The Denver Broncos will have a new starting center in 2024 after losing Lloyd Cushenberry to free agency. The team has a wide-open competition to determine who will get that job and to this point, the same player has been with the starters each day of camp.
That player would be Luke Wattenberg. The Broncos selected Wattenberg in the fifth round of the 2022 draft but he has started just one game thus far in his career. However, despite Alex Forsyth, Bo Nix's college teammate and veteran Sam Mustipher being on the roster, Wattenberg may be the first man up when the preseason starts.
However, he is by no means locked into that position.
Luke Wattenberg will have to hold off the competition at center
Wattenberg may be the guy with the starters early in camp but head coach Sean Payton is saying not to put a lot of stock in that.
Luke Wattenberg has been the No. 1 center for the first four days of training camp, but Sean Payton says that doesn't mean he's got the job locked up | by @MaseDenver https://t.co/VcUndMXyvb
— Denver Sports 104.3 (@DenSports1043) July 28, 2024
In addition to Forysth and Mustipher, seventh-round pick Nick Gargiulo can also play center as he did in college. The team will also look at each of these players as guards and the ones who show the most overall versatility will be the ones who make the team.
The team has been giving Forsyth reps at guard, which Payton is reportedly excited about. It won't be the most exciting position to keep tabs on in camp and preseason games, but the decision will be one of the more important ones for this coaching staff to make.
