Broncos At Falcons: 3 Players To Watch In Week 1 Of Nfl Preseason

After a long wait, Denver Broncos football is finally back. This Friday, the Broncos kickoff their three-game preseason slate when they take on the Atlanta Falcons. Here are three players Broncos Country should keep their eye on closely during the game.

Jonah Coleman — Running Back

The first player on my radar to watch is running back Jonah Coleman. Throughout training camp, the rookie has impressed. Last week, Head Coach Sean Payton regarded him as one of camp’s most pleasant surprises to date. He has performed well and according to Payton, doesn’t show signs of being a rookie.

Denver struggled to run the ball when J.K. Dobbins missed the latter portion of the season with an injury. While Dobbins has ‘pinky promised’ to stay healthy in 2026, he had a soft tissue injury during Monday’s practice. Denver needs a contingency plan in the event he misses time this season.

That’s where Coleman factors into the equation. He was a battering ram during his collegiate years and averaged 5.5 yards per carry. Additionally, he the draft’s best backs when it came to yards after contact. The Washington Huskies standout has a nose for the endzone and notched 34 rushing touchdowns over four seasons of play. Those are all reasons why I’m excited to watch the rookie in action on Friday.

Red Murdock — Inside Linebacker

The top spots at inside linebacker are set in stone for the Broncos in 2026. Veterans Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad will hold down the starting positions. Who ends up winning the depth spots behind them has been one of the most intriguing camp battles thus far.

One player who factors into the equation is rookie linebacker Red Murdock. Drafted with the final pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Murdock was incredibly productive during his collegiate career and made a lot of big plays. He topped Khalil Mack’s FBS all-time forced fumbles record with seventeen during his time at the University of Buffalo.

Last week after practice, Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph praised the rookie linebacker for his progress to date and mentioned he was eager to see him in his first NFL game this Friday.

“Red’s job is a little different. He’s making the It took him a couple days to kind of get used to making the calls and playing fast. Now, he’s doing that. I’m looking forward to Friday night to see him play live action with organic looks. It’s going to be fun to see,” stated Joseph.

Jahdae Barron — Cornerback

For my third and final player, I’ll be zoning in on Jahdae Barron. The first-round pick spent most of his rookie season as a backup player. For the entire 2025 season, Barron played in 30-percent of the team’s defensive snaps. However, he did show some promise when on the field.

With Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss, and Ja’Quan McMillian Denver’s top cornerback trio, it will be interesting to see how he fits into the defensive equation in 2026. But before that happens, he needs to perform well in the preseason and make some plays on the ball.

I’m not sure how much the starters will play for Denver throughout the preseason. Nevertheless, I expect Barron to get a lot of playing time leading up to the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. I’m anxious to see if that’s primarily on the outside or at nickelback.