Now that the 2019 NFL draft has concluded and a myriad of undrafted rookie free agents have been added to the haul of newcomers, the Denver Broncos roster currently has 90 players for John Elway and company to evaluate.
As such, I’ll make my “way too early prediction” for what I think the 53-man roster will look like. First up, let’s take a look at the offense. Check back later this week for a prediction for the defense.
(4) Quarterbacks: Joe Flacco, Drew Lock, Kevin Hogan, Brett Rypien
If recent history is any indication, the Denver Broncos are likely to keep three quarterbacks on the final roster. My main question here is, how many games will be played until we see Drew Lock take the field in the regular season? Elway compared his current QB situation to that of the Green Bay Packers with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, so with that, it might be some time until we see Lock take meaningful snaps.
While Flacco does have a history of winning with a Super Bowl victory on his resume, the greatness surrounding his name is far less than the aforementioned Favre, which makes for an interesting situation – how short of a leash will he be on if he struggles?
Speculation aside, Flacco will be the starter serving as a mentor to Lock. I think the final spot here will be a battle between Hogan and Rypien. I see Hogan coming away with it as he has more NFL experience than Rypien. However, don’t be shocked if the Broncos place Rypien on the practice squad.
(7) Running Backs: Devontae Booker, Royce Freeman, Devontae Jackson, Phillip Lindsay, Khalfani Muhammad, Andy Janovich (FB), George Aston (FB)
As far as the 53-man roster is concerned, I don’t see any changes from 2018. Andy Janovich will still be leading the way at fullback while Devontae Booker, Royce Freeman, and Phillip Lindsay round out the running backs.
The players to focus on in this group are undrafted rookie free agent Devontae Jackson and second-year player Khalfani Muhammad. They will likely be in a battle for one of the ten practice squad spots.
(12) Wide Receivers: Trinity Benson, Fred Brown, Aaron Burbridge, River Cracraft, Romell Guerrier, DaeSean Hamilton, Brendan Langley, Tim Patrick, Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, Juwann Winfree, Kelvin McKnight
Barring injury, the starters on the outside will be Emmanuel Sanders and Courtland Sutton. Despite coming off a season-ending Achilles injury last season, all signs point to Sanders playing in Denver’s Week 1 bout in Oakland against the Raiders.
Sutton had a few rookie hiccups in 2018, but all things considered, he showed promise in his first NFL season. With a more polished quarterback, I’m expecting Sutton to make a big leap in year two.
Even though we didn’t get to see all that much from DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick in 2018, I expect both to be retained for another season.
From the remaining group, I think Aaron Burbridge lands on the final 53. In his time at Michigan State, Burbridge was fearless going over the middle while showing great extension with his hands making difficult catches in traffic. After he was overlooked by other NFL teams, I think Denver may have found a diamond in the rough.
I see rookie Juwann Winfree also making the squad as he will be a solid developmental project for the Broncos to groom for a larger role down the road.
(6) Tight Ends: Jake Butt, Noah Fant, Austin Fort, Troy Fumagalli, Temarrick Hemmingway, Jeff Heuerman
After being chosen in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft, I see the Broncos heavily utilizing Noah Fant as the lead tight end. Jeff Heuerman has served as an excellent blocking tight end and last year he had his most productive season catching the ball as well. Heuerman will be a solid player with proven experience that can help Fant grow in areas outside of catching passes.
Unfortunately for the Broncos, injuries plagued them at the tight end position in 2018 as rookie Troy Fumagalli was placed on IR before the season began, and Jake Butt was limited to a mere three games followed by Heuerman suffering a season-ending injury in week 12.
Fant is the only solidified lock here and I believe Heuerman can be in that discussion as well. As of right now, my “way too early prediction” is that Fumagalli will take a roster spot from Butt. Newcomers Austin Fort and Temarrick Hemmingway will face an uphill battle to make the roster, but I can potentially see Fort cracking the practice squad.
(4) Center: Jake Brendel, Ryan Crozier, Sam Jones, Nico Falah (G/C)
The center position is perhaps the most concerning for me when I look at the Broncos current 90-man roster. Sam Jones and Nica Falah have the most experience with the team among the listed centers, although that can pretty much be tossed out the window with a new coaching staff and quarterback at the helm. I foresee Jones claiming a spot over Falah.
I think Jake Brendel will close out this group on the active roster. He has been a journeyman player since 2016 and can play multiple positions, which is a positive, however, it’s his small amount of playing time that is concerning.
(6) Guard: Ron Leary, Connor McGovern, Austin Schlottmann, Don Barclay, John Leglue, Dalton Risner
I believe 2019 will resemble the start the previous year with Ron Leary starting at left guard, on the right side, however, we could see some changes. Connor McGovern, who started in 2018 is still around and will undoubtedly be seeking to keep his hold on the starting spot but there will a new face in the building.
Second round pick Dalton Risner is a versatile player, who can play all five positions along the line and will surely make a case to be a Day 1 starter either at guard or center. Being that this is my “way too early prediction,” I think McGovern remains the starter but if Risner has a strong camp and preseason, things could change.
After spending the majority of last year on the practice squad, I think Austin Schlottmann will be on the final roster as a backup along the interior of the line.
(6) Tackle: Garett Bolles, Ju’Wuan James, Elijah Wilkinson, Brian Wallace, Quinn Bailey, Jake Rodgers
Despite having notable cause for concern, I think offensive line coach Mike Munchak will be able to get the best out of Garett Bolles. With that, I still see Bolles as the starter at left tackle moving forward with the versatile Elijah Wilkinson backing him up.
After losing Jared Veldheer, the Broncos improved their offensive line by signing former Miami Dolphins 2014 first round draft pick Ju’Wuan James to start at right tackle. James will bring a strong sense of toughness to the Mile High City as he’s started in all 62 games he’s played in during his five-year career.
I think free agent acquisition Jake Rodgers will claim the backup role behind James, as he has a sense of familiarity having previously played for coach Munchak in Pittsburgh. Between the two undrafted rookie free agent signings of Brian Wallace and Quinn Bailey, I think they will be competing for a practice squad spot.
