an NFL player. Ja’Quan McMillian will still be around in the nickel, and first-round pick Jahdae Barron will also be a key to this unit jumping into the top 10.

Safety

No. 6.

With the duo of Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga leading the way, this unit is arguably a sleeper as one of the best in the entire AFC. If Hufanga can stay healthy and somewhat return to his All-Pro form that he showed a few years ago, and Jones continues to breakout after his stellar 2024 campaign, this group could be top 3 by the end of the year. Sam Franklin and JL Skinner will also be around in relief, but Jones and Hufanga should do most of the heavy lifting.

Overall

No. 10.

Again, the Broncos have come a long way since that dark season in 2022. No one would’ve thought that their roster would sneak into the top 10 in such a short amount of time, but this is now the reason why they have Super Bowl aspirations in just the third year of the Sean Payton era.

While everything looks good on paper, nothing matters until they take the field on Sept. 7 against the Tennessee Titans and start hitting people. The backups have looked great through two preseason games, but now the Broncos need all that good to transfer into meaningful regular season football.