ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Jarrett Stidham will start at quarterback for the Denver Broncos when they visit the Indianapolis Colts in their season opener Sunday, coach Sean Payton announced Friday. Rookie Bo Nix will follow in the second period of plays and Zach Wilson will be the third in line at quarterback.
Here are five things to look out for as the Broncos open their test match schedule:
Can Stidham translate his solid performance in camp into game productivity?
When Stidham threw four touchdowns in as many attempts during a red zone period with the first offense on Thursday, it capped a strong first three weeks of training camp. Stidham, who is entering his seventh NFL season, has been the Broncos’ most consistent quarterback. He has avoided mistakes. He has run a clean operation at the line of scrimmage. He has thrown the ball quickly and efficiently and has eased the pressure with quick decisions.
“In my second year in the system, things are more natural to me,” Stidham said. “Last year, I called a play and thought, ‘OK, so that’s what I called. I read from here to here.’ Now, it’s more like second nature, so I can focus more on the defense and what they’re doing. ‘OK, is the play we called good against this coverage or do I need to change something in the run game?’ I can focus more on what the defense is doing to us than what we’re doing to them.”
Stidham will need to show that his efficiency and reliability in camp translates into a productive offense for the Broncos if he wants to earn the starting job. Familiarity with the system has given him an advantage in camp, but will this crucial pregame allow him to play loose enough to move the ball down the field, improvise on third downs and get the Broncos on the scoreboard? Although Stidham has been the more reliable 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 develop Nix during the game could prove to be a deciding factor in the Broncos’ quarterback decision.
Stidham will need to show that he can translate his skills on the practice field into games if he wants to make his qualifications for the job convincing enough.
How does Nix handle the pass rush?
Nix was not sacked once in his final season at Pinson Valley High School in 2018. He was brought down just five times in his final season at Oregon High School in 2023. Payton cited Denver’s high sack total (52) last season as one of the main reasons for a lackluster offensive performance. Last week, he also reiterated his opinion that most sacks in the NFL are the quarterback’s fault. That’s why the Broncos are eagerly awaiting Nix’s action on Sunday – and beyond – against NFL pass rushes.
It wasn’t always pretty in that regard. On Thursday, a day when the Broncos defense was implementing new pressure setups, Nix looked like he was going to be sacked by rookie Jonah Ellis during a red zone play and later picked off in the backfield during a two-minute drill. During a third-down period on Wednesday – another day of new setups – Jonathon Cooper could have recorded two sacks when he escaped pressure on the perimeter and sprinted to Nix in the backfield.
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Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said it’s a normal part of a rookie quarterback’s maturation process to struggle with such phenomena on the first day, but he was pleased with Nix’s response the second time around.
“When you give him a play that’s new and the defense has a new structure, there’s a little bit — not as much confidence when he gets it and you look him in the eyes,” Lombardi said. “After a couple days of making the same plays, you just feel like he’s a veteran. … When you get new language, new protections and then add a unique defense that you may not have a lot 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 that’s unique to Bo or a rookie. That being said, Bo was outstanding at that for a rookie.”
Even though Nix is making progress, the Broncos still want the rookie to quickly adjust to new pressure situations, and Sunday will be an important first test.
What contributions will come from the latest draft class?
Payton has mentioned the Broncos’ 2024 draft class in the same breath as the outstanding classes he had as coach in New Orleans in 2006 and 2017. But that praise comes with a caveat.
“We have to see,” he said.
Sunday will be the first professional action for Nix and five other Denver draft picks. (Seventh-round offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo has not yet practiced in training camp and will not 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 decided by what they do in a handful of reps during their first tryout. But they can show the coaching staff that they are ready for perhaps a more significant role than originally envisioned.
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That’s exactly what Jaleel McLaughlin did during a preseason game in San Francisco last season. He totaled 97 all-purpose yards while making a handful of electrifying plays. McLaughlin, an undrafted rookie at the time, not only made the team that night but also made a mark on the team’s offense, finishing his rookie year with 570 total yards.
One draft pick who could go that route is Vele, who has been the rising star of camp – he was consistently effective even before his stunning one-handed catch in the red zone on Thursday. Payton has praised the way the 6-foot-4, 215-pound receiver operates in the huddle. He has been sure on contact in the middle of the field and has shown promise as a jump ball target, something Denver didn’t have last season other than Courtland Sutton. Vele, a native of Indianapolis, has recently been through some first-team practices and should see plenty of action against the Colts.
OKAY, ROOK!
Devaughn Vele with an incredible catch at #BroncosCamp 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PJ0NdMcM3M
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) 8 August 2024
“He’s very mature, smart and detail-oriented,” said wide receivers coach Keary Colbert, who added that his teammates have been happy to tease Vele 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 works hard and is fun to coach. I’m looking forward to watching him this preseason.”
Which undrafted players have good chances?
Payton kept four undrafted rookies on the Broncos’ original 53-man roster last year, which was a team record. The total likely won’t be as high this year, but there are still a handful of players to watch closely as the game enters the second and third phases of substitutions.
No undrafted player on the team has shown more brilliance than inside linebacker Levelle Bailey. Even aside from a deflected interception he had during a red zone spell earlier this week, he has shown time and time again that he can stay close to 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 showed in his first NFL camp.
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“He’s learning like the rest of this rookie class,” Payton said. “It’s going to be important that he can help us kick. I like him. I like how he’s built. Once we get to tackling, I’m excited to see how he does there because we liked him in his college film. He works 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 keep an eye on is Jaylon Allen, the edge rusher from Memphis. The Broncos’ top four outside linebackers are pretty safe bets: Jonathon Cooper, Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto and Ellis. If there’s a fifth spot, numerous players have a chance. Chief among them is Thomas Incoom, one of the four who made the roster the hard way last season. Incoom has been a consistent playmaker throughout training camp and has experience in coordinator Vance Joseph’s defensive system. But Allen, who played in 60 games in five seasons with Memphis, made significant progress last week and could see plenty of second-half action on Sunday.
Week 1 is a month away. 😎#BroncosCamp pic.twitter.com/Ji2Rh9JIQa
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) 8 August 2024
How will the key battles for positions turn out?
The Broncos still have a handful of starting spots up for grabs before the season opens. It starts, of course, with the race for quarterback. There’s also a starting spot for outside corner opposite Pat Surtain II. There’s a spot for inside linebacker next to Alex Singleton. The pecking order at safety is unclear. There’s competition for Lloyd Cushenberry’s spot as the team’s starting center. There’s even a punt-off to be decided!
Payton has made competition the theme of this offseason. It’s not a new concept, but the Broncos are dealing with more turnover at key starting positions than at any time since winning the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2015 season. That adds extra excitement to Sunday’s game, which will be a critical turning point in all of the battles listed above.
“Obviously, the games mean a lot to the guys fighting for a job,” Joseph said. “There’s (competition) at inside backer, corner and (defensive) line. It’s everywhere. It’s been healthy to watch those guys fight for a spot. Again, it’s a long season. You want to build depth anyway. So everyone’s fighting for a spot.”
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That last part is important to remember. The Broncos selected starters at corner (Damarri Mathis) and nickel (Essang Bassey) at the end of training camp last season, only to resort to replacements (Fabian Moreau, Ja’Quan McMillian) after three games. The competition will not end on Sunday’s performance. Five days later, they will have a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers, which will serve as another important tryout.
But the game against the Colts is a chance for players like Riley Moss, who is battling for the starting corner position in his second year, to make an impression that will be hard to ignore.
(Photo of Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Bo Nix: Isaiah J. Downing / USA Today)
