A lot has changed with the Denver Broncos over the last couple of years. The most notable was benching and then releasing Russell Wilson to pave the way for the addition of Bo Nix during the 2024 NFL Draft. Everything is fresh for the Broncos heading into the 2024 NFL season, but they also have a lot of position battles to monitor in training camp. The most notable of those training camp battles will be taking place at quarterback and running back.
When is it Bo Nix time?
Everyone knows who the quarterback of the future will be in Denver. That is going to be Bo Nix, the former Auburn and Oregon quarterback who they drafted 12th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. But the real question is, when will Nix actually be under center for the Broncos? That question will sort itself out during camp.
The quarterback battle for the Broncos' starting spot will be an intense one. Three names are in the mix: Nix, Zach Wilson, and Jarrett Stidham. All three of them will begin camp with equal reps with the first team offense according to Jeff Legwald of ESPN.
Each of the three quarterbacks has some type of pedigree and path to winning that job. Wilson was the former second overall pick in 2021. Hardly anything has gone right in his career so far, but he does have plenty of experience working in his favor too. Wilson has already made 33 starts in the NFL with the New York Jets.
Stidham only has four starts under his belt, but he played well in those games. Stidham completed 85 of 136 passes for 1,080 yards and six touchdowns to four interceptions. The best of those performances came in Week 17 of 2022 against the San Francisco 49ers. Stidham threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns in that game.
But it would appear that Nix is the frontrunner to start among these guys. He started 61 games in college and was drafted in the first round. That matters. Almost every quarterback drafted in the first round winds up on the field sooner than later. He also projects to fit perfectly in Payton's system.
Everything about this Broncos quarterback battle will get decided in training camp. But for now, speculating is all that can be done.
What happens at running back?
The Broncos' running back room is a complete mess. All that really seems to be decided right now is Jaleel McLaughlin having a role as a pass-catching back. He earned that with his play last season as an undrafted rookie. McLaughlin averaged 5.3 yards per touch, 5.1 true yards per carry, and 1.73 yards per route run last year, according to playerprofiler.com. He was in the top ten among running backs in the first two categories.
But after that, who knows how this room shakes out. Javonte Williams figured to be the best option to be Denver's potential workhorse at the position, but rumors suggest he or Samaje Perine could get cut. Perine would make the most sense to get the boot of those two. He is older and the Broncos could save $3 million if they were to waive him in training camp.
There's more to sort out after that. Denver used a fifth-round pick on Notre Dame's Audric Estime in the 2024 NFL Draft. Estime is not known as a pass catcher but was fantastic on the ground in South Bend. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry for his career in college.
Denver also signed Blake Watson as an intriguing undrafted free agent. There are five capable backs here and it's not unrealistic to think that either of them could have a role for this team. But the Broncos will settle this running back battle in training camp before the 2024 NFL season gets underway. Everyone will know by then how this will shake out.
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