The Denver Broncos finally begin their offseason practices Wednesday. They will have two weeks of OTAs followed by a three-day minicamp from June 16 to 18. Denver will host a practice open to the media next week that will offer a first glimpse of an offense that underwent a few substantial tweaks this offseason to improve upon a middle-of-the-road performance in 2o25.For the Broncos to take a final step forward into the Super Bowl after falling one score shy of that destination last season, their offense will have to be better. With that in mind, here are a few key storylines to watch for that unit as Denver prepares to take the field.When will Nix practice for the first time?When he spoke to reporters days after surgery to repair a broken ankle in late January, Bo Nix expressed confidence that his offseason work wouldn’t be significantly impacted. But that was before undergoing a follow-up procedure on the ankle in April. Now, the third-year quarterback is expected to be an observer when the Broncos begin OTAs on Wednesday.“We just want to be smart relative to holding him back a little,” coach Sean Payton said in early May. “If it were up to him, it’d be earlier, but we’re going to be smart.”Payton said there is no doubt Nix will be fully ready for training camp, and the Broncos’ coach also said there’s a “good chance” the 26-year-old QB will participate in some fashion during these upcoming offseason practices. All parties involved would feel good about seeing Nix in action this month, even if that only meant a practice or two of minicamp, especially after an offseason that featured a few more twists and turns in the quarterback’s recovery than were originally planned.The bottom line, though, is that the Broncos’ hopes of emerging as a Super Bowl contender depend on their young quarterback being fully healthy all season. All decisions regarding Nix’s participation in the practices ahead will be viewed through that lens.Webb’s first time in play-calling driver’s seatOffseason practices are not the time for intense live periods. This is installation season, a drilling down of the core concepts in the offense. So the major questions about how the attack might look different with Davis Webb calling plays in his first season as offensive coordinator won’t be summarily answered in the days to come. Payton has often left it to his assistants to relay plays to the quarterback during these structured practices — and even during those in training camp — so this won’t be uncharted territory with how the Broncos conduct practice.Still, Webb, the quarterbacks coach for the past three seasons, is now overseeing the entire offense alongside Payton. So OTAs and minicamp will offer an initial window into how Webb engages with players across the roster on that side of the ball. During rookie minicamp, for example, Webb spent much of the lone practice helping deliver coaching points to the wide receivers.It will be interesting to gauge Webb’s overall presence as he steps into this larger role. The offseason program should also represent the first time Webb has spoken publicly about his new role.How quickly can Waddle integrate into the offense?The Broncos made one of the league’s biggest offseason swings when they traded first- and third-round picks in April’s NFL Draft to acquire receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins. Denver needed another explosive target in the passing game, and Waddle, a speedy, crisp route runner with more than 5,000 receiving yards to his credit in five pro seasons, is exactly that.Waddle’s numbers dipped over the past two seasons as the Dolphins dealt with inconsistent quarterback play and a general lack of other offensive playmakers once Tyreek Hill was lost to injury. Waddle might be stepping into the best overall situation of his career when accounting for Nix at quarterback — his scrambling should give Waddle more second-act opportunities — Payton’s offensive acumen and Denver’s offensive line experience.The question is how quickly Waddle can nail down the offense and become the over-the-middle threat the Broncos are particularly eager to see him become. A subplot to all of this is the potential impact Waddle’s addition will have on Denver’s other young receivers, like Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims.“We all want to take that next step this year,” Mims told reporters during a charity appearance in Denver last month. “We need people that are willing to be selfless and put their best foot forward, no matter what it looks like, and try to get us back to that next level.”What does Dobbins’ offseason workload look like?J.K. Dobbins still wasn’t on the roster when the Broncos began OTAs last year. The veteran running back signed a one-year deal just before the start of minicamp and didn’t start practicing with the Broncos in full until training camp began. Dobbins re-signed with the Broncos on a two-year deal in March and is fully healthy after rehabbing from the foot injury that kept him out of Denver’s final nine games last season, including the playoffs. The Broncos gave Dobbins $8 million in guarantees on the deal largely because they believe the foot injury was an anomaly, the result of a hip-drop tackle against the Las Vegas Raiders.There is no ignoring the fact, though, that Dobbins has been consistently injured throughout his career, missing more than half of his teams’ games since joining the league in 2020. Building a plan that gives the veteran his best chance to be healthy and strong down the stretch run in December and January should be Denver’s biggest priority.It won’t be surprising if Dobbins has a modest workload across the next three weeks. The Broncos know what he can do in this offense after he rushed for 772 yards in just 10 games last season. These workouts should give the Broncos time to get RJ Harvey and rookie fourth-round pick Jonah Coleman reps that could prove valuable if Dobbins is forced to miss time at any point.Can Lohner make another step forward?Payton provided unsolicited praise last month for Caleb Lohner, the second-year tight end who was a seventh-round pick of the Broncos last season. Lohner, who played only one season of college football at Utah after a lengthy basketball career, spent his first season on Denver’s practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster ahead of the AFC Championship Game. Though he didn’t suit up for the game, the move was a sign the Broncos were encouraged by the development the 6-foot-7, 265-pounder was making behind the scenes.“One year into the program, and how he’s moving, what he’s doing, everything looks entirely different,” Payton said after Lohner participated in rookie minicamp. “That learning curve and growth curve was greater for someone who had far less experience, maybe, than others, if that makes sense. It’s entirely noticeable, and he’s in great shape. You see his athleticism.”The Broncos used two of their Day 3 picks in April’s draft on tight ends: fifth-rounder Justin Joly and seventh-rounder Dallen Bentley. Veteran Evan Engram is entering the final year of the two-year contract he signed last offseason, and the Broncos are trying to develop a longer-term option at the position. Lohner has put himself in a spot to challenge for a place on the 53-man roster and a role within the offense. Will he continue to look the part while working against coordinator Vance Joseph’s defense in full-team practices?Can Engram show early signs of greater impact?The numbers weren’t bad on the surface. Engram had 50 catches last season, the most by a Broncos tight end since Noah Fant (68) in 2021. There were big moments from the veteran tight end, too, like the big catch-and-run play against the Washington Commanders in overtime that helped the Broncos escape with a prime-time road win. There was also the touchdown catch that helped trigger a fourth-quarter comeback in Philadelphia.Evan Engram heads into his second season with the Broncos. (Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images)The consistent, week-to-week impact, though, eluded Engram during his first season in Denver, and his production sagged in the season’s final stages. Engram didn’t have more than 45 receiving yards in any game after Week 13 and caught a combined three passes for 26 yards during Denver’s two postseason games. Engram expressed confidence in late January, as he peered toward his 10th NFL season, that his familiarity with Denver’s nuanced offense would go a long way toward making a larger impact in 2026. There’s also the fact that Webb, Denver’s new coordinator and play caller, is close with Engram, dating to their time as rookie teammates with the New York Giants in 2017. Can that make a tangible difference for the veteran tight end?The Broncos have loaded up on new developmental prospects at tight end. A Year 2 leap from Lohner could be a major bonus for the offense. But Engram is the favorite at this point to be Denver’s leading receiver at tight end, so a jump in performance from the 31-year-old would be a big boost for the Broncos offense as a whole.What will Stidham, Ehlinger show with more QB reps?Will OTAs serve as the start of a battle for the No. 2 job at quarterback? With Nix not expected to practice during at least the first week of the offseason program, Jarrett Stidham, last year’s backup, and Sam Ehlinger, last year’s No. 3, will get plenty of reps. The Broncos have not added another quarterback to their roster, and Payton said last month that the offense could seamlessly conduct offseason practices with only two quarterbacks available.It’s an important period for Stidham and Ehlinger, given that Payton suggested while speaking at the league meetings in late March that there would be competition for the backup spot Stidham has held since joining the Broncos as a free agent in 2023. The veteran has started three games for Denver since then, including the Broncos’ 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, in which Stidham threw a touchdown pass but also committed a turnover in his own end of the field that led to New England’s only touchdown. Stidham is entering the final year of the two-year extension he signed in 2025 and has an $8 million cap figure. The Broncos could create $6.5 million in cap space by trading Stidham. Would that be a consideration if Ehlinger turned in a strong offseason performance that made the Broncos comfortable establishing him as the No. 2 behind Nix?Even when accounting for the AFC Championship Game — an unprecedented spot for a backup to make his season debut — the reality is that Stidham has been Denver’s trusted backup for the past three seasons. Nix has credited Stidham as a valuable resource when game-planning for opponents. It’s somewhat hard to envision the Broncos making a major change in the pecking order, especially with Nix coming off the ankle surgery. However, Payton didn’t shoot down the idea of a competition for the backup job when the offseason began, and that makes OTAs and minicamp a big stage for Denver’s reserve quarterbacks.