SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For the Denver Broncos, most of the team-wide trends of training camp continued during their joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday. The young cadre of receivers kept flashing; the front seven kept cranking up the pressure; Bo Nix dodged pressure and made some plays downfield; RJ Harvey exploded to the edge; punter Jeremy Crawshaw launched a handful of missiles with one shank thrown in.
But there were some wrinkles: missed placekicks by Wil Lutz, the 49ers offense striking back against the defense for scores in the “move-the-ball period” and back-to-back touchdowns in the red-zone period and the unfortunate news of Matt Henningsen’s injury.
Now, it’s on to the Broncos’ opening preseason game against the 49ers, and unlike last year, there isn’t a massive position battle looming over the team.
But there are some storylines that make Saturday night’s game worth watching:
WILL TROY FRANKLIN CONSOLIDATE HIS POSITION?
Perhaps the breakout star of training camp, the second-year wide receiver has cashed in on the increased opportunities he received with Bo Nix as practices progressed, to the point where it will be hard to keep the element of speed he brings off the field. The fact that he also delivers as a run blocker — an attribute noted by offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi on Tuesday — adds to his value and potential use.
But Devaughn Vele had two of his most notable days during the Broncos’ pseudo-scrimmage day last Saturday and during Thursday’s joint practice, and rookie Pat Bryant has had a strong training camp, as well. Franklin has changed the landscape, but the competition has some more data points to collect.
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CLARITY AT RUNNING BACK?
This might be a while in coming, and the question mark at the end of that sub-headline seems likely to linger unless one of Audric Estime, Blake Watson or Tyler Badie explodes against the 49ers and seizes the job of primary every-down relief option behind RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins — a job likely to be vital at some point during the season, given that the chances of Harvey and Dobbins remaining healthy for all 17 regular-season games are remote. Jaleel McLaughlin remains the “change of pace” option, as Broncos coach Sean Payton dubbed him at a recent press conference.
Estime’s improvement is palpable, particularly in ball security, and his power is massive. Badie remains the sturdiest blocker of the trio. Watson is perhaps the most refined pass-catcher in he entire running-back room, befitting his background as a converted ex-wide receiver. So, each brings an attribute. The question now is this: Which one fits best?
THE OTHER BATTLES DOWN THE BRONCOS ROSTER
With the starting lineup almost entirely set, the intriguing grapples for spots exist on the back end of the roster.
Defensive line promises to be one of the spiciest areas on the Broncos’ roster.
Jordan Jackson, the Broncos’ No. 5 D-lineman last year, finds himself in a battle with third-round pick Sai’Vion Jones and third-year veteran Enyi Uwazurike, who was inactive for most of last season after serving a suspension in 2023. Uwazurike’s performance in camp has been one of the pleasant surprises, as his pass-rush potential has begun to manifest into consistent pressure. But Jackson has also fared well, and dominated during Thursday’s joint practice.
The reserve spots at safety will likely be set by special-teams roles, Payton has indicated. P.J. Locke, veteran free-agent pickup Sam Franklin, returning backup Devon Key, second-year veteran Keidron Smith, 2023 sixth-round pick JL Skinner — who had an interception Thursday — 2022 draft pick Delarrin Turner-Yell, who is returning from a torn ACL that cost him the entire 2024 season, are among those trying to stick.
Their work on kickoffs and punts will be at least as important — if not more so — than any of their snaps on defense.