Denver Broncos continue to be slept on with wild ranking in ESPN’s Football Power Index
Article excerpt
The Denver Broncos, riding a successful 2025 season with a stacked roster, rank only 15th in ESPN's Football Power Index, a puzzling placement that suggests the national sports establishment may be underestimating Payton's squad. The ranking appears to lag behind the team's actual on-field performance and talent level, fueling debate about whether ESPN's predictive metric is accurately capturing Denver's true competitive standing. Critics argue the Broncos deserve higher respect given their recent trajectory and roster composition.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 24: George Paton of the Denver Broncos speaks during a press conference at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine on February 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Denver Broncos fell just one game short of making the Super Bowl last season. Despite a successful campaign and bringing back a strong roster loaded with star players and continuity, a lot of outlets and analysts continue to sleep on the Broncos’ potential for the upcoming 2026 season.
ESPN’s Football Power Index ranking is the latest to show a less than favorable projection for the Broncos in ‘26. Per their methodology, Denver enters the season ranked fifteenth in the NFL, eighth best in the AFC despite being the conference’s top seed in 2025. That seems a bit odd, doesn’t it?
ESPN's Football Power Index is out!
The Rams are No. 1, the Seahawks are No. 4 and the Patriots are…No. 14!
Projections, most likely Super Bowl matchups and more in today's story: https://t.co/a3gvnREcZ3pic.twitter.com/cUwrQBBGkw
, Seth Walder (@SethWalder) June 3, 2026
Waldner’s analysis explains why the Broncos ranked in the middle of the pack. It’s quite similar to what we have seen elsewhere in similar rankings. He mentioned likely defensive regression, risk involved with Nix’s injury, as well Denver being unlikely to replicate their success with one-score games.
Those are fair and legitimate concerns, though I don’t think Denver will see too much regression on the defensive side of the ball at all. There is no doubt the Broncos start the season with a tough gauntlet of opponents. However, it seems a bit odd the aforementioned would propel them that far down the ranking board.
The FPI’s initial projection has the Broncos’ sporting probably 2026 record of 9-8. Additionally, it calculates they have only a 54-percent shot at making the playoffs and just a 24-percent chance at winning the AFC West. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers rank significantly higher percentage-wise in both categories.
We won’t know for a long time how things eventually shake out, though I seem to get the feeling the Broncos are being underrated far too often in all these preliminary prognostications. I know the coaches and players have said they don’t pay attention to the outside nose, but hopefully they take notice and use this as bulletin board material to prove the doubters wrong in ‘26.
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