Denver Broncos DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton had some praise for rookie quarterback Bo Nix after Wednesday's practice, saying he played "overall, pretty well" and that Payton "liked his progress." Nix ran with the first-team offense and it's a great sign early in camp, but there is plenty of work to be done by Nix. When Nix takes his first regular-season snap, he will be 24 years old, but Nix has a solid cast of weapons and an experienced head coach in Payton. Despite being in a competitive AFC West, the Broncos are live to be a playoff contender, especially if Nix can keep ascending. Nix's fantasy upside is capped as a streaming QB2 off of waivers when he earns a starting nod in 2024, but with a cast of weapons like Courtland Sutton, Javonte Williams, and others, Nix's cupboard isn't barren.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, joining his college quarterback and first-round pick Bo Nix with the organization. The chemistry with Nix could give him a leg up on the wide receiver depth chart to begin his career, but Broncos reporter Benjamin Allbright said he's likely to be brought along slowly. "You see flashes here and there, but I don't think he's likely to be starting, let alone a big part of the plan this year," Allbright wrote on X. " (Courtland) Sutton, (Marvin) Mims, and (Josh) Reynolds are probably the starters with Tim Patrick first man off the bench. While this could surprise some people, it's common for Day 3 picks to have limited roles as rookies. Franklin struggled at the 2024 NFL Combine, and his 176-pound frame might limit his upside while he adjusts to the NFL.

The Denver Broncos added $1.5 million in incentives on Thursday to wide receiver Courtland Sutton's contract for the 2024 season. Sutton still has two years left on his current deal. The 28-year-old was set to make $13.6 million this year and $14 million in 2025 and was a potential training camp holdout candidate, but he has reported this week and now has added incentives to be productive for the Broncos. Not only will Sutton be losing quarterback Russell Wilson, who he had developed considerable chemistry with, but he'll now be taking passes from either Jarrett Stidham or rookie Bo Nix in 2024. Volume shouldn't be the problem as Denver's unquestioned top pass-catcher, but efficiency probably will be, as well as some serious touchdown regression after he put up a career-high 10 scores. Sutton profiles as a low-upside WR4/flex in 2024.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton will report to the team for the start of training camp. Sutton staged a holdout this spring, but his absence won't extend into camp. His contract doesn't expire until 2025. The 28-year-old wideout hauled in a career-high 10 touchdown passes in 16 games for the Broncos last year, good for a ridiculous 16.9% rate over his 59 receptions (90 targets), so regression in the scoring column is certainly due. Still, Sutton is Denver's clear-cut alpha target for whoever is under center this fall following Jerry Jeudy's offseason departure, and he should be treated as a volume-based WR3 in drafts this summer.

Denver Broncos running back Audric Estime was not included on the PUP list on the first day of training camp according to Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. The rookie back missed most of the summer with a knee issue but was expected to be ready to go by the start of training camp. Now, he's officially received the green light and will be on the field at practice. Estime will have a position battle with Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, and Jaleel McLaughlin, so he has his work cut out for him. His relevance in non-dynasty fantasy leagues will depend on how training camp and preseason turn out.