Training camp is over, and one of the clearest winners for the Denver Broncos this summer was second-year outside linebacker Que Robinson.
The early buzz around Robinson picked up again this week when veteran tight end Evan Engram singled him out after practice. Asked to identify a player who was around last season and made a noticeable jump this summer, Engram didn’t hesitate, even while noting that the Broncos’ defense is “full of dogs.”
" I think the guy I’ve been super impressed with, and I’ve told him, is Que Robinson. He’s been a force all camp," Engram said on Wednesday.
That praise carries extra weight because Engram’s job has put him face-to-face with Robinson more often than before. With new offensive coordinator Davis Webb taking over play-calling, the Broncos kept Engram in to block at a much higher rate this summer, which meant more one-on-one battles against edge rushers like Robinson.
"There’s been a couple times I’ve been in pass pro and he’s lined up across from me, and I’ve had to bring it," Engram said of Robinson. "I’ve had to lock in. He’s definitely growing as a player, and he has a bright future ahead of him, for sure."
Robinson’s path to this point wasn’t exactly wide open. The fourth-round pick out of Alabama spent much of his rookie year buried on the outside linebacker depth chart behind Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, and Dondrea Tillman. He was a healthy scratch in 11 regular-season games and appeared in only six contests overall.
Even in limited action, though, he flashed. Robinson logged 150 snaps and finished with 12 tackles, including six solo stops, a half-sack, three quarterback hits, and a tipped pass at the line.
Now the opportunity looks much bigger. With Cooper opening the season on the commissioner's exempt list, Robinson is positioned for a far larger role. His summer alone seemed to point in that direction, and the Broncos will need him to help fill the gap.
There’s still uncertainty around exactly how long Cooper will be out. His criminal trial is not scheduled to start until November 10, which means he could miss as much as half the season unless the NFL finishes its investigation into his two arrests in June and, separate from the court case, issues a suspension. If that happens, the range would be between two and six games.
That opens the door for plenty of Robinson. Bonitto, who made the Pro Bowl, is set to start on the weakside, with Elliss likely sliding into Cooper’s spot on the other side. Tillman and Robinson should both be in the rotation, and since Tillman played more than 600 defensive snaps last season, Robinson could wind up in the 500- to 600-snap range in his second year.
The Broncos have seen enough to believe the growth is real.
"We led the league in sacks the last two years, and these guys were all a part of that. Que coming on late," GM George Paton said on Sunday after forming the initial roster.
"I think you saw what Que did in the New England game late in the season, even the Houston game last year and some of the things he did. Then you watched him in training camp and the games this year.
We feel really good about him.”
So while Robinson is still early in his career, the runway is suddenly much longer. If his camp performance carries over, 2026 could be the year he really breaks through.
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Sean Payton said there is a better than good chance Rapp returns, but nothing was finalized by the waiver wire deadline, leaving the situation open for now. With practice-squad spots and roster limits still part of the equation, Denver is simply trying to line up the move that makes the most sense before closing the door on the possibility. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Safety Battle Just Made JL Skinner Hard To Ignore
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Vance Joseph and Talanoa Hufanga both made it clear during training camp that Skinners commitment and athleticism stood out. For a player whose role has often been defined by depth and special teams work, that kind of consistency can be the difference between being on the fringe and being part of the plan. The bigger question now is how Denver chooses to use him once the games start, because Skinner has already done the hard part by making himself hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Tight End Decision Reveals What Sean Payton Really Values
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Bentley now steps into a role that looks a lot like the early path once taken by Virgil Green in Denver, with blocking and special teams likely to define his rookie season. If he handles those jobs well, there is at least a lane to more snaps down the line, which says plenty about how Payton is willing to build a position group around reliability before production. [Read more 🡒]