Broncos roster review: Why offensive skill talent should top offseason shopping list for Sean Payton, George Paton

The Broncos offense did quite a bit of good in 2024.

It finished 10th in the NFL in scoring — boosted, to be sure, by a whopping 39 defensive points along the way, but still a major improvement from recent seasons.

No Denver offense between Peyton Manning’s retirement and coach Sean Payton’s arrival finished better than 23rd in scoring. Payton’s first team here finished 19th.

Then this season the Broncos scored 28 or more points eight times and won all eight of those games.

The club hadn’t scored 28-plus more than four times in a season since 2014 and had just 19 in its previous nine seasons combined.

That success came for many reasons. Good complementary football with the other two phases. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s impressive debut season and 34 total touchdowns. An offensive line that ranked among the NFL’s best.

For the group to elevate from here, though, Payton must find what he considers among the foremost weapons for any offense.

For the Broncos to play with and beat the likes of Buffalo, Kansas City or Baltimore this time of year, they need a Joker.

Payton talks about that player a lot — a true matchup problem for defenses, almost always a tight end or a running back.

The Broncos have cycled through hopefuls the past two years — Greg Dulcich, Jaleel McLaughlin and Marvin Mims Jr., to name a few — but have not found the guy.

“I know how much it can help,” Payton said Wednesday, noting players like Reggie Bush, Alvin Kamara and Jimmy Graham who served that role for him in the past back in New Orleans.

“It’s not until you don’t have them,” Payton acknowledged, that a coach truly appreciates the value.

“In our league, when you look around and you reference — just take some of the top teams,” he said. “You’ll always remember (Travis) Kelce with the Chiefs. I don’t know that you’ll remember the receivers.”

The Broncos finished near the bottom of the NFL in both running back production and tight end production.

Thirty-one NFL running backs finished with more scrimmage yards than Javonte Williams’ 859, and all but six averaged more yards per touch than his 4.5.

Adam Trautman’s 188 yards are 47th among NFL tight ends. Denver’s tight-end trio produced fewer yards (455) than 25 individual players at the position.

The roster has other needs. Denver must get better at inside linebacker and perhaps at safety. The club must set about on its long-term planning on the defensive line.

Finding at least one “Joker” and upgrading the offensive skill talent, however, will undoubtedly be a focus of the coming months.

Here’s where the Broncos roster stands heading into the offseason.

Quarterbacks

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Analysis: The Broncos, at long last, appear to have settled the most important position in the game. Bo Nix started from Week 1, had ups and downs but ultimately accounted for 34 touchdowns against 12 turnovers. He put together an overall very promising debut season and laid a terrific foundation to build on. The key offseason factor: Denver in 2024 had a quarterback room that everybody involved described as special and beneficial to Nix. Will any of it look the same going forward? Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham are free agents, and coach Davis Webb will get coordinator looks. Wilson will want a chance to start somewhere and might get it. If not, Denver could try to bring him back instead of Stidham. The Broncos could do worse, though, than ending up with Stidham as the No. 2 again if Wilson gets a chance to reboot his career elsewhere. The odds of the room staying as constructed in 2024 look low from here.

Running backs

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Analysis: The Broncos’ attention this offseason will span several positions but almost certainly will include long looks at all of the offensive skill positions. Running back is no exception. Javonte Williams’ rookie contract is up and so, too, could be his time in Denver. His usage dwindled down the stretch in 2024 — he had six double-digit carry games in Denver’s first nine, then none in the final nine. The rest of the group features interesting options but no sure-bet, three-down backs. The Broncos have four backs on their 53-man roster for next year, and the most likely to make the 2025 team is Audric Estime, who was a healthy scratch for the wild-card game at Buffalo. Whether by draft, free agency or both, this is a place where Payton will want to get more dangerous and more versatile. The Broncos need it.

Wide receivers

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Also: AT Perry

Analysis: There is not a bigger single decision to make among the existing players on the roster than what to do with Courtland Sutton. The Broncos should take some action on his $20.2 million cap number for 2025, meaning either an extension or a parting is on the table. That decision contains multiple factors. First is if Denver decides to aggressively pursue free-agent or trade options. Payton and Paton are historically not inclined to pay big money to multiple pass-catchers. Then, just how ready is the group of Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin and Perry to anchor the room? Their combined cap numbers are less than one-fifth of Sutton’s alone. Are they one draft pick or free-agent signing away from being a high-quality group? And can Nix’s development continue uninhibited without Sutton, who was his favorite target by far in 2024 when Sutton set career bests with 81 catches and 135 targets for 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns? A major call for the Broncos’ brass is on deck.

Tight end

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Also: Thomas Yassmin

Analysis: This is a group that needs an overhaul. This trio didn’t do anything wrong — they actually bumped up production slightly from 337 yards and four touchdowns in 2023 to 455 and five this year — but nobody here is going to make defensive coordinators think twice. Payton thrived for a decade-plus in New Orleans with several different game-changing tight ends. The right player in his offense can be a defining part of Nix’s future. Whether it’s identifying the correct player in the draft — Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland are likely first-rounders, and either would change Denver’s offense — landing a receiving threat like Mike Gesicki in free agency or some other route, the Broncos need a splash.

Offensive line

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Also: Nick Gargiulo, Will Sherman and Calvin Throckmorton

Analysis: This group is in line for a remarkable run of continuity if the Broncos so choose. They swapped out just one starter in 2024 with center Luke Wattenberg and now the quintet is all under contract for 2025. That’s shaping up for three seasons of the same guards and tackles playing for Payton — assuming Denver doesn’t opt for a cost-saving move with left guard Ben Powers. The only reason to even consider that is because the Broncos have built depth and would have options like Alex Forsyth and Alex Palczewski or Quinn Bailey returning from injury who appear ready to potentially step in. But assuming Denver does keep its group intact, it has experience and enviable depth and will enter 2025 among the NFL’s very best. It must be the driving force for the offense for years to come.

Defensive line

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Also: Matt Henningsen and Jordan Miller

Analysis: If not for drafting Nix, the overhaul of this room might have been the single biggest accomplishment of the last offseason. John Franklin-Myers and Malcolm Roach changed the defensive front entirely, unlocked Zach Allena and took pressure off the edge group, too. They formed a fearsome, disruptive group. Now D.J. Jones is a free agent. Franklin-Myers and Allen each have just 2025 left on their contracts. The Broncos don’t have to sprint through a bunch of transactions, but they do have to plot their future at the position this offseason. Do they try to work something out with Jones? Do they plan to pay both Allen and JFM long-term? Most of the draft attention will be on offensive players, but this is a spot Denver could address in the first round, too.

Outside linebacker

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Also: Andrew Farmer

Analysis: Nik Bonitto started his third season as a second-stringer and finished it as a second-team All-Pro. He and Jonathon Cooper started the season as part of a young group with some promise but also some question marks and they ended it with more sacks than any pairing in the NFL. Bonitto racked up 13.5 and established himself as an ascending star. Cooper posted 10.5 and earned himself a four-year extension in the process. They transformed this group into one of the long-term strengths of the roster. Bonitto will be due a massive extension sometime in the next several months as he enters the final season of his rookie contract. Denver’s got nice depth behind, too, in rookie Jonah Elliss and UFL find Dondrea Tillman. Still, don’t rule out Denver adding to the group in the draft.

Inside linebacker

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Also: K.J. Cloyd

Analysis: For a while after Alex Singleton tore his ACL in Week 3, it felt as though the Broncos’ inside linebacker group was holding up well. By the end of the season, though, it felt like a liability. Even with Singleton potentially back in the mix in 2025 — Denver may want to adjust his contract with no guaranteed money remaining — the club must find a way to get younger and more athletic. It’s a position defensive coordinator Vance Joseph believes in developing, making Drew Sanders and Levelle Bailey interesting figures going forward. If Sanders can handle playing in the middle of the field and fulfill the team’s original vision for him, that would be a big check mark on the offseason to-do list. But if there’s a sideline-to-sideline player available in the middle rounds of the draft, Denver should consider that route, too.

Cornerback

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Also: Quinton Newsome and Reese Taylor

Analysis: Nearly every team in the NFL would swap cornerback groups with the Broncos if given the chance. Pat Surtain II is already a two-time first-team All-Pro and a defensive player of the year candidate at 24 years old. He’s two months younger than Nix. Opposite him, Riley Moss has the skills and mentality to hold up to frequent targeting by opposing quarterbacks. Ja’Quan McMillian is a playmaker at nickel and Kris Abrams-Draine emerged as a promising rookie in limited action this fall. Longer term, it will be interesting to see how the Broncos see Abrams-Draine. For now, he looks like a high-quality utility player. Damarri Mathis is entering the final year of his rookie deal and improved in 2024, but also has a substantial cap number. … Tremon Smith is a high-end special teamer and could well be back.

Safety

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Also: Tanner McCalister and Keidron Smith

Analysis: The Broncos were proven right overall in their decision to move on from Justin Simmons a year ago. Brandon Jones provided terrific value and showed he could play both in coverage and in run support. His tackling angles are terrific and he arrives with force. P.J. Locke represents one of the more interesting questions on the roster. He played through injury and is a remarkable story of NFL perseverance. He’s a good player. But the Broncos may feel the need to try to upgrade, too, after his first year of full-time starting duty. Denver saw major drop-off when each Jones and Locke missed time this year, so adding to the group is on the table regardless. JL Skinner turned into a high-grade special teams player. Can he take the next step at safety? … McCalister and Smith are nice end-of-the-roster/practice squad players and special teamers.

Special teams

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Analysis: Wil Lutz turned in another rock-solid year, with the only real disappointment coming in the wild-card game when he missed a 50-yarder going into halftime. Overall Lutz has made 61 of 68 field goals in two years in Denver. He’s only missed three of less than 50 yards in two seasons and two of them were blocked. Lutz is under contract for 2025 so the Broncos can just let it ride or extend him to bring his cap number down. Mitch Fraboni has turned himself into a reliable long-snapper. Riley Dixon started the year strong and had a couple of rough outings down the stretch. Overall, the Broncos could do worse — and Lutz clearly trusts the operation with Fraboni and Dixon — but they could at least survey their options and see if there’s an upgrade available this spring.

Note: Ages as of July 25, 2025. FA — free agent; D — Draft pick; UFA — Unrestricted free agent; CFA — College free agent; W — Waivers; T — Trade; RFA — Restricted free agent; and ERFA — Exclusive rights free agent; *ERFA cap numbers are if team tenders player. ^Fifth-year option available for 2028 … cap hits via Over The Cap.

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