The Denver Broncos are getting all of the hype, and that hype is not just coming from inside Broncos Country.
The national media have taken a liking to this year's Broncos and they are being picked by many to make a lot of noise this season. Colin Cowherd has long been on the record as supportive of what Sean Payton is piecing together.
So when you think of power rankings, with all of the latest talk, you assume that the Broncos are going to be in everybody's top 10, at least. Not so fast, says Nick Kendall of The Athletic. He wants to see more on the field first and has the Broncos at No. 13 in his latest rankings.
"None of the AFC West’s quarterbacks will want to hear this, but Jonah Elliss seems to have had a great training camp. If the second-year edge rusher builds on what he did in 2024 and the preseason, the Broncos’ pass rush could go from tremendous to simply unfair. Denver had 63 sacks last season, the third most since at least 1999, and Elliss was the team’s fifth-best pass rusher behind Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Zack Allen and John Franklin-Myers", wrote Kendall.
The Broncos are going to be a menace on defense if players stay healthy, but Bo Nix stands ready to lead what should be an above-average offense as well. Still, Kendall has six AFC teams ahead of the Broncos in his rankings, which would suggest that he sees them as the final playoff team in the conference, just as they were last year, at least right now.
READ: Broncos' free-agent signing may be bigger weapon than anyone thought
The Broncos will have to make strides to get ahead of those teams in the rankings, and beating the Tennessee Titans, last year's worst team, in Week 1, probably won't earn them a ton of respect. The Titans come in at No. 31 in Kendall's rankings.
MORE BRONCOS CONTENT
Denver Broncos may be the most popular pick for Week 1 contest
Denver Broncos, still a bit shaky at wide receiver, add a new one to the practice squad
Denver Broncos, still a bit shaky at wide receiver, add a new one to the practice squad
Denver Broncos running back predicted to receive some hardware following 2025 NFL season
Denver Broncos' defense comes in surprisingly low on list after Micah Parsons trade