The Broncos are heading into Friday night’s preseason finale with more than one rookie fighting for a job. Denver’s 2026 draft class has had a tough time carving out space on a roster this deep, and with the NFL’s cutdown deadline looming, a few of those picks are squarely on the bubble.
That’s the reality in Denver right now: even a first-rounder like Jahdae Barron is still waiting on a starting role, though his roster spot is safe as he enters Year 2. For the rest of the rookie class, nothing is guaranteed.
Tight end Caleb Joly looks like the safest bet among the group, but even he could use a strong finish to settle the debate. The Broncos know he may not survive the waiver wire if they let him go, which gives him a leg up. Still, the question hanging over him is whether he’s actually outplayed veterans Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull.
The answer is mixed. Joly has been learning a new position at the NFL level after playing the “big slot” role in college, and that transition has been obvious.
But he has shown real effort as a blocker, even if the technique isn’t fully there yet, and his athletic ability as a receiver has shown up in camp. The sense here is that he could make the 53-man roster at Krull’s expense, but Friday night would go a long way toward making that feel certain.
Seventh-round safety Jeremy Scott is in a much shakier spot. He hasn’t made many mistakes, but he also hasn’t done much to jump off the screen.
During training camp, Scott and the other depth safeties were repeatedly challenged on deep balls, which helped push the Broncos toward veteran help. Denver signed Taylor Rapp, then released him a week later because of personal issues he’s dealing with off the field.
Scott’s path gets even narrower because there are already two safety spots open behind Devon Key, with JL Skinner seemingly locked into one and Tycen Anderson leading for the other. Unless Scott makes a dramatic play Friday night - something like a pick-six or another game-changing moment - it’s hard to see him making up enough ground. The more likely outcome is that Denver tries to bring him back on the practice squad after waivers.
Tight end Caleb Bentley is in a similar bind. The Broncos have mostly asked him to stay in and block during his limited preseason snaps, so he hasn’t had many chances to show what he can do as a pass-catcher. The upside is there, but the bigger issue is roster math: Denver already has veteran depth, drafted two tight ends this year, and Bentley entered the class with the lowest pedigree of the pair.
He looks like a practice squad candidate, with the possibility of game-day elevations or even a promotion later if injuries hit the depth chart. In that sense, he may be a Year 2 story more than a Year 1 one. If he clears waivers, Denver can keep developing him, much like Caleb Lohner last year, according to what Sean Payton has said.
The most interesting bubble case might be linebacker Jordan Murdock, the Broncos’ final pick and the last player taken in the 2026 draft. He started camp slowly, but after about a week, things started to click and he’s been building momentum ever since. He also leads the Broncos in preseason tackles.
Still, the roster math is complicated. Karene Reid has one of the open linebacker jobs under control, and Denver clearly likes Jordan Turner, who played ahead of Murdock against the Green Bay Packers last week. Murdock was pushed down to the third-team unit alongside undrafted Taurean York.
Even so, Murdock may be the rookie most worth protecting. The Broncos have to think about waivers, and he looks like the kind of player another team could grab. He would have been viewed as a fourth- or fifth-round talent if not for an injury, and now that he looks healthy and has put together a strong preseason, he has plenty of tape for other teams to study.
Turner, by comparison, may not carry the same appeal. He went undrafted a year ago, spent most of his rookie season on Denver’s practice squad, and was promoted late in the year after showing some value on special teams. That may help his case in Denver, but it doesn’t necessarily create much demand elsewhere.
And then there’s Murdock’s calling card: he’s the FBS’ all-time leader in forced fumbles. That’s the kind of production teams remember, especially when the injury concerns that once surrounded him appear to be behind him. If he puts together another strong night against the Vikings, the Broncos may not be able to sneak him through waivers.
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For Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie, the final exhibition now reads like a last chance to shift the conversation. Both have had their moments, but the Broncos are deep enough at the position that recent performances and roster fit matter just as much as reputation, and there is still room for the coaching staff to change course before decisions are locked in. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Preseason Finale Could Force Tough Roster Decisions
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Bailey Zappe, Lil'Jordan Humphrey and Jonathon Cooper are among the names that naturally pop up when a team starts weighing whether it can keep everybody it likes. The situation is more speculative than certain, but that is part of the pressure now: the Broncos have to decide not only who makes the club, but whether any excess value can turn into a move before the cuts are final. [Read more 🡒]