Broncos' Mini-Bye Player Grades: MVP, Standouts & Underachievers

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Broncos' Mini-Bye Player Grades: MVP, Standouts & Underachievers

Bo Nix. — DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 27: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates after a defensive penalty was called against the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth quarter during a game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on September 27, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Erick Trickel · Denver Broncos On SI

Mon, Oct 19, 2026 ·

8 min read

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The Denver Broncos are 4-2 after their first six games, which nearly no one expected given the toughness of their initial schedule.

It hasn't always been pretty. The Broncos' offense has struggled, outside of a few moments, and the defense has been mostly great. Still, they got out to a 4-2 start , tying four other teams for the third-best record in the AFC.

Both of the Broncos' losses came at the hands of the only two remaining undefeated teams entering Week 6: the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.

With that first six-week gauntlet now in the rearview, we're taking a look at how the individual Broncos have graded out. After every game , I grade each player on a snap-by-snap basis, but this "mini-bye" was a great opportunity to look back at the season so far.

To qualify for a grade, a player needed at least 175 snaps. Only 10 Broncos on offense and 15 on defense qualified.

These grades will cover the Broncos' MVP on both sides of the ball, the highest-graded players, the quarterback, the second- to fourth-highest-graded player on each side of the ball, and the three lowest-graded players on each side of the ball. So, let's get into it.

Offensive MVP: Quinn Meinerz | RG | Grade: 74.4

This season, Meinerz has allowed six total pressures, tied for the seventh-fewest among 41 guards with at least 300 offensive snaps, and his pass-blocking efficiency is the same. Meanwhile, he has been the NFL's best guard in run blocking across multiple metrics.

Defensive MVP: Zach Allen | DL | Grade: 73.3

Allen has been a monster at the start of the season, and while he has some down moments as a run defender, he still looks improved from where he was a year ago. He leads the Broncos with 26 pressures and leads all NFL interior defensive linemen.

Including edge rushers, Allen ties for the sixth-most pressures in the NFL. With defensive stops, he is tied for the fifth-most among all defensive linemen and edge rushers and is tied for third among interior defensive linemen.

Quarterback: Bo Nix | Grade: 44.2

This season has been rough for Nix, with his average depth of target dropping from 7.51 in 2025 to 5.56 in 2026 and his air yards per completion dropping from 4.74 to 3.6. He has taken a massive step back in his play , grown too comfortable in the dink-and-dunk game, and isn't pushing the ball.

Nix's percentage of throws of 10 or more air yards has also dropped significantly. Denver is 4-2 and through the toughest part of its schedule, but this team needs Nix to be better.

The Positive

Garett Bolles | LT | Grade: 72.8

Bolles has allowed three pressures on the season, which is the fewest of the Broncos' starting five offensive linemen, and three fewer than Meinerz. Among 45 tackles with at least 300 snaps, Bolles is tied for the fewest pressures allowed and has the highest pass-blocking efficiency.

Nik Bonitto | OLB | Grade: 71.6

Bonitto has the second-most pressures on the team, but his impact was limited over the first four weeks. He totaled just a single sack over that span, 12 of his 20 pressures, and had serious issues as a run defender.

Bonitto has surged over the last two weeks, though, with eight pressures, three sacks, a forced fumble, and improved run-defense play.

Talanoa Hufanga | S | Grade: 64.7

Hufanga has had a good season, but not as good as last year. His run-defending issues and unreliable tackling have contributed to the Broncos' inconsistencies against the run.

Still, Hufanga has done well in coverage and is moving around a bit more to create confusion for opposing quarterbacks.He also has two interceptions, including a pick-six, which helped swing Week 3's victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

Malcolm Roach | DL | Grade: 63.9

Roach has the third-most pressures on the team, the fourth-most stops, and leads in batted passes, but his seven missed tackles are the fifth-most. He's had some huge moments in the passing game and has improved as a run defender each week after a terrible season opener.

Jaylen Waddle | WR | Grade: 59.7

The second game of the season highlighted Waddle's upside, but he has struggled since then. He has four drops through six games, and he needs to clean that up.

However, Waddle's routes have been clean, and his 3.5 yards of average separation is the 15th-highest among 74 receivers.

Ben Powers | LG | Grade: 55.6

Powers has been hit or miss and has allowed the second-most pressures on the Broncos, with 13. His run blocking has helped his grade some, but this still isn't ideal for a six-game sample size.

Powers is the fourth of 10 offensive players who qualified for a grade over the first six games, with him being 0.3 points higher than tight end Evan Engram and 2.2 points higher than wide receiver Courtland Sutton, before getting to Nix and those in the negative group.

The Negative

Adam Trautman | TE | Grade: 43.1

Trautman has been rough this year, and his issues as a receiver and blocker have been a detriment to the offense. Nate Adkins has outplayed Trautman, falling short of the snap count for the overall grade, but in the three games Adkins qualified for a grade, he was in the 70s. Trautman's season high was 55.2, and he finished four of the six games under 50.

Eyioma Uwazurike | DL | Grade: 44.7

The Broncos gambled on Uwazurike as a key piece, but he has been mostly a liability on the field. He has easily been the Broncos' worst defender this season, and is having maybe two good or great plays a game, which isn't ideal for someone averaging 37 snaps per game.

Maybe it's time to get Tyler Onyedim involved on defense.The rookie has been a healthy scratch all season, despite being the Broncos' first pick in the 2026 draft.

Luke Wattenberg | C | Grade: 48.5

Wattenberg has been bad, allowing the third-most pressure on the team and the second-most among 25 centers with at least 300 snaps. His pass-blocking efficiency is tied for second-lowest.

Wattenberg's run blocking has been an even bigger detriment to the offense, and he ranks in the bottom three in almost every run-blocking metric for centers.

Jonah Elliss | OLB | Grade: 51.1

Elliss is a technical player, but he isn't overly explosive, which hurts in the modern NFL where explosive plays and explosive potential matter so much. He's had some awful moments, but overall he was solid, though he showed he isn't a starting-caliber player but rather a solid depth piece.

Elliss's injury against Seattle looked severe , but at least the Broncos are getting Jonathon Cooper back . In other positive developments, Que Robinson vastly outperformed Elliss in five of the six games so far.

Mike McGlinchey | RT | Grade: 52.9

McGlinchey has allowed the most pressure on the team with 14, which is tied for the 15th-most among 45 tackles with at least 300 snaps. He has always been a bit inconsistent as a pass protector, with his run blocking as a strength, but he's been even more inconsistent in that area this season.

Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | Grade: 53.1

McMillian has made some big plays in big moments, both in his career and this season, but he hasn't been the most consistent player. His lack of size has been a detriment in the slot, as opponents have looked to take advantage of it both in the passing game with bigger slots and in the run game.

McMillian's missed tackles stem from his lack of size, and opponents have generated multiple explosive plays targeting him. That said, he's been solid, and a 53.1 grade is slightly above average; he just finds himself in the negatives because most of Denver's defenders have been good or great.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/broncos/onsi as Broncos' Mini-Bye Player Grades: MVP, Standouts & Underachievers .

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