As the Denver Broncos prepare for training camp later this month, there are three specific position battles that will define the offense and defense for Sean Payton this upcoming season.
Three position battles to watch for at Denver Broncos training camp
The Denver Broncos roster was pretty intact heading into the NFL Draft, with projected starters, but they’ve added a couple of pieces that could help the team make a deeper run in 2025.
Nickel: Ja’Quan McMillian vs. Jahdae Barron
Ja’Quan McMillian has emerged as one of the brightest young nickel defenders in the NFL over the course of the last two seasons. Despite his emergence, the Broncos and Sean Payton added Jahdae Barron in the 2025 NFL Draft with their first-round pick.
Barron is a Swiss-Army knife addition who can play inside the nickel, at outside corner, and in the dime if needed, but all signs point to him being a nickel player as a rookie.
McMillian and Barron are both players who excel at tackling and can blitz from the slot effectively. McMillian displayed that on his NFL game tape, while Barron showcased that while playing at Texas.
Covering from the slot in today’s game is one of the toughest challenges defenses face because of condensed splits by receivers and the various offensive formations teams run. The ability to communicate effectively inside the slot is crucial for success at the nickel position, and the Broncos believe that McMillian and Barron can do it inside of Vance Joseph’s scheme.
This will arguably be the most intriguing position battle to watch this offseason.
Denver Broncos’ running back gig between J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey
Payton wants the Denver Broncos’ rushing offense to be more efficient this upcoming season, which is why he added RJ Harvey in the second round of the NFL Draft and veteran J.K. Dobbins near the end of mandatory minicamp.
While Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, and Blake Watson are all in the mix for touches this upcoming season, who starts or gets the primary share of touches for Payton looks to be between Harvey and Dobbins.
Dobbins, when healthy, has proven to be an effective rusher. Harvey, despite being a rookie, has showcased the ability to be an electrifying game-changer based on his college tape.
It’s clear that these two backs will be the team’s primary options, but it’s not going to be as simple as naming a player as the starter. Payton’s offense likes to establish clearly defined roles — those roles could be three-down back, short-yardage back, goal-line back, third-down back, and another wrinkle could be whoever offers the most value in pass protection and pass-catching production out of the backfield.
Between Harvey and Dobbins, this will be the position battle we watch intently during training camp.
Alex Singleton looking to secure his spot at linebacker?
The Denver Broncos inside linebacker position appears to feature a three-way competition between Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, and Drew Sanders going into training camp.
Singleton, who has been a team captain and the tenured name at the position since 2022, is coming off of ACL surgery and is in the final year of his deal. Strnad started eight games at linebacker after Singleton’s injury and appeared in all 17 games last season, while Sanders is making the full-time switch back to the position going into his third season.
Singleton was back on the field in the offseason program for team stretch and individual period, but will take his first team snaps of the year when the team takes the field in July. Strnad and Sanders saw plenty of snaps during the offseason program in Singleton and Dre Greenlaw’s places.
If Singleton wins the job, he and Greenlaw should play well off each other against the run and pass. Strnad showcased a lot of growth in his first year as a starter and could play well next to Greenlaw if he were to win the job.
The wildcard here is Sanders, who has made two position switches in the first two years of his young career. With him firmly remaining at off-ball linebacker in 2025, can he catch on and pick up on all of the nuances required at the position to play freely without having to think as much?
That will be the biggest question.
Denver Broncos Training Camp: Three position battles to watch for Mile High Sports.
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