Breaking Down Denver Broncos Roster After the 2015 NFL Draft
The Denver Broncos added nine players to their roster during the 2015 NFL draft, and now we can take a glimpse at how the roster and depth chart look with the additions of these rookies.
Though it's only May, we can start to project who will start at each position as well as the battles that will ensue once training camp opens later this summer.
Which positions are the strongest? Where could the team use more depth? And which players should we expect to be in the starting lineup come Week 1? We'll delve into it here, with a position-by-position look at the team's entire roster.
Quarterback
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Starter: Peyton Manning
Backup: Brock Osweiler
Third String: Zac Dysert
Fourth String: Trevor Siemian
This job is not up for grabs. Peyton Manning will be the team's starting quarterback until he doesn't want to be. However, his health will be something to keep an eye on this season.
Manning was clearly not at 100 percent toward the end of the 2014 season, and it showed in the playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Can he hold up in a 16-game season at 39 years old?
The progression of Brock Osweiler will be of major importance to the team. Osweiler is in the final year of his contract, and his status with the team could be in serious question starting next year, as many factors could lead him elsewhere.
The most interesting battle will be for the third-string position between Zac Dysert and Trevor Siemian. Dysert has been in the Broncos system since 2013, and Siemian, one of the team's seventh-round picks, is coming off a torn ACL that he is still rehabbing.
This should give Dysert a big advantage, but there's no guarantee that Denver will keep three quarterbacks. There's a good chance that the team cuts both of these players.
Running Back
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Projected Starter: C.J. Anderson
Backup: Montee Ball
Third String: Ronnie Hillman
Others: Juwan Thompson, Jeremy Stewart, Kapri Bibbs
After a strong performance in relief of Montee Ball last season, it will be tough for any running back on Denver's roster to supplant C.J. Anderson as the starter. His 849 yards rushing and eight touchdowns landed him a spot in the Pro Bowl.
But Ball is the player to watch. The Broncos were so sold on his ability to be the running back of the future that the team made no attempt to re-sign Knowshon Moreno last year. But Ball lasted only a few games into the season before suffering a groin injury.
How does he bounce back? Can he form a solid combination with Anderson, or will the 2013 second-rounder prove to be a bad draft choice? If Ball isn't capable of rebounding, can Ronnie Hillman step up and fill that void?
These will be key questions for the Broncos in 2015.
On another note, if you didn't realize it last season, Juwan Thompson has the tools to become a great player.
Wide Receiver
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Projected Starters: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Cody Latimer
Backups: Andre Caldwell, Jordan Norwood, Isaiah Burse
Others: Bennie Fowler, Kyle Williams, Nathan Palmer
Despite Demaryius Thomas' decision to skip offseason workouts, and John Elway subsequently being critical of that choice, there's nothing to worry about with Denver's franchise receiver.
In the last three seasons, Thomas has caught 297 passes for 4,483 yards and 35 touchdowns. You will be hard-pressed to find numbers like that anywhere else in the league.
Thomas will again be Manning's No. 1 target, and there's no reason that he won't put up similar numbers to the ones he's already established with No. 18.
Emmanuel Sanders is also coming off a career year, but how soon will the new coaching staff put Cody Latimer on the field? Despite being a second-round pick last year, Latimer saw limited action as a rookie.
With Wes Welker out of the picture, the Broncos don't have a great option if Latimer falters this season. However, keep an eye on Jordan Norwood. During training camp last season, Norwood stood out as much as any player and was well on his way to making the team before a season-ending knee injury put an end to that.
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Tight End
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Projected Starter: Owen Daniels
Backup: Virgil Green
Third String: James Casey
Others: Jeff Heuerman, Dominique Jones, Joe Don Duncan
After losing Julius Thomas in free agency, the tight end position was looking ugly for the Broncos in 2015. But they have addressed it—and then some.
After re-signing Virgil Green, the team brought in Owen Daniels and James Casey. Both players know the system Gary Kubiak likes to run.
In addition to that, the team used a third-round pick on Jeff Heuerman from Ohio State. Heuerman will bring toughness to the position that fans will appreciate, but he has good hands, too. He'll probably need a year in the system to develop, but he will be a starter sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, the Broncos have solid options. Daniels has caught 433 passes and 33 touchdowns in his career, and Green is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league.
Offensive Line
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Projected Starters: Ryan Clady, Shelley Smith, Gino Gradkowski, Louis Vasquez, Ty Sambrailo
Backups: Jon Halapio, Max Garcia, Matt Paradis, Ben Garland, Chris Clark, Michael Schofield
It's anyone's guess as to what combination of players the Broncos will put on the field as their starting offensive line this season. They trimmed the depth chart when they released reserve tackle Paul Cornick, as reported by Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
Ryan Clady and Louis Vasquez are the only surefire starters. After that, there will be stiff competition at many positions.
The Broncos drafted offensive linemen in two of the first four rounds of the draft. In the case of second-round pick Ty Sambrailo, the team likely did not choose him as high as No. 59 overall for him to spend an extended period of time on the bench.
Expect Sambrailo and fourth-round pick Max Garcia to crack the starting lineup often. Denver may go with the more experienced Gino Gradkowski at center to start the season, but Garcia is too talented to keep off the field.
The big question mark will be Michael Schofield. Last year's third-round pick didn't see the field, but that may have been because former head coach John Fox was not a big believer in his abilities:
"Michael Schofield "is real smart," Vasquez says. "He picked up the system real quick last year ... he does show some promise."
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) April 22, 2015
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The Broncos will give Schofield a great opportunity to find a role as a starter before the season begins.
Defensive Line
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Defensive Tackle
Projected Starter: Sylvester Williams
Backup: Marvin Austin
Third String: Darius Kilgo
Because he was a first-round draft pick to whom the Broncos want to give every single opportunity, Sylvester Williams will probably be penciled in as the starting defensive tackle when training camp opens. But with that said, don't be surprised to see Marvin Austin win the job.
Austin was a monster in training camp last summer. The player who fits Wade Phillips' defense best as a nose tackle will win the job, and Austin has the physical tools to do that.
Sixth-round draft choice Darius Kilgo's role will be to clog the middle and shut down the run. He is a liability on the field on passing downs, which will limit his snaps.
Defensive End
Projected Starters: Malik Jackson, Derek Wolfe
Backups: Antonio Smith, Vance Walker
Third String: Gerald Rivers, Kenny Anunike
Malik Jackson is one of the fastest-rising players on the entire roster. He had 84 tackles and nine sacks over the course of the last two seasons. However, Derek Wolfe is the player who may flourish the most in the 3-4 defensive scheme.
Wolfe will be able to play to his strength as a run-stopping defensive end who will occasionally put pressure on the quarterback. This could easily be Wolfe's best year in the league.
Adding Antonio Smith was another big move. Not only do the Broncos get one of the better veteran pass-rushers in the league, but they also get one who has excelled in Phillips' defense in the past.
Linebacker
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Outside Linebacker
Projected Starters: DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller
Backups: Shane Ray, Lerentee McCray
Third String: Shaquil Barrett, Chase Vaughn
After the selection of Shane Ray in the first round of the draft, is there a team in the league with a more ferocious set of outside linebackers than the Broncos?
Ray will join DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller to form a trio that will be tough for any opponent to handle. Although all three players are outside linebackers with penchants for rushing the passer, look for Phillips to devise multiple packages where he can get all three players on the field at once.
Inside Linebacker
Projected Starters: Brandon Marshall, Danny Trevathan
Backups: Reggie Walker, Steven Johnson
Third String: Lamin Barrow, Danny Mason
Others: Corey Nelson, Todd Davis
Though many fans may have been unhappy that the Broncos chose not to draft an inside linebacker, the team has several options at the position.
After Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan, any of the other six players on the roster are capable of seeing significant time on the field. That makes this perhaps the most interesting positional battle of the offseason.
The health of Marshall and Trevathan will be the key. If they can both stay on the field, the Broncos will have a linebacker corps that rivals that of any other team in the league.
Secondary
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Cornerback
Projected Starters: Chris Harris, Aqib Talib, Bradley Roby
Backups: Tony Carter, Kayvon Webster, Lorenzo Doss
Third String: Curtis Marsh, Taurean Nixon, Tevrin Brandon, Ross Madison
The Broncos already had a great trio of cornerbacks in Chris Harris, Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby. They still felt compelled to draft a pair of Tulane cornerbacks—Lorenzo Doss and Taurean Nixon.
Doss has good ball skills, and Nixon possesses blazing speed. They will be two players to watch as the season approaches. The Broncos will look to keep them both, though Nixon is a prime candidate to be placed on the practice squad.
There is also the chance that Roby or Kayvon Webster is moved over to the free safety position if the Broncos can't find the right fit with another player.
Safety
Projected Starters: T.J. Ward, Darian Stewart
Backups: David Bruton, Omar Bolden
Third String: Josh Bush, Josh Furman
Free safety may be the weak spot on the team, and much of the success at that position could ride on free-agent signing Darian Stewart.
Stewart isn't a long-term fix at the position, but Denver will hope that he can give them some quality starts this season. If the Broncos have to turn somewhere else, problems could arise.
The selections of Doss and Nixon seem to be evidence that the Broncos may tinker with a guy like Roby or Webster at free safety.
Special Teams
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Place-Kicker
Starter: Connor Barth
Backup: Brandon McManus
Punter
Starter: Britton Colquitt
Punter: Karl Schmitz
Long Snapper
Starter: Aaron Brewer
The Broncos have some unique options in the kicking game this year.
Connor Barth replaced an ineffective Brandon McManus during the 2014 season, drilling 15 of the 16 field goals he attempted. But due to the fact that he couldn't get kickoffs to the end zone, the team was forced to keep McManus as a kickoff specialist. This seems like a waste of a precious roster spot.
In addition, punter Britton Colquitt wasn't as good as he had been in recent years, and combined with the fact that he is due $3 million this season, the Broncos could find a more economical player to handle punting duties.
This is where Karl Schmitz comes in.
The Broncos signed Schmitz off the street due to his strong leg and abilities as both a punter and a place-kicker. This could allow the Broncos to kill two birds with one stone.
If Schmitz looks good in camp, he could supplant Colquitt as the team's new punter and take over kickoff duties. This would allow the team to cut Colquitt and McManus.
Here is a feature I did on Schmitz, giving a more in-depth look at the Broncos' new kicker.
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