It's hard to believe that it's been six years since Von Miller and the Broncos wreaked havoc on the Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Broncos fans haven't had much to cheer for since the franchise won its third Super Bowl. The team has not make the playoffs since 2015 and hasn't finished above .500 since 2016. Vic Fangio, a longtime NFL assistant who was hired in 2019, has endured two trying seasons marred with injuries to key players and inconsistency at the quarterback position. 

It's safe to say that it's now or never for Fangio, who recently made the decision to start Teddy Bridgewater over Drew Lock entering Week 1. The clock is also ticking on Miller, the now 32-year-old pass-rusher who is out to prove that he is still one of the NFL's best players after missing the entire 2020 campaign with an injury. 

With the start of the regular season just around the corner, we decided to take a look at the Broncos' projected depth chart as well as the team's possible Week 1 starting lineup. 

Rookies are denoted with (*)

Offense


StartersBackupDepthDepth

QB

Drew Lock

Teddy Bridgewater

RB

Melvin Gordon

Javonte Williams*

Royce Freeman

Mike Boone

FBAndrew Beck


WR

Courtland Sutton

Tim Patrick

Tyrie Cleveland

Trinity Benson

WR

Jerry Jeudy

KJ Hamler

Diontae Spencer

TE

Noah Fant

Albert Okwuegbunam

LT

Garett Bolles

Cameron Fleming

LG

Dalton Risner

Austin Schlottmann

C

Lloyd Cushenberry

Quinn Meinerz*

RG

Graham Glasgow

Netane Muti

RT

Bobby Massie

Calvin Anderson

Denver's quarterbacks have a solid group of receivers to work with. Courtland Sutton, a 2019 Pro Bowler, is back after missing most of last season with an injury. Tim Patrick led the Broncos with six touchdown catches last season, while Jerry Jeudy -- despite a brief case of the drops -- led the Broncos with 856 receiving yards as a rookie. Denver's receiving corps also includes tight end Noah Fant and second-year wideout KJ Hamler. Fans should also keep an eye on rookie Seth Williams, a 6-foot-3, 211-pound target who caught 106 passes and 12 touchdowns during his final two seasons at Auburn. 

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The Broncos also have a nice three-headed monster at running back, led by Melvin Gordon and rookie Javonte Williams. The group is hoping to find running lanes behind an offensive line that should be vastly improved this season. Specifically, guard Dalton Risner and Lloyd Cushenberry should see a rise in production with another year of under their belts. 

Defense


StarterBackupDepthDepth

DE

Shelby Harris

Shamar Stephen

NT

Mike Purcell

McTelvin Agim

DE

Dre'Mont Jones

DeShawn Williams

SLB

Bradley Chubb

Malik Reed

ILB

Alexander Johnson

Justin Strnad 

ILB

Josey Jewell

Baron Browning*

WLB

Von Miller

Jonathan Cooper*

LCB

Patrick Surtain II*

Nate Hairston

RCB

Kyle Fuller

Bryce Callahan

Michael Ojemudia

NBRonald Darby


FS

Justin Simmons

Caden Sterns

SS

Kareem Jackson

PJ Locke

Without Miller, the Broncos received inspired play last season from outside linebackers Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed, who combined to tally 15.5 sacks. To help shore up what was the league's 25th ranked run defense in 2020, the Broncos spent a third-round pick on former Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning and two late-round picks on defensive ends Jonathan Cooper and Marquiss Spencer. The Broncos also drafted four defensive backs to complement former Bears All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller, veterans Ronald Darby and Kareem Jackson, and Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons. How quickly these rookies -- particularly first-round pick Patrick Surtain -- can get up to snuff may largely determine the success of this unit in 2021. 

Special Teams


StarterBackup

Punter

Sam Martin

Kicker

Brandon McManus

LS

Jacob Bobenmoyer

KR

Diontae Spencer

Bryce Callahan

PRDiontae SpencerBryce Callahan

Denver's kicker since 2014, McManus is looking to bounce back in 2021 after missing six field goals and three point-after attempts last season. The Broncos have one of the league's best punt returners in Diontae Spencer, whose 15.8 yards per return average was bolstered by his 83-yard touchdown in Denver's Week 13 win over the Panthers.

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Teddy Bridgewater has won Denver's starting QB job over Drew Lock but what else is in store for the Broncos in 2021? Download the CBS Sports app and get the latest news, insights, and surprising predictions from our team of experts. If you already have the app, make sure to favorite the Broncos to get the latest news quickly