The Denver Broncos defeated the Indianapolis Colts on the road, 34-30. It wasn’t a perfect preseason performance, but there were many bright spots in the game that gave Broncos fans hope for this team’s future. 

The with the return of preseason games, Mile High Huddle‘s player grades are back. For the preseason, every player will get a grade.

Typically, only players with a specific snap count get graded, but since the preseason is for evaluation purposes, that requirement will be overlooked temporarily. Let’s dive into the grades to see how each player acquitted himself in Indy, starting with the all-important, uber-scrutinized quarterback position.

Both veteran quarterbacks were solid overall. Stidham had a good command of the offense and dealt with issues beyond his control.

As the first quarterback on the field, Stidham wasn’t aggressive when passing and sometimes seemed to leave yards on the field, while Wilson was a little more aggressive, but his technical issues are still there and were part of the many reasons for his issues with the New York Jets. 

Nix had some excellent moments and some questionable ones. Overall, it was a good showing that should give Broncos fans hope that the team has its quarterback of the future.

While it was a good showing, Nix will need to show more technical consistency and back up his performance against the Green Bay Packers, where he will start the game.

Williams and McLaughlin both had a good game and showed some good running ability. The best play of the veteran running backs was a wheel route catch from McLaughlin.

Badie showed off his speed and quickness on a toss run that he took in for the score. It was a rough game for Perine, though, including a bobbled catch that turned into a Stidham interception. Perine had a limited role in the game and struggled, even when facing second-string players, which doesn’t bode well for his roster chances. 

Estime had a bad fumble, but the rookie showed his power as a runner and how short-yard gains are a given for him. He also showed solid receiving ability out of the backfield, catching all three targets for 13 yards. 

Watson is a quick and explosive player with the ball in his hands. He has made plays as a runner and receiver. He is making a good case to make the roster. 

Burton has a very limited role and likely won’t see the field on offense much. His play on his six snaps in the first game was decent, but the Broncos could use more consistency in the regular season. 

The wide receivers’ showing was great overall. Mims had multiple good plays catching the ball, but the Broncos need him to step up as a blocker. It was noteworthy that the starting trio didn’t include Mims. Sutton, Patrick, and Reynolds were the starting trio, and they brought a blocking ability and demeanor that you don’t get from Mims. 

Sills had a good catch and run, and he, Johnson, and Humphrey did well when tasked with blocking. While Virgil had a great play as a returner that will likely put him squarely in that competition, he wasn’t targeted on offense, and 11 of his 16 snaps were as a run blocker, which he doesn’t do well. Bandy and Dorsett had little to no impact. 

Franklin’s opportunities were limited, with one uncaught target. He will have to continue working on his route running. His lack of blocking will likely always be a limitation. 

There has been a lot of hype around Vele, and there were some moments in the game that showed his promise, but his best plays came from drawing defensive pass interference calls. You want to see the camp practice hype show up in real game action. 

It was a mostly disappointing showing from the tight ends. Trautman was hit-or-miss as a blocker, and Dulcich wasn’t put into the best position as a receiver. The blocking specialist, Adkins, had a rough game and opened the door for Kampmoyer, who did alright as a blocker and showed decent receiving ability.

If it weren’t for an unsecured reception, Krull would’ve ended with the highest grade at the position, as he had a good day as a receiver outside of that play. His blocking leaves a lot to be desired, though. 

Yassmin was decent, but much work must be done to develop him. Since he does not count against the roster due to an international player exception, he should be kept around as a 17th player on the practice squad under the same designation. 

There isn’t much to note of Bolles and McGlinchey. They were what you would come to expect after watching their play last season.

Jacobs and Peart had a great game working as the left tackles. Both created running lanes and push on the ground while holding their own as blockers and not allowing any pressure. Palczewski worked on the right side, at tackle and guard, looking better as a guard than he did as a tackle. 

Crum’s athleticism was on display in multiple reps in pass protection, but his lack of core power and strength was an issue in the running game. 

The starting centers were solid in their limited playing time, but what stood out was that Wattenberg worked quite well as the starting center. It wasn’t perfect, but how he handled his business was that of a starting caliber center. He separated himself from Forsyth, who struggled at center and guard and may be closing in on a battle with Mustipher for a roster spot after Mustipher had a good game. 

Throckmorton should have a leg up on Sherman as the backup guard, as he consistently created push in the running game. Sherman was solid all-around but didn’t have the high moments that  Throckmorton did.  

Jervis was a recent addition to the Broncos, and his appearance was a pleasant surprise. He held his own as a run blocker and in pass protection, though his run blocking didn’t generate much push. 

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Without three of their players, the Broncos needed a lot out of the defensive linemen that did play. Roach had an excellent game, clogging running lanes and creating lanes for others to make a play, which is precisely what he was signed to do.

Jackson and Blackson were solid, with the former showing significant improvement from last preseason. They’re both in competition with Eyioma Uwazurike, who didn’t play, Henningsen, who was decent, and Garcia, who had a rough game. 

The biggest disappointment was Jones, a projected starter, who was shut down almost every rep. Miller played eight snaps and had no impact on the game. 

This was a good showing for the edge room, as they did well from top to bottom, and this was without Nik Bonitto. Browning and Cooper showed consistency and reliability with their play, though it did come on a limited snap count. Incoom took some good steps forward with his development, and Tillman handled the game well. 

Nchami is a versatile player who plays both on and off the ball. He did well in his versatile role. Although special teams play doesn’t get graded, he did extremely well on special teams. Allen played five snaps, registered no stats, and had no impact. 

Elliss is quick and athletic, but he spent multiple pass-rush attempts trying to go through the tackles and failing. He generated good pressure, attacking the outside lane of the tackle and helping create an interception for the defense. His run defense wasn’t a liability, but it wasn’t what you want. 

Singleton is Singleton. He has issues handling specific responsibilities in coverage, but he is quality when working against the run. Barton and Griffith both had some good moments and some bad moments, as they are competing for the starting job next to Singleton. There is a clear gap between Barton and Griffith and the other linebackers. 

Bailey did well on special teams, which doesn’t get graded. His play on defense was not great, and he clearly needs to improve if he wants to make the roster. Mock had a pretty even game, but the Broncos waived him after claiming another defensive back.

It was an excellent game from McMillian, who had a huge play against the run and was sticky in coverage. He entered the game cemented as the starting slot corner, and nothing changed that. 

The Broncos are looking for someone to start opposite Patrick Surtain II, who didn’t play in the game. Levi Wallace is one of them and didn’t play, creating an opening for Moss and Mathis to separate themselves in the battle.

Moss played tight coverage and had some good plays against the run. On the other hand, Mathis had two bad plays that hurt his chances, as he dropped an interception that hit him right in the face and allowed a big catch. 

Taylor and McCallister compete for a roster spot or practice squad spot, and they both put together solid showings. The question for them will be whether they can step up on special teams to potentially replace Smith, who continues to be a liability on the field for the defense. Green played two snaps and got hurt on the second one. 

Abrams-Draine is pushing hard and has shown promising improvements during camp practices. Those improvements showed up on the field, where he was sticky in coverage and even intercepted a two-point conversion attempt. 

Newsome allowed one catch for 18 yards, but he did decently outside that one play. With lower snap counts, one big play could significantly influence the grade overall. 

Key was a great surprise. With Brandon Jones out of the game, he got the start next to Locke. Key handled his responsibilities in coverage and against the run exceptionally well.

Smith also had a good game, mostly in coverage, but did have some solid moments working downhill against the run. Skinner was the opposite of Smith, who did well against the run but had issues in coverage. 

The safety play was decent all around, which was true of Brown. However, his lower snap count and one issue in the run game dropped his grade below the starting point. 

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