Broncos projected depth chart reveals key position battles

The Denver Broncos won’t have any kind of official depth charts until the season, but we can start to project potential early depth charts now. The most up-to-date roster has a total of 95 players, so I’m not sure how they are able to maintain a level above that 90-player cap. Unless it is due to unsigned rookies, but I could not locate any resources to confirm that. Anyway, I included them all with some help from Joe Rowles who was keeping his own depth chart.

*indicates rookie

My biggest takeaway from reviewing this sheet is that we’ll see a ton of competition behind the starters with the exception of the inside linebacker position opposite Josey Jewell. That spot, currently held by Jonas Griffith, is where we could see the strongest competition in training camp for a starting job.

Jewell thinks highly of Griffith after last season after watching him play. Earlier this week, Jewell said of Griffith, “The guy is good. He has a lot of talent. The guy can run—smart kid. He’s come a long way, especially from last year. From the beginning of it when he was just playing special teams and then he came into a defensive role playing linebacker, and now communicating with me out there with other guys. It really shows his football I.Q. really increasing.”

While I would certainly give Griffith the leg-up early on, the Broncos did add two rookie undrafted free agents. There are seven total inside linebackers on the roster right now.

The second position group that I think will have the strongest competition will be cornerback. I think the starters are set, but behind those three there is a logjam of players vying for a roster spot. There are four rookies of the 11 total cornerbacks on the roster. It should be a fun to watch that position group battle it out in training camp.

On the offensive side of the ball, both Joe and I slotted Graham Glasgow as the center here. A lot of that interior offensive line will depend on what we see from Lloyd Cushenberry and rookie Luke Wattenberg. There could be some shifting around of starters along that interior offensive line, but I think for right now this is where I would set the lineup if it were Week 1.

Some other notable battles in the second and thing strings would be at wide receiver, tight end, and especially edge rusher. There could be a lot of reordering in that area once camp gets going.

Where you do see the biggest position battles at this early in the new league year?