Final in a series previewing the Broncos’ 2025 roster. Previously: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line | Defensive line | Outside linebackers | Inside linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties
On the roster (3): Wil Lutz (PK), Jeremy Crawshaw (P), Mitch Fraboni (LS)
How many on the 53? Three.
Most impactful offseason move: Firing coordinator Ben Kotwica and hiring Darren Rizzi. Plus drafting Crawshaw in the sixth round.
The Broncos were good overall under Kotwica, but head coach Sean Payton thought they needed to get better. So he let Kotwica go after the season and eventually reunited with Rizzi. The long-time New Orleans special teams coach was the Saints’ interim head coach for the final eight games but didn’t get the permanent job there.
In the punting department, Denver got decent production the past two years from Riley Dixon — he did a good job of keeping punts out of the end zone and allowing a terrific coverage unit to make plays — but he had stretches where he didn’t hit the ball consistently. Denver took a swing in the draft by landing Crawshaw out of Florida. The Australian has a booming leg and spent the offseason program sending high spirals into orbit. There’s no question on the leg. The question will be executing the way Rizzi wants and helping Denver continue the run of good punt coverage it enjoyed under Kotwica.
Biggest question to answer in camp: How does Crawshaw adjust to Lutz and the Broncos’ field goal operation?
Crawshaw was a good holder at Florida, but the pressure will ramp up at the NFL level. Lutz has been among the NFL’s most consistent kickers the past two years, making 89% of his field goal tries since arriving in Denver. All of those kicks, of course, came with Dixon holding. The group spent the offseason working with Zach Triner as the long snapper while Fraboni recovered from offseason surgery. As training camp gets going, though, the Fraboni-Crawshaw-Lutz trio will get plenty of work in nailing down their rhythm.
Battle to watch: There isn’t one among the specialists, so let’s go to the broader coverage and return groups. It’s going to be interesting to see how Rizzi wants to prioritize the back half of the roster. He’s got a bunch of players to work through at positions like inside linebacker — veteran Justin Strnad and four young players behind the starters — and safety, where even after jettisoning Tanner McCalister, the Broncos have Sam Franklin, Delarrin Turner-Yell, JL Skinner, Devon Key and Keidron Smith behind the top trio. Franklin and receiver Trent Sherfield Jr. were signed this offseason to be special teams workhorses and that’s part of the reason Strnad is back, too. Who else is going to make himself indispensable?
Under the radar player: Fraboni.
Just a quick bit of long snapper love. Fraboni latched on with the Broncos in late 2022 and hasn’t looked back since Payton got hired as head coach. He proved a solid option over the past two years and this spring was rewarded with a three-year deal. It’s essentially the league minimum each season, but it came with a $600,000 signing bonus, too, and a total of $1.7 million in guarantees (signing bonus and 2025 base salary). At a position where teams often try to promote competition, that’s real confidence in your guy.
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