The Broncos came into the offseason acting like a team that believed its own hype, keeping last year’s roster together almost piece for piece as they set their sights on Super Bowl LXI.
That confidence makes sense on paper. Denver went 14-3 last season, grabbed the No. 1 seed in the AFC and looked headed for the Super Bowl before Bo Nix went down with an ankle injury in the divisional round.
Even so, the outside conversation has never fully caught up to the record. Critics still lean on all those one-score wins as proof the Broncos caught a break, and plenty of analysts remain unconvinced.
ESPN’s Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder tried to cut through the noise by ranking all 32 NFL rosters using talent, average age and production. Their verdict put Denver at No. 8 overall.
That slot will not sit well with Broncos Country, and for good reason. Eight feels low for a team that finished last season on top of the AFC. It also places Denver behind Buffalo, Baltimore and New England in the conference, making the Broncos the fourth-best roster in the AFC by ESPN’s measure.
Even with that, Denver still comes out on top in the AFC West. The Chiefs landed at No. 12, the Chargers at No. 13 and the Raiders were down at No.
- If the Broncos can back that up on the field, another division title is right there for the taking.
ESPN identified the offensive line as Denver’s strongest unit, and that part is tough to dispute. The Broncos have kept the same starting five together for multiple seasons, and that kind of continuity matters when a team is trying to build something that lasts.
The concern, at least in ESPN’s eyes, is tight end. That stands out even more because Denver used two Day 3 picks on the position.
Clay pointed directly at Evan Engram’s uneven 2025 season, writing, "The Broncos look good on both sides of the ball, so I'll be picky and go after a position group that didn't improve as much as expected last season despite the addition of Evan Engram. The veteran tight end played a career-low 42% of Denver's snaps and found the end zone once.
The 32-year-old will compete with Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, Lucas Krull and rookie Justin Joly for snaps",
If Engram bounces back and Joly gives the room a lift, that weakness could disappear quickly. For now, though, it’s the one spot ESPN picked at on a roster that otherwise looks built to contend.
Denver may not be headed for another 14-3 run - that’s a tall order in any season - but the ingredients are there for another serious push. Win the division again, get a home playoff game and the Broncos could find themselves in the same kind of position they reached last year.
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