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The Denver Broncos are moving past the short-lived Russell Wilson debacle and starting the Bo Nix era. A first-round quarterback means at least a soft rebuild for the Broncos, so it’s safe to assume Sean Payton will give his rookies the chance to unseat established veterans this season. Those competitions will start at the skill positions on offense with fourth-round wide receiver Troy Franklin gunning for longtime WR1 Courtland Sutton and his starting job.
The one Broncos rookie who won’t be pressing veterans for playing time is Bo Nix. The former Auburn and Oregon signal-caller will get every opportunity to begin Week 1 as the team’s starter. And at 24, there’s a good chance he is as ready as he’s going to be for the chance.
There is always a small chance that Jarrett Stidham or even Zach Wilson get the nod if Nix isn’t ready right away, but that would be veterans stealing a rookie’s job, not the other way around. What we’re talking about here are the Broncos veterans who better step up and show out because the rookies are coming for their roles.
WR Courtland Sutton vs. Troy Franklin
NFL players have the least financial and contractual stability of any major pro sport, so if they feel the need to hold out, using the only leverage they have, in order to get a better deal, all power to them.
That said, while it’s not clear whether Courtland Sutton will officially hold out of training camp for a new deal, he couldn’t have picked a worse year to do it.
As mentioned above, the Broncos have a rookie QB who may start, which means he needs as much time with his wideouts as possible. Also, Sutton has had three decent years in a row, averaging 792 yards the last three seasons, never quite equaling his 1,000-plus-yard 2019 campaign.
Finally, Denver got a steal in the 2024 NFL Draft with Oregon wideout Troy Franklin falling to the fourth round. Franklin was projected as a second-round— or even potentially a late first-round— pick. He fell to the fourth, though, and the Broncos decided to reunite him with his Ducks teammate Nix.
Last season, Franklin and Nix combined for 81 catches for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns. With this battery’s familiarity and success with each other, Sutton better be careful about staying away from camp as it is easy to see a world where Franklin becomes (or stays) Nix’s favorite target as they embark on their NFL careers.
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RB Javonte Williams vs. Audric Estime
The Broncos running back spot could become a rookies and veterans battle as well as Notre Dame runner Audric Estime takes on Javonte Williams and Semaei Perine for a role in the backfield.
In 2021, Williams looked like the next Broncos RB star, rushing for 903 yards on just 203 carries. However, a major knee injury robbed him of his 2022 season, and in 2023, he again got back to 200-plus carries, but his yards per attempt dropped from 4.4 yards to 3.6 yards.
Maybe Williams needed another season to get fully healthy. Maybe the line in Sean Payton’s first season wasn’t ready for primetime. Or maybe Williams will never regain that burst we saw in his rookie season.
No matter which of those is true, Estime may still have a role on the 2024 Broncos. He is a pure power back at 5-foot-11, 221 pounds. He hits the hole hard and runs decisively. And while many think of Payton’s offense as high-flying, the coach does love a good power back, which is why he kept Mark Ingram around for so long.
Estime is a perfect player to become Payton’s new Ingram, which means it may be Williams and Perine fighting for time with the rookie’s role carved out.
