From spring into winter, the ghost of Wilsons Past still floated around Dove Valley in 2024, haunting the Broncos\u2019 front office.<\/p>\n
No, Denver didn\u2019t pay Russell Wilson the $350 million he was asking for<\/a>. But after a franchise-altering decision to dump the QB, they still had to toss $53 million on the books for 2024. It\u2019s hard, naturally, to pay veterans around such a massive roadblock. So Denver, as head coach Sean Payton noted earlier in June, played a \u201clot of young players\u201d last fall.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you hope, quite naturally,\u201d Payton said, \u201cthat those guys are further along.\u201d<\/p>\n The reliance on youth was enough to bring 10 wins to Denver last year, the kind of success not seen since Peyton Manning was behind center wringing the final drops of juice from his 39-year-old arm. And young talent is solidified in a variety of key roles to the Broncos\u2019 climb in 2025, from Bo Nix to a glut of top receivers.<\/p>\n But others in the youth movement made their presence felt this spring and summer \u2014 in one way or another. With the Broncos carrying a full 91 on their offseason roster, here\u2019s a stock watch on some young players as time ticks before training camp kicks off July 22.<\/p>\n Heating up<\/p>\n Levelle Bailey, MLB: An undrafted free agent signing out of Fresno State in 2024, Bailey played seven defensive snaps at inside linebacker for Denver in his rookie year. If offseason workouts are any indication, that count will rise in \u201925. The 6-foot-2 Bailey\u2019s skill in coverage \u2014 three picks his senior year \u2014 was perhaps his best skill at Fresno State. And he stood out on a few reps this offseason, nabbing a goal-line pick off Jarrett Stidham to end the team\u2019s first day of mandatory minicamp in June.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s betting Denver\u2019s anticipated starting MLB duo of Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw, both coming off major injuries in 2024, don\u2019t combine for 34 games. Someone behind them will get reps in 2025. Justin Strnad is back on a one-year deal, but Bailey\u2019s positioned himself well.<\/p>\n Dondrea Tillman, OLB:\u00a0After popping over from the UFL a month before training camp in 2024, the 270-pound Tillman made an immediate impact off the edge for Denver\u2019s defense, finishing fifth on the team in pressures in just 13 games. He\u2019s 27, but has just a year of NFL experience. Payton hinted at minicamp that Denver needs to be careful with sack leader Nik Bonitto\u2019s snap count in 2025 \u2014 a guy also, ahem, in a contract year \u2014 and Tillman could wind up a benefactor after a solid offseason program.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not huge on the edge, but he\u2019s one of the guys who\u2019s 260-plus, right?\u201d defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said at minicamp. \u201cThat gave us size on the edge. So run-game wise, even in the Buffalo playoff game, man, he was knocking guys around. So, he had a great year.\u201d<\/p>\n Simmering<\/p>\n Jahdae Barron, CB:\u00a0Enough ink has been spilled on Barron, the Broncos\u2019 first-round pick<\/a>. But his first extended look in a Denver jersey this spring was a mixed bag. Payton, Joseph and a variety of players have gushed over Barron\u2019s natural instincts and versatility, but there\u2019s a ton on the Texas standout\u2019s plate between learning both inside and outside spots. He was constantly in the right position in team periods, but Barron\u2019s wheels seemed to visibly turn on a variety of plays \u2014 not quite playing fully free yet. It\u2019s natural for a rookie, and a point to watch during training camp.<\/p>\n Drew Sanders, LB:\u00a0What is Sanders, exactly? He\u2019s certainly an inside linebacker now. He took big-time reps during minicamp, with Singleton and Greenlaw still working through respective rehabs. But Payton described the 2023 third-round pick as a \u201cpressure player\u201d in camp \u2014 an inside guy with outside instincts who the Broncos could feasibly rush from a variety of alignments.<\/p>\n Where will he play?\u00a0When\u00a0will he play? It\u2019s a mystery. Sanders could wind up being the Broncos\u2019 version of a pinch-hit specialist in the MLB, for blitz-package home runs. Think, like, the Rockies\u2019 2017-era Pat Valaika<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cooling<\/p>\n Audric Estime, RB:\u00a0After the Broncos\u2019 signing of J.K. Dobbins, pretty much all of their top RB names bring some sort of unique dish to a cluttered backfield table. Dobbins is a potential three-down guy who can dart between the tackles. Rookie R.J. Harvey is a home-run hitter who could catch a lot of passes. Jaleel McLaughlin is quick and doesn\u2019t make mistakes. Tyler Badie earned a Payton shout-out for his pass-protection.<\/p>\n The 227-pound Estime could be a goal-line bruiser and maybe even a bell-cow in the right offense. But his skill set overlaps more with Dobbins\u2019 than any back in the room. Estime didn\u2019t pop much on his reps in minicamp and will undeniably need to make a strong second-year impression in training camp.<\/p>\n