The Denver Broncos' 2025 unofficial depth chart release sparked considerable debate among fans on social media. The fan uproar sparked several conversations, with many predicting that the depth chart would not remain the same by Week 1.
The biggest controversy centered on the placement of the team's rookies, specifically star prospects Jahdae Barron and RJ Harvey. Many were appalled to see Harvey and Barron at the end of the depth chart until realizing that the Broncos had simply placed all their rookies at the bottom. The decision was still notable and surprising.
With the rookies' placement, the Broncos listed nine returning offensive starters and nine returning defensive starters. If that holds up, Denver would boast an absurd 82 percent retention rate in 2025. Sean Payton is notoriously stingy with his lineups, but that level of return would even be an outlier for him.
Any team values consistency, but the Broncos' depth chart is much more competitive than it lets on. The team lists recent signee J.K. Dobbins as their starting running back, but Harvey is in just as advantageous of a position, as are Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin. Denver's backfield was a complicated mess in 2024, and it does not appear to be much clearer one year later.
As complicated as the backfield is, the Broncos' wide receiver corps might be an even more interesting situation. They currently have Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. as the two starters, with Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele behind them as backups. Denver only lists two starting receivers to make room for fullback Michael Burton in the lineup.
Unofficial depth charts are typically volatile, but the Broncos' 2025 inaugural lineup release might be the most tentative in the league. With roughly three weeks until Week 1, only a few starters can feel confident in their position.
RB J.K. Dobbins
When the Broncos selected RJ Harvey in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, many expected him to take over a listless backfield. Instead, despite Harvey's strong performances throughout the offseason, Denver added veteran J.K. Dobbins late in the process, who has since topped the depth chart.
Dobbins is easily the most accomplished player in the team's running back room, making it less of a shock that he took over the backfield so quickly. The former second-round pick is coming off the best season of his career, posting 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024.
Despite his success, the Chargers let him walk in free agency and instead opted to sign Najee Harris. It took him a while to return to an NFL roster, but the Broncos eventually scooped him up in June.
There is no doubt that, if he can hold onto the starting role, Dobbins would be an improvement from what Denver had last season. The Broncos' run game was one of the worst in the league in 2024, placing additional pressure on rookie Bo Nix. They still went 10-7 and made the playoffs, but it was imperative that they addressed that area in the offseason.
McLaughlin and Estime, both of whom return from the 2024 team, pose little threat to Dobbins. The veteran's most pressing concern will be Harvey, who already has the support of the fan base behind him. Harvey entered the draft as one of the most explosive running backs of the class and is a big play waiting to happen, an element the Broncos desperately need in their offense.
With Payton preferring to lean on his veterans, Dobbins will likely still start in Week 1. However, few starters around the league will have a shorter leash, as Harvey will be breathing down his neck every step of the way. Dobbins has marginal room for error, as it feels like it will only be a matter of time before Payton unleashes the rookie.
WR Marvin Mims Jr.
Two years into the Marvin Mims Jr. experience, the Broncos have yet to see the player they thought they had. Denver added Mims in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, hoping to form a dynamic pairing with Courtland Sutton. That has yet to ring true, but they appear to be giving the Oklahoma alum one final shot in the 2025 starting lineup.
It is not that Mims has been bad, but he has not been the No. 2 option behind Sutton that Denver hoped for. He improved in his second season with Nix, but still mustered just 503 receiving yards in 2024. That was good enough for the second-most on the team, but barely more than rookie Devaughn Vele, who came on strong late in the year.
Vele was not the only rookie who impressed in 2024. Fourth-round pick Troy Franklin did not necessarily meet his expectations, but showed flashes of the potential the team saw in him entering the draft. Franklin notably played with Nix at Oregon in 2022 and 2023 and was the team's top receiver both years.
Joining the mix in 2025 is rookie Pat Bryant, whom the team selected in the third round of April's draft. Bryant's 6-foot-2, 204-pound frame not only adds size to the group, but his elite strength and ball skills are tailor-made for a Nix-led offense.
If Denver sticks with a two-wideout set, that puts even more pressure on Mims. Nobody will threaten Sutton's role, but Vele, Franklin and Bryant will all be gunning for Mims' spot in the starting lineup. Perhaps Mims is the right player to begin the year at the top of the Broncos' 2025 depth chart, but he will continue to be tested weekly.
Even if he maintains his position throughout the preseason, Payton will not hesitate to shake up the lineup if he does not show immediate improvement. The Broncos are no longer a rebuilding organization and cannot afford to continue slow-rolling Mims' development.
