The Denver Broncos cruised to a 27-7 victory in preseason Game 2 vs. the Arizona Cardinals. With both teams resting the majority of their starters, we got yet another long look at the second and third-team units.
With the final roster cuts only a couple of weeks away, the Broncos clearly are going to have some tough decisions to make. Let’s examine who helped their case the most in this week’s risers and fallers.
Troy Franklin | WR
Franklin was a force to be reckoned with, catching four of the five passes thrown his way for 67 yards and two touchdowns. He just looks different. Marvin Mims Jr. seems to have the No. 2 receiver job locked down currently, but like Omar from The Wire, Franklin is comin’.
Pat Bryant | WR
Back-to-back wideouts? You bet. Franklin was great on Saturday night, but Bryant led all Broncos receivers with four catches on five targets for 70 yards. Bryant looked like a man among boys, and clearly has a bright NFL future.
Michael Bandy | WR
Good things come in threes. And Bandy had himself a night, catching three passes for 55 yards, with a long of 28. It’s a great development, but his path to the roster is extremely fraught.
Courtney Jackson | WR/KR/PR
Heck, let’s keep going. If the Broncos wanted to transfer Mims to offense-only duty, they’ve found a new returner.
Unlikely to carry seven wideouts, though, the Broncos might not be able to sneak Jackson onto the practice squad, which could set up one of those aforementioned tough decisions. He was great yet again with great returns, and he caught two balls for 32 yards.
Blake Watson | RB
Watson led all running backs with 10 carries, but he only netted 35 yards. He did have a long of nine yards, but it’s clear what the running back pecking order is: J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, and then Watson. We’ll get to the guy bringing up the rear in the running back room shortly.
Sam Ehlinger | QB
Ehlinger is making a case for the 53-man roster, but this year, the Broncos are unlikely to justify keeping three quarterbacks. Nevertheless, Ehlinger is earning a roster spot somewhere in the NFL on the heels of his 14-of-16 night, passing for 162 yards and finishing with a quarterback rating of 108.9.
Jonah Elliss | OLB
Elliss’ place with the Broncos is secure, and he proved that on Saturday night by being an absolute terror in Arizona’s backfield. Flexing also his run-defending chops, he looks like a guy poised to take a big Year-2 jump. His fellow rush linebacker Dondrea Tillman also had a nice night, justifying his position on the roster.
Jordan Turner | LB
Turner co-led the team with five tackles, while also notching 1.5 sacks. On a night that Justin Strnad was less effective, the undrafted rookie from Michigan State stood out.
Audric Estime | RB
In consecutive weeks, Estime was the last running back to touch the ball. Once again, he struggled mightily against Arizona’s third-team defense, finishing with 20 yards on nine carries (2.2 avg). It’s not looking good for the team’s 2024 fifth-round draft pick.
Caden Prieskhorn | TE
Prieskorn caught all three of his targets for 32 yards, and he would have had a nifty touchdown if he hadn’t fumbled the ball on the goal-line, resulting in a touchback. That qualifies as a turnover. He was obviously upset at himself. The roster isn’t looking good for him, but there is still hope.
Damarri Mathis | CB
Mathis relinquished the Cardinals’ lone touchdown in coverage. He’s trending in the wrong direction for a fourth-year cornerback. The Broncos can save more than $3 million on the salary cap by waiving him, and that seems to be the current trajectory.
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