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Broncos might be best team in NFL with fun two-RB personnel grouping

Nairavoice · Jun 10, 2026 · 2 min read

Broncos might be best team in NFL with fun two-RB personnel grouping originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Denver Broncos were agonizingly close to a Super Bowl appearance this past season, and in 2026, there’s renewed optimism for Bo Nix and the Broncos offense.

Jaylen Waddle is joining this wide receiver room that already has Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Pat Bryant. It’s a very fun addition for Denver, but so too is the running back room.

Matt Bowen of ESPN named the Broncos as a team to watch to become the best in the NFL at one personnel grouping that uses two running backs instead of more WRs. The reason is clear: Sean Payton and the RB options make for a great opportunity in Denver.

How Broncos could become best in NFL at 22-personnel

“The team to watch in 2026: Denver Broncos,” Bowen writes. “… But let’s not forget about coach Sean Payton’s team in Denver. The Broncos will use traditional 22 personnel to run the ball, plus fullback Adam Prentice can shift to create 13 personnel looks.”

Bowen believes the Broncos are a team to watch when it comes to 22-personnel in 2026. But what even is 22-personnel? It’s a personnel grouping with two running backs, two tight ends, and one wide receiver.

This is something that the Broncos found success with last season, with Nix throwing for 7.7 yards per attempt out of this personnel grouping.

For a Broncos team that has an incredibly deep wide receiver room, to only have one on the field would be a little odd for the offense, right?

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But, with J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman, a fullback in Adam Prentice, and the many tight end options, this formation might be a secret weapon for Denver in 2026.

The goal for the Broncos in 2026 isn’t to force-feed the ball to their wide receivers, but to win games and return to the AFC Championship.

As good as Waddle, Sutton, Franklin, Bryant, and Mims are, the best-case scenario for this offense is simply moving the ball. It doesn’t have to be through the air and through the deep wide receiver room.

The Broncos are a team to watch in 22-personnel this season, as they could be a very fun team utilizing multiple running backs in 2026 as they aim for a Super Bowl after coming so close a year ago.