Bo Nix may have garnered short shrift in ESPN‘s way-too-early 2026 quarterback rankings, but there’s no question that he enters this season with an improved supporting cast. The Denver Broncos are returning their entire offensive line and made some strategic offseason additions to improve Nix’s arsenal.
When it comes to supporting casts, though, where do the Broncos rank entering the 2026 season? FOX Sports‘ Ralph Vacchiano ranked Denver’s supporting cast No. 8 overall.
“They were on the verge of a Super Bowl last year with an offense that was good but not explosive. The addition of WR Jaylen Waddle changes all that. He and Courtland Sutton form an elite tandem, and Troy Franklin can be one of the better No. 3 receivers in the league. Quarterback Bo Nix is also supported by possibly the best offensive line in the league and a solid, grind-it-out rushing attack (though that part depends on the always-iffy health of J.K. Dobbins),” Vacchiano wrote.
Building the Nest
An “elite tandem?” Broncos Country will like hearing that about its top two wide receivers after years of the room being ranked at the bottom of the NFL. For so long, it was Sutton and then a collection of No. 3 or No. 4 guys. Franklin may not be an ideal No. 2 receiver, but as a No. 3 behind Sutton and Waddle, I’m not sure the Broncos could do better.
The Dobbins re-signing may have irked some fans, but it was, in fact, a very important move for the Broncos. When healthy (I understand the caveat), he is one of the NFL’s most efficient running backs, so the Broncos will do their level best to keep him in the lineup.
Keeping in mind that in the NFL, injuries are inevitable, the Broncos made sure to secure a Dobbins insurance policy this offseason in the form of fourth-round running back Jonah Coleman. The former Washington stand-out brings power to the table, and plenty of burst, to provide some between-the-tackles consistency when his number is called.
If Dobbins were to go down again this season, the Broncos would still be in good shape with Coleman as the grinder and RJ Harvey as the explosive No. 2. Dobbins has expressed optimism that this is the year that he finally puts all the “unfortunate stuff” behind him, but much of that is beyond his control.
The Big Question Mark
When it comes to Nix’s supporting cast, the big question mark remains the tight end position. Evan Engram didn’t see the field as much as Denver intended last season because he couldn’t be relied upon to block, and the team’s actual in-line blocking tight end, Adam Trautman, left much to be desired.
And yet, Engram and Trautman once again headline the Broncos’ tight end depth chart, but the team didn’t exactly sit on its hands. The Broncos drafted Justin Joly in the fifth round — an ‘F’ tight end like Engram — and Dallen Bentley in the seveth — a guy who could perhaps one day replace Trautman as the ‘Y’ tight end.
Caleb Lohner has shown some intriguing signs of development this offseason, and the Broncos also re-signed Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull. The Broncos have a logjam at tight end, and the competition this summer should clarify the pecking order and reveal exactly what this team has at the position beyond the top two guys on the depth chart.
The Coaching Effect
Vacchiano also brought up Payton’s “brilliant offensive mind” to illustrate how Nix should have everything he needs to succeed in Year 3.
“Add in the brilliant offensive mind of Sean Payton, and there’s not much more Nix could ask for heading into his third season — assuming, of course, that he’s fully recovered from the fractured ankle he suffered in the playoffs. He’ll be well-protected whenever he returns, so he’ll have plenty of time to execute what are always well-conceived game plans,” Vacchiano wrote.
The Broncos remain adamant that Nix will be fully recovered and good to go by training camp at the latest. His regular-season availability is not in doubt, but everyone in Broncos Country will rest a little easier seeing him take his first hit, and get back up.
Alongside Payton, the Broncos promoted Davis Webb to offensive coordinator this offseason. Webb, not Payton, will be the primary play-caller, which will have a huge impact on Nix’s outlook, for better or worse. Webb’s fingerprints are already detectable on the Broncos’ offense.
The Broncos believe it’ll be for the better, and Payton isn’t the type of coach to relinquish the play-call sheet to just anybody. Payton genuinely respects Webb’s offensive acumen, but he is a first-time play-caller, so there’s a lot of unknown there. Payton’s stamp of approval, though, should go a long way toward assuaging any fears.
The Takeaway
Beyond perhaps signing David Njoku to upgrade the tight end position, I’m not sure the Broncos could have done anything more to build the nest around Nix. With the slate of opponents the Broncos drew this year, Nix will have to fight fire with fire against some of the NFL’s top quarterbacks and offenses.
He has the weapons to wage such a war.
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