Mile High Report
We already talked about the eight Denver Broncos players who I believe could have breakout performances during training camp and the preseason. That list included a lot of the expected names like Jahdae Barron, Jonah Coleman, Que Robinson, and others. However, there are five players who I left off this list who I believe could have breakout performances that are currently a bit under the radar.
These aren’t your big names, but players pushing for a roster spot or an elevated role on the team that could solidify their spots on the roster and with the team after a strong performance during camp and the preseason.
With all that said, here are the five under-the-radar Denver Broncos players who I believe could have breakout performances
Lohner was a 7th-round pick last season by the Broncos in 2025 and was a long-term developmental player for them. He was a former basketball player with one season of college football under his belt but had the size and athletic traits that Sean Payton and the Broncos believed they could develop.
His rookie year was pretty quiet, as expected, and he spent the entire year on the Denver Broncos practice squad. Despite that, teams attempted to pry Lohner from the Broncos’ practice squad, but the developmental rookie decided to stay with the team that drafted him. Now, he enters year two looking to push for a spot on the Broncos’ 53-man roster.
Lohner made some noise early in the offseason during the Broncos 2026 rookie minicamp after Head Coach Sean Payton went out of his way to praise the developmental second-year player.
Payton was then asked what Lohner is doing better this year compared to last year. He simply said, “Everything”.
“Everything. In fairness to him, remember [he] was a basketball prospect that had limited snaps of a year. So one year into the program, and how he’s moving, what he’s doing, everything looks entirely different. That learning curve and growth curve was greater for someone who had far less experience maybe than others, if that makes sense. It’s entirely noticeable, and he’s in great shape. You see his athleticism. I would say the one thing that you don’t know is… [Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach] Bill [Parcells] used to say, ‘If they don’t bite when they’re puppies, they’re probably never going to bite.’ There’s a physical aspect to the way he plays. Even on look team last season, he’d play an outside linebacker rushing our tackles. He’s 6’7”, 265 pounds and he’s not afraid of the contact. So it’s been good to see him in Year 2. You knew there was going to be a developmental upside, but that was encouraging.”
Unfortunately for Lohner, his hype would be short-lived after he would undergo a cleanup procedure that would sideline him throughout the entirety of the Broncos’ offseason program. However, he is expected to be 100% for the start of training camp and will look to reignite the...
