ENGLEWOOD — The Broncos entered the weekend knowing they would have to take some risks in setting the initial 53-man roster.

All in all, Sean Payton was happy with how everything turned out.

“We’re pleased with what transpired in the last 24 hours for the most part as we looked at it,” the head coach said after practice Monday at Broncos Park about the 53-man roster being set Sunday and the 17-man practice squad Monday.

The Broncos had wanted to keep rookie tight end Justin Joly, cornerback Reese Taylor and rookie linebacker Taurean York on the practice squad after they were waived Sunday, but Joly and Taylor were claimed by Miami, and York elected to go elsewhere.

Denver also will be moving on without running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who was waived Sunday and is looking for another team after not being claimed. General manager George Paton said the last decision the Broncos made when the 53-man roster was set was to keep running back Tyler Badie over McLaughlin, who rushed for 1,093 yards the past three seasons with Denver.

Payton said the Broncos “felt strongly” that Joly, a fifth-round pick, wouldn’t be claimed and would join their practice squad. Meanwhile, he “thought Jaleel was going to get claimed.”

“The edge goes in the kicking game, which is important,” Payton said of Badie being chosen over McLaughlin. “We were still able to end up with five (running backs), but I think so much of this final equation comes down to special teams.”

The Broncos, who open the regular season Sept. 14 at Kansas City, have JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman as running backs on the roster in addition to Badie. Cody Schrader is on the practice squad.

At inside linebacker, the Broncos kept starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad and second-year men Karene Reid and Jordan Turner on the 53-man roster. They were able to get Red Murdock, a seventh-round pick who was waived Sunday, on the practice squad but lost York, who was undrafted.

“That’s the science of it,” Payton said of hoping to retain all six linebackers. “And it’s never exact.”

The Broncos, though, didn’t take any chances when it came to quarterback Sam Ehlinger. They kept him on the 53-man roster along with starter Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham rather than try to get him on the practice squad.

“I thought Sam earned it,” Payton said. “He played well.”

At tight end, the Broncos, though, had to expose at least one rookie. They chose to keep Dallen Bentley, a seventh-round pick, on the 53-man roster rather than Joly, who was the highest-selected player from April’s draft to be waived.

“They’re entirely different type players,” said Payton, referring to Bentley being the better blocker. “But we felt that Bentley earned (being on the 53).”

The Broncos were able to hold on to another tight end in second-year man Caleb Lohner, who was Bentley’s teammate at Utah in 2024. Lohner was placed on injured reserve Sunday along with tackle Frank Crum. Both must miss at least four games, but Paton said Lohner won’t be back until “late October or so.”

Lohner did not take part in the first full-squad training camp practice July 29, watching with a brace on his left knee. Payton was asked why Lohner had not been put on the physically unable to perform list before the start of camp.

“Had (his injury) been prior, he’d still be on PUP, but it happened 24 hours after the deadline to put someone on PUP,” Payton said about a new injury suffered by Lohner after he had missed time in spring drills.

Had Lohner initially been on the PUP list, he could have been kept on it for the start of the regular season and not counted on the 53-man roster. Then the Broncos possibly could have used one of their two initial allotted injured-reserve spots for linebacker Drew Sanders.

Sanders has battled injuries since being a third-round pick in 2023. He played in just four games the past two seasons, including missing all of 2025 with a foot injury. He was waived Sunday with an injury designation and reverted to injured reserve Monday.

“It’s difficult because you watch the process, and the effort and the calories and the energy and the amount of time,” Payton said of Sanders, who can’t play for Denver this season unless he is waived with an injury settlement and returns at a later time. “I know more than anyone, he was frustrated. So those are never easy because of the makeup and the toughness (of Sanders). It really came down to just the injuries.”

Overall, though, Payton had few complaints about how Denver’s roster moves worked out.