The Broncos got the preseason started in style Friday night, rolling past the Falcons 27-7, and the game gave Denver exactly what it wanted: a long look at the roster’s edges.
That’s the whole point of August football. This is where rookies, new faces, and depth pieces get put under the microscope while the Broncos sort through a 53-man roster and 16-man practice squad.
And because this was about evaluation, most 2025 regular-season starters were left out of the grading picture. Players such as Courtland Sutton, Quinn Meinerz, Patrick Surtain II, and Zach Allen would have crowded out the rest of the field anyway.
The only starters included were ones who played poorly enough to be worth noting, or players already on the watch list.
On defense, the standout performances came from all over the board. Robinson didn’t fill the stat sheet - just two pressures, a stop, and a missed tackle - but his first-step burst made him impossible to ignore. The disruption was bigger than the box score suggested, and he carried strong practices into the game.
Barron’s pick-six grabbed the headline, and sure, it came from being in the right spot at the right time. But he held up well beyond that moment. The bigger concern is the space he gives up too often, which leads to completions and is a major reason he has unofficially lost the starting job battle to Riley Moss.
Murdock was one of the busiest defenders on the field and handled the workload well. Denver put a lot on his plate, and he responded with good plays all over the place. Even with four catches allowed on four targets, he was still around the ball and making tackles.
Fresch also made a strong impression on defense, even though he had been viewed as a possible return man. Among Broncos cornerbacks, only Moss graded better. Fresch was sticky in coverage, aware of what was happening around him, fluid in his movements, and willing to help against the run.
Reid did his part in the play that turned into Barron’s pick-six, and he had a solid outing overall. His coverage ability still jumps off the tape, and he looked quicker diagnosing run action than he did a year ago.
Key, meanwhile, earned points for reliability. In a night when tackling from the safeties was uneven, he stayed sound, avoided bad angles, and didn’t get caught out of position like some of the other depth safeties.
Elliss was disruptive from his first snap to his last, both as a pass rusher and against the run. If he can stay healthy, the Broncos should get a big return off the edge.
Uwazurike, on the other hand, didn’t have the kind of night Denver needed. He was on the field for only 11 snaps, but they weren’t good ones, and the Broncos need more from him as they look to replace John Franklin-Myers as a starter, even if that full replacement comes through rotation.
The young backs had a mixed night, but Coleman flashed quickly. With only four rushing attempts, he showed how fast he gets downhill.
There was one ugly pass-blocking rep when he ducked his head, lunged, and whiffed, but that was the only real blemish. Two more positive plays were erased by holding penalties.
Among the depth backs, Schrader came away looking like the one worth keeping an eye on. Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin have regular-season experience, but Schrader outplayed both of them in this game.
Harvey showed progress as a receiver even without a target, and his blocking looked notably better too. The rushing part of his game still isn’t settled, but there were enough signs to keep betting on growth.
Bryant was only targeted once and caught it, but Denver clearly wanted him involved early. He played 10 snaps, and five of those came as a run blocker, where he did most of his best work.
Joly had a quieter night, and there just wasn’t much opportunity for him to pop. He played 23 snaps, caught one dump-off for no gain, and handled 11 snaps as a run blocker. The effort was there, but the technique and strength need work.
At quarterback, the gap between the first half and the second half was obvious. Stidham was steadier, while Ehlinger had a few moments that helped his grade but never found the same level of consistency. He was nowhere near as sharp as he has been in practice.
The offensive line had its share of rough patches, too. Throckmorton started at center and logged 37 snaps there, and it was the best football he has shown since joining the Broncos.
If that keeps up, his roster case gets stronger. The undrafted rookie tackle also played well, showing real technical improvement from his college tape instead of leaning only on size and strength.
Not everyone took advantage of the chance. Holskey got beaten off the snap on a four-play sequence that ended in a blown-up play, and over 49 snaps - the second-most on offense - he looked overwhelmed.
He was on the field with the second unit largely because of injuries up front, but he still didn’t look ready for NFL action. Crum, whom Denver has spent years developing, also had a tough night.
After showing well last preseason and in limited regular-season work, he looked lost at times and gave away much of the progress he had made.
Krull’s blocking remains a major problem, and it’s hard to ignore how little he has developed in that area with the Broncos. His pass-catching doesn’t give him much room to hide either.
Anderson isn’t a good defender, so special teams is going to have to carry his roster case, but when the defense plays that poorly, it becomes harder to stand out there too. York’s football IQ showed up, but his size created real issues, especially downhill, where he struggles to get off blocks.
Walker returned after last year’s injury and had some decent moments, but there’s still a lot of room to grow if he wants to stick on the practice squad.
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