We're in the calm before the storm.
With the preseason and training camp in the books, the Denver Broncos have their initial 53-man roster set. While we await the Broncos' first game week of the season, we take our last opportunity to reflect on what we saw in training camp and the preseason and forecast what it could all mean for 2026.
One thing we learned this summer is how highly the Broncos think of fourth-year safety JL Skinner . Specifically, how he performed in training camp and the preseason, knowing he's entering a contract year.
We heard Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph compliment Skinner in late August , giving us our first hint that the young safety's place on the roster was secure. Skinner made the initial roster out of camp once again, and he impressed his coaches and teammates along the way.
In fact, Broncos All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga felt like Skinner was the Broncos' most improved player this summer, which is saying something, given that he was coming off shoulder surgery this offseason and how good wide receiver Pat Bryant looked.
"I think he personally was the most improved player on the roster this offseason," Hufanga said of Skinner. "I think the way he just came back off of a shoulder surgery and then proved himself to the coaches that he can come out here and play the game at a high level. Because that's a lot."
Denver Broncos safety JL Skinner (34) lines up on defense during a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire
We also learned from Hufanga that the Broncos' coaches wanted to see some growth out of Skinner entering his fourth season. The Broncos let P.J. Locke go in free agency, which created a big hole on defense, as he was excellent last season as the team's No. 3 safety and really saved the day after Brandon Jones went down with a season-ending injury late in the campaign.
Locke's departure meant that someone among the Broncos' young depth safeties needed to step up this summer. Skinner got the message, loud and clear.
"They just wanted that growth out of him-that year three to year four," Hufanga said of Skinner. "What can be done? And he stepped up to the plate and proved himself, for sure."
JL Skinner tackles Atlanta wideout Zachariah Branch. | Rich von Biberstein / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire
Skinner has always been a reliable special teams contributor since arriving as a 2023 draft pick, but he's yet to really earn a role on defense. Coaches need to see consistency from a player if they're going to rely on them to contribute, and while he'd shown that in the third phase, it hadn't been seen on defense entering the 2026 offseason.
If what Hufanga said is any indication, though, the Broncos could be viewing Skinner very differently this year. When pressed to explain what Skinner did to show such vast improvement this summer, Hufanga quickly pointed to the 'C' word.
"Consistency. I think last year, just being around as a teammate, learning just the ups and downs of the game," Hufanga said of Skinner. "For me, you didn't see a lot of downs this training camp. It was a lot of just staying up and continuing to get better, learning the defense and the schematics, putting himself in great positions because he is a very great athlete."
Perhaps Skinner's athletic prowess hasn't been fully appreciated. Fans would be forgiven for that, though, considering they've only gotten to see him in a handful of plays each game as a special teams contributor.
"A lot of people discredit it," Hufanga said of Skinner. "He is a 6-foot-4 frame with a 220 [pound] body that can run 4.3 when he wants to. And that's what he did this training camp."
If Skinner is indeed putting it all together finally, he's doing it at the most opportune time. This is not only the last year of his rookie contract, but the Broncos are still searching for that reliable No. 3 safety, which is a role that sees the field each game in sub-packages, regardless of injuries.
I tapped Devon Key as the leader in the clubhouse for that No. 3 role that Locke vacated, and the Broncos may give him the first bite at the apple as the games get rolling. But if Key fails to fully lock that down, Skinner might get the opportunity.
Then again, we haven't seen an official depth chart yet. And even if he had, it wouldn't necessarily tell us which safety will take the field as the No. 3 guy.
We will have to wait until the Broncos take the field at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs to find out for sure. Skinner obviously impressed the Broncos this summer, but in the NFL, it's not what teams say - it's what they do.
If Skinner sees the field in sub-packages early on, we'll get confirmation that all this internal buzz about him is legit.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/broncos/onsi as Why JL Skinner Is Broncos' 'Most Improved Player,' per Talanoa Hufanga .
