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Player Outlook
Denver has one of the best defenses in the NFL, and the Broncos DST is a top unit once again in 2026. Fantasy managers should plan to draft the Broncos DST with a late-round pick in all leagues. Led by Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper and Zach Allen, Denver led the NFL in sacks in 2025 with 68. The secondary, which is led by Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, is also among the best in the NFL, and the Broncos were tied for fourth in the league last season with the fewest points allowed with 309. This should be another standout year for the Broncos DST in 2026.

Fantasy News

  • Broncos' Blake Cotton: Reverts to IR

    Cotton (hamstring) reverted to the Broncos' injured reserve Saturday, Zac Stevens reports. Cotton was waived/injured Friday due to his injury and will spend the entire 2026 season on IR. The undrafted free agent out of Utah will need to look toward 2027 for a potential NFL debut.
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  • Blake Cotton: Waived/injured by Denver

    Cotton (hamstring) was waived/injured by the Broncos on Friday, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports. Cotton sustained a hamstring injury during Wednesday's training camp practice. He will revert to the Broncos' injured reserve if he clears waivers, which will force him to sit for the entire 2026 season unless he reaches an injury settlement with Denver.
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  • Blake Cotton: Waived by Denver

    Cotton (hamstring) was waived by the Broncos on Thursday after reaching an injury settlement with the team, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports. The cornerback injured his hamstring during Wednesday's practice, per Tomasson, but the settlement at least gives him a chance to play in 2026. Cotton signed with Denver as an undrafted free agent in June.
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  • Broncos' Drew Sanders: Going through drills at camp

    Sanders (ankle) is participating at the Broncos' training camp, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports. Sanders was unable to play at all last season after tearing a ligament in his foot in July 2025, but he's now available again with training camp underway. He played the majority of his snaps on special teams in his first two seasons.
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  • Broncos' Jordan Turner: Placed on NFI list

    The Broncos placed Turner (undisclosed) on the active/non-football injury list Sunday, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports. Turner is dealing with an undisclosed issue and will be unable to practice until he's activated off the NFI list. The 24-year-old racked up seven tackles (one solo) across seven games with Denver last season and will compete for a depth spot once healthy.
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  • Broncos' JL Skinner: Cleared for training camp

    Skinner (shoulder) stated on his personal Instagram account Monday that he's "100 percent cleared" following the labrum surgery he underwent in February, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports. When announcing the surgery on his Instagram account in February, Skinner said that he played with the torn labrum the "whole season." The 2023 sixth-round draft selection logged most of his playing time on kick coverage last year, playing 34 defensive snaps and 322 special-teams snaps and tallying 12 tackles (eight solo) along with a recovered fumble over 17 regular-season games. Skinner is slated to again work as a core special teamer and rotational safety during the upcoming campaign if he makes the 53-man roster.
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  • Broncos' Johnny Walker: Returns from injury

    Walker (undisclosed) was spotted participating in Tuesday's practice, Ben Swanson of the Broncos' official site reports. The 25-year-old was sidelined for all of the Broncos' 2025 campaign due to an injury, but it now appears he's moved past the issue. Expect Walker to compete for a reserve role among Denver's linebacker corps as the offseason progresses.
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  • Broncos' Nik Bonitto: Participating in minicamp

    Bonnito (wrist) was pictured on the practice field at minicamp on Tuesday, Gabriel Christus of the Broncos' official site reports. Bonitto underwent a clean-up procedure on his wrist in early February, but it doesn't appear that the star pass rusher is facing any practice restrictions at mandatory minicamp. The 26-year-old has suited up for all 17 regular-season games in back-to-back years and totaled 27.5 sacks in that span.
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  • Broncos' Jonathon Cooper: Excused from minicamp

    The Broncos excused Cooper from this week's mandatory minicamp, Jeff Legwold of ESPN reports. "He's taking this time, obviously, he's got to work on himself,'' coach Sean Payton said Tuesday of Cooper, who was arrested twice during a seven-day span earlier this month on multiple domestic violence charges, including one felony. When asked if the Broncos planned to let the legal process conclude before a decision on Cooper's future with the team is made, Payton said: "There's a process period from the league and that involves the local law enforcement. We'll continue to gather that information.'' Regarding the linebacker's legal situation, a league spokesman said last week only that the NFL was monitoring the case.
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  • Broncos' Matt Henningsen: Getting work during minicamp

    Henningsen (Achilles) is participating during the Broncos' minicamp, Luca Evans of The Denver Post reports. Henningsen sat out the entire 2025 season after tearing his Achilles during a practice in August, but it looks like he's back in shape as minicamp kicks off. He'll be competing for a depth role on Denver's defensive line in 2026.
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  • Paul Manning: Gets waived with injury settlement

    Denver waived Manning (undisclosed) with an injury settlement Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. Unless he's claimed by another club, Manning is in line to become an unrestricted free agent. The undrafted rookie would be able to sign and play with any team as soon as he's medically cleared.
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  • Broncos' Jonathon Cooper: Arrested in Colorado

    Cooper was arrested Thursday night and and booked into Douglas County Jail on a criminal mischief charge and a domestic violence enhancer, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports. Cooper has a court hearing scheduled for Monday morning. Per Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette, the Broncos issued the following statement: "We are aware of the matter and gathering more information." Cooper signed a four-year extension with the team in November 2024 and has two seasons remaining on his contract.
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  • Broncos' Patrick Surtain: Negotiates contract adjustment

    Denver agreed Tuesday to give Surtain a $5 million raise with an additional $5 million incentive for a Pro Bowl or All-Pro selection in 2026, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Surtain is now officially in the first year of the four-year, $96 million contract extension he signed with the Broncos back in September of 2024, so the pay bump is not a huge change. The incentive doesn't appear to be a difficult one for the cornerback to reach, as he's already made four straight Pro Bowls. If Denver is able to again field one of football's top defenses in 2026, Surtain will probably be one of the biggest reasons why.
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  • Broncos' Devon Key: Signs with Denver

    Key signed his exclusive-rights free-agent tender with the Broncos on Thursday, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports. Once Denver made the tender offer, the safety had no choice but to remain with the team, or sit out the season. Key also was tendered by the Broncos for the 2025 campaign. He has appeared on more than 200 special-teams snaps in each of the last two regular seasons.
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  • Broncos' Red Murdock: Picked last by Broncos

    The Broncos selected Murdock in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 257th overall. Murdock (6-foot-2, 232 pounds) is an example of a player with a poor athleticism grade but heaps of football ability otherwise. His skill level as a linebacker is uncommon, because in his last two years at Buffalo he accumulated 298 tackles, including 30 for a loss and 7.0 sacks. Murdock also somehow punched out 17 fumbles in his last three seasons. Very few collegiate linebackers live in the backfield as often as Murdock did. The limitation with Murdock is his athleticism, which grades below average thanks to a 4.79-second pro day 40 and poor jumps (31.5-inch vertical, 114-inch broad jump). Murdock already proved he can play if his athleticism can hold up at a given level of competition, so if he turns out to be a steal for the Broncos it wouldn't be fair to call it a complete surprise.
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  • Broncos' Miles Scott: Lands with Broncos

    The Broncos selected Scott in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 246th overall. Scott (6-foot, 203 pounds) will have his work cut out for him to compete for a depth role in Denver's secondary, but he boasts the size, ball skills (as a former wide receiver) and experience to find a role if he can make the most of his developmental opportunities. The 24-year-old started the final three seasons of his five-year career at Illinois. Expect Scott to kick off his rookie year competing with JL Skinner (shoulder), Devon Key and Tycen Anderson for depth reps at safety.
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  • Broncos' Tyler Onyedim: Lands with Denver

    The Broncos selected Onyedim in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 66th overall. Onyedim (6-foot-4, 292 pounds) wasn't especially disruptive in his four seasons at Iowa State, but he posted 8.5 tackles for loss in his fifth year, his one and only with Texas A&M, which is a solid mark for a tackle. He can play standard defensive tackle or end from a three-man front, as he has standout reach (34 and 1/8 inch arms) to pair with standout short-area explosiveness (32-inch vertical, 111-inch broad jump).
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  • Broncos' Ja'Quan McMillian: Signs RFA tender

    McMillian signed his one-year, $5.767 million restricted free agent tender Friday. It represents a significant raise for McMillian, who made $1.03 million in 2025. The 25-year-old cornerback joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and has carved out a prominent role in Denver's secondary. He appeared in all 17 regular-season games last season, making three starts, and recorded 56 tackles (40 solo), including a career-high 4.0 sacks, nine pass breakups, including two interceptions, and a pair of forced fumbles. He's the team's No. 1 slot corner.
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  • 49ers' Dre Greenlaw: Returns to San Francisco

    The 49ers signed Greenlaw to a one-year, $7.5 million contract Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Greenlaw spent the first six years of his career with San Francisco before signing with the Broncos last offseason. Greenlaw went on to miss more than half of the season due to quadriceps and hamstring injuries, appearing in just eight regular-season contests. He's made just 10 regular-season appearances across the last two seasons due to lower-body injuries. Greenlaw knows the system and is a veteran option for a linebacker group that dealt with a rash of injuries during the 2025 campaign.
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  • Broncos' Matt Henningsen: Back with Denver

    The Broncos re-signed Henningsen (Achilles) to a one-year contract Wednesday, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports. Henningsen missed the entire 2025 season after tearing his Achilles in training camp joint practices with the 49ers. He hasn't appeared in a regular-season game since 2023 and will compete for a job this offseason.
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