Delarrin Turner-Yell might have a Hollywood story waiting for him, but he\u2019s also a realist.<\/p>\n
Since December 2023, the Broncos\u2019 2022 fifth-round pick has been working his way back from a torn ACL suffered during a game against the Chargers. He finally returned to practice late last October<\/a> \u2014 but wasn\u2019t activated from injured reserve. His reward for a year and a half of tribulation? A scrap for a roster spot in a loaded secondary.<\/p>\n Call it like it is, as he told The Denver Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of us can\u2019t stay here,\u201d Turner-Yell said. \u201cSo, I feel like whichever, whatever happens, we\u2019ll all go and we\u2019ll all succeed, just because we had so deep of a camp.\u201d<\/p>\n That applies well beyond the Broncos\u2019 secondary. This is the deepest training camp roster Sean Payton\u2019s had in his three seasons in Denver. A number of veterans could find themselves on the bubble when roster cuts come in late August, and three preseason games on the horizon will decide battles at several positions.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s The Post\u2019s first stab at a Broncos 53-man roster projection entering the week of their first preseason game against San Francisco:<\/p>\n OFFENSE (25) Locks:\u00a0Bo Nix<\/a>, Jarrett Stidham<\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0Sam Ehlinger<\/p>\n Bubble consideration:\u00a0There are tremendous vibes with this group, between Nix chasing Stidham in drills and all three throwing their hands up like Mii characters when they hit the intended pocket in net-toss drills. Ehlinger, though, might be hard-pressed for a roster spot after an uneven start to camp<\/a>. The Broncos did take three quarterbacks last year, but with the amount of depth and upside at skill-position spots, they could cut back here in 2025.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Nix and Stidham.<\/p>\n Running back\/fullback (4)<\/p>\n Locks:\u00a0J.K. Dobbins<\/a>, RJ Harvey<\/a><\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0Jaleel McLaughlin, Michael Burton, Audric Estime, Tyler Badie, Blake Watson<\/p>\n Bubble consideration:\u00a0Boy, where to begin? Payton has repeated throughout the offseason that nobody will know how this room shakes out until the preseason kicks off. Just look at McLaughlin, who staff thought was a nice practice-squad rookie in 2023 before he popped in the preseason. Estime seemed like he could wind up on the chopping block after the Broncos signed Dobbins, but the second-year power back has put together a run of good days. The key factor here is Burton, who didn\u2019t crack the initial 53-man roster in 2024 but ended up playing in all 17 games with elevations from the practice squad. Here\u2019s betting Payton plays his cards similarly this year.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Dobbins, Harvey, McLaughlin, Estime.<\/p>\n Wide receiver (6)<\/p>\n Locks:\u00a0Courtland Sutton<\/a>, Marvin Mims Jr.<\/a>, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant<\/p>\n In the mix: Devaughn Vele<\/a>, Trent Sherfield, Michael Bandy, Joaquin Davis, Courtney Jackson, Jerjuan Newton, Kyrese Rowan, AT Perry<\/p>\n Bubble consideration:\u00a0It\u2019s strange to not have Vele as a lock after a 41-catch rookie season, but he hasn\u2019t quite flashed the same as the Broncos\u2019 young Mims-Franklin-Bryant triumvirate in camp. He\u2019s still probably too valuable to the room and too much of a 6-foot-5 Payton ideal to cut. Sherfield has made plays throughout camp and might end up playing a large number of snaps this year as both a special-teamer and blocking receiver. That makes the choices here fairly clear-cut, even as Davis, Jackson, Newton and Rowan have all authored standout July moments.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Sutton, Mims, Franklin, Bryant, Vele, Sherfield.<\/p>\n Tight end (4)<\/p>\n Locks:\u00a0Evan Engram<\/a>, Adam Trautman<\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0Nate Adkins<\/a>, Lucas Krull, Caleb Lohner, Caden Prieskorn<\/p>\n Bubble consideration: Engram\u2019s arrival has shaken up this group substantially, and there\u2019s not much room for a heap of pass-catching tight ends beyond him. Adkins brings inherent value as a blocker\/receiver\/fullback\/ST guy. From there, the battle is between Krull and the rookie Lohner. Krull led the Broncos\u2019 tight ends in catches last year, but Lohner, for all of his football inexperience, has made more plays in camp.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Engram, Trautman, Adkins, Lohner.<\/p>\n Offensive line (9)<\/p>\n Locks:\u00a0Luke Wattenberg, Ben Powers, Quinn Meinerz, Garett Bolles<\/a>, Mike McGlinchey<\/a>, Matt Peart, Alex Palczewski<\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0Centers Alex Forsyth and Joe Michalski; guards Nick Garguilo, Calvin Throckmorton and Will Sherman; tackles Marques Cox, Frank Crum, and Xavier Truss<\/p>\n Bubble consideration:\u00a0This is quite literally the same group as last year, and it\u2019s tempting to just toss out the exact same names that kicked off the Broncos\u2019 53-man in 2024. Beyond the Wattenberg-Powers-Meinerz-Bolles-McGlinchey starting quintet, Peart and Palczewski have continued to establish themselves as the key next men up at tackle. Forsyth is Wattenberg\u2019s natural backup, so he\u2019s set for the roster again. That leaves Crum (who surprisingly made last year\u2019s initial roster as an undrafted rookie) and Garguilo to duke it out with some youngsters. If Denver wants more guard depth, though, they\u2019d likely lean Garguilo.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Wattenberg, Powers, Meinerz, Bolles, McGlinchey, Peart, Palczewski, Forsyth, Garguilo.<\/p>\n DEFENSE (25) Locks:\u00a0Zach Allen<\/a>, John Franklin-Myers, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach<\/a><\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0Matt Henningsen, Sai\u2019vion Jones, Garrett Nelson, Jordan Jackson, Eyioma Uwazurike<\/a>, Kristian Williams, Jordan Miller<\/p>\n Bubble consideration: There is plenty of continuity on this front, too. This will likely shape up as a three-man battle for two spots between third-round rookie Jones, second-year Jackson and 2022 fourth-rounder Uwazurike. Jackson cracked the initial 53-man roster fairly easily last year and played a sizeable rotational role, but this might be a tougher proposition. Uwazurike\u2019s had a standout camp, and Sai\u2019vion Jones could be the eventual replacement for any of the Allen-Franklin-Myers-Roach core that the Broncos don\u2019t extend.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Allen, Franklin-Myers, D.J. Jones, Roach, Sai\u2019vion Jones, Uwazurike.<\/p>\n Outside linebacker (5)<\/p>\n Locks:\u00a0Nik Bonitto<\/a>, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, Dondrea Tillman<\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0Andrew Farmer, Que Robinson<\/p>\n Bubble consideration:\u00a0Pretty straightforward here. Elliss has too much upside to cut, and Tillman has been \u2014 in the words of Cooper \u2014 balling throughout camp. The Broncos took only four here on their initial 2024 53-man roster, but Robinson might force their hand. The fourth-round rookie missed the last couple of days of camp but flashed throughout offseason work. He carries special teams upside, too, which hits on two birds with one stone.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Bonitto, Cooper, Elliss, Tillman, Robinson<\/p>\n Inside linebacker (5)<\/p>\n Locks:\u00a0Dre Greenlaw, Alex Singleton, Levelle Bailey<\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0Justin Strnad, Drew Sanders<\/a>, JB Brown, Karene Reid, Jordan Turner<\/p>\n Bubble consideration:\u00a0With the Broncos\u2019 recent rash of injuries here, this is likely the most interesting and unpredictable room on the roster. Singleton<\/a> and Greenlaw<\/a> have both been banged up during camp, and Sanders will be out upwards of a month. That will create some interesting gymnastics, though, as the Broncos probably wouldn\u2019t want to slap Sanders with an IR designation. They may take five here with Strnad or Turner, the latter of whom has shone as an undrafted rookie out of Michigan State.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Greenlaw, Singleton, Bailey, Sanders, Strnad<\/p>\n Cornerback (5)<\/p>\n Locks:\u00a0Jahdae Barron<\/a>, Ja\u2019Quan McMillian<\/a>, Riley Moss<\/a>, Pat Surtain II<\/a><\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0Kris Abrams-Draine, Mario Goodrich, Damarri Mathis, Quinton Newsome, Joshua Pickett, Jaden Robinson, Reese Taylor<\/p>\n Bubble consideration:\u00a0The Broncos brought in five CBs last year, but the amount of positional flexibility in this room would let them shave here. Barron and McMillian are competing for the starting nickel job, but both \u2014 particularly Barron \u2014 can play outside. Mathis, Taylor, Abrams-Draine and Newsome have all battled for second-team reps throughout camp, but Abrams-Draine carries the higher upside after a couple of standout performances in 2024.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Barron, McMillian, Moss, Surtain II, Abrams-Draine<\/p>\n Safety (4)<\/p>\n Locks:\u00a0Talanoa Hufanga<\/a>, Brandon Jones<\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0Sam Franklin Jr., P.J. Locke<\/a>, JL Skinner, Delarrin Turner-Yell, Devon Key, Keidron Smith<\/p>\n Bubble consideration: How much do the Broncos value special-teamers? Franklin is the pivot point here. He\u2019s a free-agent signee who likely won\u2019t contribute much in the secondary but could be a key part of Darren Rizzi\u2019s unit. Key, Locke, Skinner and Smith all made last year\u2019s initial roster, but as Turner-Yell himself said, they all aren\u2019t making it here. Locke played the second-most snaps of any Broncos defender in 2024, but keep an eye on him throughout preseason. He\u2019s in a backup role, and Denver would save over $4 million in cap by cutting him.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Hufanga, Jones, Locke, Key<\/p>\n SPECIAL TEAMS (3)<\/p>\n Locks:\u00a0Jeremy Crawshaw<\/a> (P), Wil Lutz (K), Mitchell Fraboni (LS)<\/p>\n In the mix:\u00a0No one<\/p>\n Bubble consideration:\u00a0Unless there\u2019s an injury and the Broncos bring back Matt Haack or Zach Triner from the cutting-room floor<\/a>, there\u2019s no competition here. Cut-and-dry. Man, can Crawshaw boot, by the way.<\/p>\n The call:\u00a0Crawshaw, Lutz, Fraboni<\/p>\n
\nQuarterback (2)<\/p>\n
\nDefensive line (6)<\/p>\n