Five things to watch as Broncos open preseason vs. Colts, starting with QB race (2024)

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Jarrett Stidham will start at quarterback for the Denver Broncos when they visit the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday’s preseason opener, coach Sean Payton announced Friday. Rookie Bo Nix will follow in the second phase of plays, and Zach Wilson will get the third turn at quarterback.

Here are five things to watch when the Broncos open their exhibition schedule:

Can Stidham turn steady camp into game productivity?

When Stidham threw four touchdowns in as many attempts during a red zone period with the first-team offense Thursday, it served as an exclamation point on a strong opening three weeks of training camp. Stidham, entering his seventh NFL season, has been the Broncos’ most consistent quarterback. He has avoided mistakes. He’s run a clean operation at the line of scrimmage. He’s delivered the ball quickly and efficiently, mitigating pressure with quick decision-making.

“The second year in the system, things are coming more naturally to me,” Stidham said. “Last year I’d call a play and I’m thinking, ‘OK, so I called this. My read is here to here.’ Now, it’s more like second nature so I’m able to focus more on the defense and what they’re doing. ‘OK, is the play that we have called, is it good against this coverage, or do I need to change something in the run game?’ I’m able to focus more on what the defense is doing to us, versus on what we’re doing to them.”

Stidham needs to show that his efficiency and reliability in camp can translate into productive offense for the Broncos if he’s going to win the starting job. The comfort with the system has given him an edge in camp, but will it let him play loose enough in this critical audition to move the ball down the field, improvise on third downs and put the Broncos on the scoreboard? Even though Stidham has been the steadier quarterback in camp, Nix hasn’t been far behind. The Broncos invested a first-round pick in the rookie quarterback, and in a tight competition, the desire to begin in-game development for Nix could prove to be a critical part of the Broncos’ quarterback decision.

Stidham must show his edge on the practice field can also translate into games if he wants to make his case for the job too strong to argue.

How does Nix handle the pass rush?

Nix wasn’t sacked once during his senior season at Pinson Valley High School in 2018. He was taken down only five times during his senior season at Oregon in 2023. Payton named Denver’s high sack total last season (52) as one of the biggest culprits for a lackluster offensive performance. He also reiterated last week his stance that most sacks taken in the NFL are the quarterback’s fault. It’s why the Broncos are eagerly awaiting Nix’s turn Sunday — and beyond — against NFL pass rushes.

It hasn’t always been pretty in that respect. Thursday, a day the Broncos defense installed new pressure looks, Nix looked to be sacked by rookie Jonah Ellis during a red zone play and was later whistled down in the backfield during a two-minute drill. During a third-down period Wednesday — another day of fresh installations — Jonathon Cooper could have been credited with two sacks as he beat pressure around the edge and sprinted near Nix in the backfield.

Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said struggling with those looks on day one of an install is a normal part of a rookie quarterback’s maturation process, but he’s been pleased with how Nix has responded the second time around.

“When you give him a play, and it’s new and the defense has a new install, there’s a little bit of a — not as much confidence when he gets it and you look in his eyes,” Lombardi said. “After a couple of days when you’re running the same plays, you just feel like he’s a veteran. … When you’re getting new language, new protections, and then you add in a unique defense that maybe you don’t have a ton of experience with, even a veteran in his first year (in a new system), you’re going to feel some of that. I don’t think it’s unique to Bo or a rookie. With that being said, for a rookie, Bo has been outstanding with that.”

Still, as Nix progresses, the Broncos will want the rookie to handle new pressure looks on the fly. Sunday offers an important first test.

What contributions will come from the newest draft class?

Payton has mentioned the Broncos’ 2024 draft class in the same breath as the banner classes he had as the coach in New Orleans in 2006 and 2017. But that praise has come with a caveat.

“We have to see it,” he has said.

Sunday will mark the first pro action for Nix and five other Denver draft picks. (Seventh-round offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo has yet to practice in camp and won’t play Sunday.) Ellis (third round), wide receiver Troy Franklin (fourth), running back Audric Estimé (fifth), cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (fifth) and wide receiver DeVaughn Vele (seventh) certainly won’t have their careers made or broken by what they do with a handful of reps during their first exhibition action. But they can show the coaching staff they are ready for perhaps a more substantial role than initially envisioned.

That’s what Jaleel McLaughlin did during a preseason game in San Francisco last season. He tallied 97 all-purpose yards while making a handful of electric plays. McLaughlin, then an undrafted rookie, not only made the team that night but also forced his way into the vision for the team’s offense and ended his rookie year with 570 total yards.

One draft pick who could follow that path is Vele, who has been the breakout star of camp — even before his eye-popping, one-handed catch in the red zone Thursday, he has consistently popped. Payton has praised the way the 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver operates in traffic. He’s been sure-handed through contact in the middle of the field and has shown promise as a jump ball target, something Denver didn’t have last season outside of Courtland Sutton. Vele, born in Indianapolis, has recently earned some first-team reps in practice and should see significant action against the Colts.

OKAY, ROOK!

Devaughn Vele with an unbelievable catch at #BroncosCamp 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PJ0NdMcM3M

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 8, 2024

“He’s very mature, smart, and he’s detailed,” said wide receivers coach Keary Colbert, who added teammates have enjoyed giving Vele good-natured ribbing about his age as a 26-year-old rookie. “At the end of the day, he’s still a young guy in this league, and he wants to prove himself every day. He’s working hard and he’s been fun to coach. I look forward to watching him in this preseason.”

Which undrafted players make a case?

Payton kept four undrafted rookies on the Broncos’ initial 53-man roster last year, which set a team record. The total probably won’t be that high this year, but there are still a handful of players to watch closely as the game enters its second and third phases of substitutions.

No undrafted player on the team has shown more flashes than inside linebacker Levelle Bailey. Even beyond a tipped-ball interception he had during a red zone period earlier this week, he has consistently demonstrated an ability to be around the ball. As a senior at Fresno State, Bailey had five tackles for loss, 2 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and five pass breakups, a statistical profile that matches what he has shown in his first NFL camp.

“He’s picking things up like the rest of this rookie class,” Payton said. “It’s going to be important that he can help us in the kicking game. I like him. I like how he’s built. Once we get to tackling, I’m anxious to see how he fares there because we liked him on his college film. He’s working hard. I’m sure it’s a lot compared to what he had to do in college, but he’s hanging in there.”

Another name to watch is Jaylon Allen, the edge rusher out of Memphis. The top four outside linebackers for the Broncos are a pretty safe bet: Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto and Ellis. If there is a fifth spot, numerous players have a case. Chief among them is Thomas Incoom, one of the four to make the roster the hard way last season. Incoom has been a consistent playmaker throughout camp and has experience playing in coordinator Vance Joseph’s defensive system. But Allen, who played 60 games across five seasons at Memphis, has made noticeable strides the past week and could get significant reps in the second half Sunday.

Week 1 is one month away. 😎#BroncosCamp pic.twitter.com/Ji2Rh9JIQa

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 8, 2024

How will key position battles play out?

The Broncos still have a handful of starting jobs up for grabs entering the preseason opener. It starts, of course, with the quarterback race. There also is a starting outside corner spot opposite Pat Surtain II. There is the inside linebacker spot next to Alex Singleton. There is an unsettled pecking order at safety. There is a competition to replace Lloyd Cushenberry as the team’s starting center. There is even a punt-off to be decided!

Payton has made competition the theme of this offseason. It’s not a novel concept, but the Broncos are facing as much turnover at key starting positions as they’ve had at any point since they lifted the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2015 season. It creates a layer of intrigue in Sunday’s game, which will be a critical inflection point in all of the battles listed above.

“Obviously, the games carry a lot of weight for guys competing for jobs,” Joseph said. “There is (competition at) inside backer, corner and (defensive) line. It’s everywhere. It’s been healthy to watch those guys compete for spots. Again, it’s a long season. You want to build depth anyway. So everyone’s fighting for a spot.”

That last part is critical to remember. The Broncos chose starters at corner (Damarri Mathis) and nickel (Essang Bassey) at the end of camp last season, only to turn to replacements (Fabian Moreau, Ja’Quan McMillian) after three games. The competitions won’t end based on Sunday’s performance. A joint practice with the Green Bay Packers will follow five days later and serve as another important audition.

But the game against the Colts is a chance for players like Riley Moss, the second-year player battling for the starting corner job, to make an impression that is hard to ignore.

(Photo of Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Bo Nix: Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today)

Nick Kosmider is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Denver Broncos. He previously covered the Denver Nuggets for The Athletic after spending five years at the Denver Post, where he covered the city’s professional sports scene. His other stops include The Arizona Republic and MLB.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickKosmider