Even though it's still early, the Denver Broncos have done well to build their roster, making the projection of the starting lineups relatively easy. This is a testament to the work done by Broncos head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton, and how they've kept 86% of the roster intact from last year.
Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick took a swing at projecting the starting lineups for all 32 NFL teams, and the Broncos' projection looks spot on. PFF didn’t project special teams, but the Broncos' three specialists are also relatively locked.
Additionally, PFF selected 12 players on each side of the ball and five of the names are newcomers via free agency or the draft.
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While there could be some shakeup among the wide receivers over training camp and the preseason, this is how things currently stand. Engram is the lone tight end, and rightfully so.
All five of the starting offensive linemen are the same, with (from left tackle to right tackle) Bolles, Powers, Wattenberg, Meinerz, and McGlinchey. Denver made sure to keep its starting five intact, and none of them have much competition for their spot, for this year, at least
The running backs, with Harvey as the top player and Estime as the No. 2, add up. Now, this is the one position that could still be up in the air if either doesn't show development in training camp and preseason, with Payton and Paton looking for a veteran to add to the room.
As for the defensive side of the ball, it's even easier to project. The Broncos' defensive front of Allen, Jones, and Franklin-Myers remains intact, with Allen and Franklin-Myers both coming off a career year. While there is some speculation that Denver may trade Franklin-Myers, that seems doubtful, as it would only create questions about its starting front and depth. He has proven his value to the Broncos' defensive front.
Bonitto and Cooper are the two starting edge rushers, which isn’t a surprise to anyone. Cooper signed an extension last season, and the Broncos are working through an extension for Bonitto.
At linebacker, there are changes since last year, due to the addition of Greenlaw and the return of Singleton from injury. They're the two starters at the position, with no argument for another linebacker to be inserted over them, barring injury.
Surtain is joined by Barron and Moss as the starting cornerbacks, meaning PFF is counting the nickel corner as a starter, as it should. Last year, Denver's top three corners all saw over 900 snaps on defense, and Vance Joseph runs nickel as his base defense, so it's fitting to count all three as starters.
Lastly, Hufanga and Jones are the two starters at safety, and there should be no debate about that.
With PFF naming 24 starters, 20 of them are all but cemented in, with some room for change, albeit doubtful, at running back, wide receiver, and interior defensive line (only in the event of a trade). It's good to see the Broncos finally have a roster where the starters are essentially set, rather than hosting numerous camp battles at different positions to determine the starting lineups.
This year, those camp battles are all for the depth spots.
