Broncos rising star looks ready to take the league by storm and Bo Nix has to be thrilled plus other takeaways from preseason win
During halftime of the Denver Broncos' first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, head coach Sean Payton wasn't thrilled . The second preseason game was much different. During halftime against the Arizona Cardinals, Payton jumped over the benches just to get to an interview. A big reason why he may have seemed excited was none other than second-year receiver Troy Franklin. 
Troy Franklin, take a bow
Franklin continues to build on an impressive camp after a dominant performance in the first half against the Cardinals that saw him haul in four catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns. Bo Nix has to be thrilled as Franklin is proving to the world that he has what it takes to be a top contributor for this offense. Even if it's a preseason contest, Franklin made a statement.
Jarrett Stidham also deserves his flowers; he was surgical on the field. Navigating the pocket for some highlight reel touchdowns. The veteran finished his day going 16-23 for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Franklin. Sean Payton has always talked highly about Stidham, and as he's grown more confident in the offense, the world is getting to see that, too.
Franklin wasn't the only one making a name for himself during the contest. Denver selected Pat Bryant in the third-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he was reliable throughout. The rookie finished his day with four catches for 70 yards. However, it was the nature of his catches that was turning heads. Whether he was contested and fighting through contact, or seeing a pass fall behind him to adjust for a big gain, Bryant was catching everything and has us excited for his future in this offense.
Of course, while it was limited, free agent acquisition Evan Engram had his first catch at Empower Field, and it was beyond memorable - even for a preseason contest. Enjoy, I've already watched it about 20 times. It's fantastic.
Our takeaway: Troy Franklin and Bo Nix should be a whole lot of fun this upcoming season, if camp and the latest preseason contest are any indication. Denver looks to have found something special in Bryant, and Engram had a warm welcome for his first catch in Empower.
So many running backs, so little time
In a little over two minutes, Denver opened the scoring with an eight-yard touchdown run from RJ Harvey after driving 90+ yards down the field. Needless to say, the fanbase was more than excited.
While the running back room for the Broncos during the regular season will feature a heavy dose of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey as the one-two punch, the next in the pecking order is up for grabs. Tyler Badie, Jaleel McLaughlin, Blake Watson, and Audric Estime make up the rest of the position group.
#Broncos RBs to appear in the game (in order of appearance):
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) August 17, 2025
RJ Harvey
Tyler Badie
Jaleel McLaughlin
Blake Watson
Hasn't yet got snaps: Audric Estime
It seems, though, that it'll all come down to McLaughlin (three carries, 48 yards) and Badie (four carries, 14 yards and two catches for 16 yards). McLaughlin turned on the jets for a big gain, but Badie showed his pass-catching abilities, which could prove invaluable. Watson also flashed (10 carries, 34 yards, and four catches for 20 yards), and Estime got some of the final touches (nine carries, 20 yards)
Our takeaway: The backfield belongs to Dobbins and Harvey. Payton has a tough decision ahead of him. Badie hauling in a few of those catches and showing that extra dimension went a long way. McLaughlin and Watson both flashed and deserve more than a second look. With one remaining preseason game, it's a good problem to have.
Defense dominated (with no starters)
The Cardinals were shut down and had difficulties getting anything going. The defense was in the backfield all day, resulting in two sacks and four tackles for loss. While it was the second-team defense, the depth across the entire unit should have opposing offensive coordinators worried. Arizona finished the day with only seven points and 135 yards of total offense.
Jonah Elliss SZN pic.twitter.com/6xKm4wQSvh
— Michael🇲🇽 (@RespectMyCos) August 17, 2025
Jonah Elliss was a man on a mission. The second-year outside linebacker was all over the field and making life impossible for anyone in his path. Just watching him play, you can tell he's ready to contribute in a big way heading into his sophomore season. Elliss appeared in 17 regular-season games and one postseason game for Denver last season.
Rotating in on an already impressive pass-rusher is going to be a lot of fun in 2025 and beyond if Elliss can continue on his trajectory.
Our takeaway: The Broncos led the league in sacks as a team in 2024 and somehow look like they might've improved the group. Elliss was just really fun to watch, and more people need to be talking about him. It looks like it's going to be difficult to run against this Broncos unit.
The depth on this team is unreal. What a fun day of football.
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