A week into NFL free agency, the Denver Broncos have 71 players on their roster.
The NFL offseason player cap is 90, and the Broncos currently have nine picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. The team will likely strike some budget free agent deals before the draft in late April, and then Denver will fill out the roster by signing college free agents after the draft.
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With more moves still in the works, we’ll take a quick look at the team’s (projected) depth chart heading into free agency a week later.
Broncos (projected) depth chart
Quarterback: 3
If the Broncos choose to trade Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger could be a candidate to replace him as the team’s new QB2. Currently, the same QB room in 2025 is back.
Running backs: 6
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Depth: Cody Schrader, Des Vaughn
Denver will also use the same backfield in 2026, but it seems likely they’ll add more depth and competition through the NFL Draft.
Wide receivers: 6
The Broncos are also expected to consider receivers in this year’s draft.
Tight end: 5
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Adam Trautman, Kukas Krul and Nate Adkins all returned last week, but Denver could still use a playmaker at the position. There are some noteworthy tight ends still available, so this will be a position to watch.
Offensive line: 14
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LT: Garrett Boles, Frank Crumb
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LG: Ben Powers, Alex Palzewski
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C: Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth
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RG: Quinn Mynerz, Calvin Throckmorton
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RT: Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski
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Depth: Matt Peart, Max Cox, Nick Gargiello, Michael Dayt, Nash Jones
Denver will re-sign Palczewski for two years. He provides excellent depth at both tackle and linebacker after the team elected not to trade Ben Bowles.
Defensive line: 9
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DE: Zach Allen, Matt Henningson, Jordan Miller
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DT: DJ Jones, Malcolm Roach, Christian Williams
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DE: Eyioma Uwazurike/Sai’vion Jones, Jordan Jackson
Eyioma Uwazuric and Sevion Jones could be vying for the starting job this summer following the departure of John Franklin Miles. Zulik will likely have an advantage early on due to his experience, but fans will want to see Jones step up after being selected in the third round of last year’s NFL draft.
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Outside linebackers: 7
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OLB1: Jonathan Cooper, Jonah Ellis
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OLB2: Nick Bonito, Dondrea Tillman, Qua Robinson
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Depth: Johnny Walker, Garrett Nelson
The Broncos have so much depth at outside linebacker after bringing back Dondrea Tillman that it’s reasonable to wonder if the team will consider trading away an edge defender this offseason.
Inside linebackers: 6
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LB1: Alex Singleton, Karin Reed
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LB2: Justin Strnad, Drew Sanders
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Depth: Jordan Turner, LaVell Bailey
Denver re-signed Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, then they waived Dre Greenlaw. They should add long-term depth during next month’s NFL Draft.
Cornerbacks: 7
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CB2: Riley Moss or Jahdae Barron
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Depth: Reese Taylor, Jaden Robinson
The Broncos are bringing back McMillian in the second round of the tender, which could mean Barron will have a chance to compete with Moss for the outside role in 2026.
Security: 4
Denver could use more depth at safety with P.J. Locke leaving in free agency.
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Special teams: 3
There is currently no competition among the three current experts. We’ll see if that changes later this spring.
Broncos players plan to report to the team facility when the offseason begins in May. After the mandatory minicamp in mid-June, players will take a break until training camp begins in late July. However, the front office still needs to sort through some free agency before offseason planning can begin, followed by the draft in April.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Updated depth chart for NFL free agency