Overview
- ESPN analyst Matt Bowen named Denver a “team to watch” for increased use of 22 personnel in coverage published Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
- 22 personnel is a formation with two running backs, two tight ends and one wide receiver that can serve as both a power running look and a matchup-creating passing set.
- Bo Nix averaged 7.7 yards per pass attempt from 22 personnel in 2025, a figure Bowen cited as evidence the package can create cleaner, higher-efficiency throws.
- The Broncos re-signed and added blocking pieces and power runners — including Adam Trautman, J.K. Dobbins and rookie Jonah Coleman — while Adam Prentice’s snaps grew late in 2025, giving Denver the personnel flexibility to run 22 without obvious substitutions.
- How often and how effectively Denver uses 22 will depend on how Sean Payton scripts it and how new playcaller Davis Webb integrates the package during training camp and preseason, with Miami and Buffalo cited as recent league precedents for heavy-personnel success.