Denver Broncos Week 1 Stock Report

The Denver Broncos have established the 53-man roster, and they now turn their attention to their Week 1 opponent—the Baltimore Ravens. The regular season is here, and the Broncos want to get this season started off on the right foot.

The Ravens present an interesting challenge for the Broncos—on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, the Ravens have a strong-armed quarterback in Joe Flacco and a versatile running back in Justin Forsett. New offensive coordinator Marc Trestman should be able to craft a creative offense that gets the most out of the playmakers on the roster.

Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak knows firsthand the challenges the team faces against the Ravens offensive line: "It'll be a big test for us. A big strength of their football team is the interior—on both sides of the ball—and they're a very physical football team. We understand that. The good news is that we work against—I think that we get to work against good people each and every day."

Defensively, the Ravens have a swarming unit that can harass opposing quarterbacks early and often. It will be a point of emphasis for the Broncos to slow down Baltimore’s pass-rushers and keep Peyton Manning upright. The Broncos can protect Manning by running the rock efficiently with starter C.J. Anderson leading the way.

With the first regular-season game on the horizon, let’s take a look at the Broncos' stock report.

Stock Up: Emmanuel Sanders

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All reports indicate that wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is going to be on the field for the Week 1 game against the Ravens. He feels good after missing most of training camp—and all of the preseason—while recovering from his hamstring injury.

"I feel good, I feel really good," he said. "I'm excited and the season starts Sunday. Today was a good start. I feel like, offensively, we went out there and we moved the football. We had the opportunity to get one extra practice in before we start on Wednesday our preparation for Baltimore."

In addition to starting on the outside at receiver, Sanders should be the primary punt returner for the Broncos in Week 1. Kubiak has the utmost confidence that Sanders can get it done.

"I have total confidence," the coach said. "He's fine, he practiced great today and he's very explosive. We've never had any doubt that he could do that. If we can find him some more touches—in this league, in the kicking game, it's really difficult to find touches nowadays, especially in kickoff return, but in punt return you have a chance to make some plays."

Kubiak emphasized, "I'm looking forward to watching him do it."

His numbers may dip this year compared to the career-best numbers he posted last season. However, Sanders is still a big-time playmaker and a key piece to what the Broncos do offensively.

Stock Down: Defensive Line

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The Broncos are likely to have a ferocious defense in 2015, but they are going to be thin on the defensive line to start the season. Earlier this summer, they found out that defensive end Derek Wolfe was going to be suspended four games for a violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Arguably the biggest weak spot on the team, the defensive line is not helped by this suspension because Wolfe is a starter and is going to be counted on to set the edge against the run.

Kubiak wouldn’t reveal who would be starting in Wolfe’s place come Sunday.

"We're going to play them all," the coach said. "We're going to have a rotation. We feel like he's [Antonio Smith] come along. He's caught up. He and [DE Vance Walker] Walk are both going to play a great deal. I think it's probably more experience than anything going into opening week.”

Kubiak concluded, "We feel like Antonio's made up a lot of ground."

No matter who starts in place of Wolfe, the Broncos are wise to use a rotation on the defensive line. Expect that to be their formula going forward without Wolfe over the first month of the year.

Sylvester Williams will lock down the middle of the line at nose tackle, and he seems more comfortable in the 3-4 defense employed by Wade Phillips. Shutting down opposing running backs up the gut should not be a problem for the Broncos if Williams plays up to his potential.

Malik Jackson is starting at defensive end, and he’s playing the “J.J. Watt” position for Phillips. He’s unlikely to match the world-class production of Watt, but Jackson could easily post career-best numbers in 2015.

The Broncos have some key defenders on the defensive line, but they could miss Wolfe more than some think in Week 1.

Stock Up: C.J. Anderson

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With the roster set, the Broncos now focus on their first opponent. A large portion of the game plan is likely to include starting running back C.J. Anderson.

The Broncos need to slow down the Ravens’ pass-rushers because protecting Manning is imperative to the team’s Super Bowl hopes. Perhaps the best way to slow down an aggressive defense is to beat the hell out of it with a strong rushing attack.

Anderson is ready for the challenge.

“It's opening week," the running back said. "It's a long week. That's how it feels. You try to get to know them as much as you can. They've got some old faces and some new faces. You try to get to know them as much as you can because you're not going to get too much during preseason because it's not the ones in there.

"[It’s the] same with us, too. [Head] Coach [Gary Kubiak] Kub and [offensive coordinator Rick] Rico [Dennison], they have a good familiarity with them [after] being in Baltimore. They have a good familiarity with us and what our offense will be like knowing Coach Kub and Rico. It'll be a fun game and exciting."

The Broncos should go all-in with Anderson and the ground game this season. Over the course of the year, they can beat up opponents and set the tone with his power running.

Stock Down: Safety

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Last week, the NFL informed the Broncos they would be without the services of strong safety T.J. Ward for the first week of the season. The Broncos revealed that the suspension stemmed from misdemeanor charges dating back to an incident at a Denver strip club from May 2014. Those charges were later dropped.

Ward issued a statement after the suspension was announced:

"Although I was never arrested and all charges against me were ultimately dismissed, I have no one to blame but myself for being in the predicament that evening. To the Denver Broncos organization, the Bowlen family and to the Denver Bronco fans, I want to apologize for my conduct. I have learned from my mistakes and will continue to be a pillar in the community to make myself a stronger person and player for the Denver Broncos."

Without an intimidating playmaker such as Ward, the Broncos defense will look less ferocious against the Ravens in Week 1. David Bruton is a player the team could turn to, as he has plenty of experience starting at both strong safety and free safety.

Bruton should be the starter in place of Ward, but Kubiak did not confirm that.

"I think that we're going to end up playing a lot of people, but yes, I think that you're going to see us defensively and offensively have a lot of guys on the field," the coach said. "I think that's very important early in the NFL season. Not many people have been past 30 plays in this league, but yes he's ready to go."

Playing without Ward will also put more pressure on new free safety Darian Stewart. He’s been impressive in camp and the preseason for the Broncos, but he has been able to patrol the field because of Ward’s play close to the line of scrimmage.

The Broncos defense could be the identity of the team this year, but it will be without one of its best playmakers against the Ravens.

Stock Up: Shane Ray

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In the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos did something they’d never done under the guidance of general manager John Elway—they moved up to select a player. They made that move for a good reason as Missouri linebacker Shane Ray was falling within their range.

After Ray dominated in the preseason, that looks like a brilliant move.

He is pumped for the first regular-season game of his pro career. The Ravens should be concerned about how Ray never relents in his pursuit of the quarterback.

"I think it's a lot of excitement," he said. "I feel like I've kind of gotten into my groove as a football player using the preseason games. Now I'm excited for the regular season to go against some of the best guys you're going to face. I love to compete."

Ray noted, "I'm just looking forward to the opportunities to get better, play against some of the top names in the league and to help my team win."

Even as a part-time player, he can be an impactful asset for the Broncos defense. He flips a switch when it’s game time, and Ray is certainly going to be amped up for the first game of his pro career.

Ray has flashed brilliantly during the preseason. Broncos fans should not be surprised to see him take his game to another level in the regular season.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.