Sean Payton impressed with Malcolm Roach

ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO - AUGUST 1: Malcolm Roach #97 of the Denver Broncos participates in training camp at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit on August 1, 2026 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Denver Broncos improved this offseason with their acquisitions via trade, free agency, and the 2026 NFL Draft. Continuity was a big theme for the franchise, who boast the most returning starter snap share in the league. However, they lost one significant contributor on the defensive side of the ball when John Franklin-Myers signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Tennessee Titans.

Over the past few drafts, the Broncos have drafted a pair of defensive linemen, Sai'vion Jones and Tyler Onyedim, who will hopefully develop into starting caliber players. They have all the traits and talent to do so. In the meantime, Denver will be banking on some of their more seasoned players on the frontlines to keep their defense performing at a high level in 2026.

One of those is veteran defensive lineman Malcolm Roach. Roach signed with the Broncos back in March of 2024. Since then, he has been an important part of Denver's rotation up front. Despite missing five games due to injury, the former Longhorns standout put together arguably his most productive season as a pro in 2025.

Yesterday after practice, Head Coach Sean Payton lauded the seventh-year pro and stressed how important he is to the team's defense.

He's got a lot of juice. He's one of those compound multipliers. A lot of his traits it's infectious. I've said that about J.K. Dobbins-you hear him before you see him. They practice hard. I think all the way back to when he was undrafted out of Texas and we signed him, the improvement at his position for him has been remarkable," stated Payton who pined for General Manager Mickey Loomis to sign him as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2020 with the New Orleans Saints.

While most players get extensions after or before a season, Roach's is an exception. His on the field prowess was a big reason the front office rewarded him with a three-year contract extension last November, right before Thanksgiving. The extension, worth over $28 million with half of it being guaranteed, shows the Broncos believe he will be crucial to their success this season and beyond.

Prior to going down with injury, Roach was third in the Broncos' defensive line snap share after Franklin-Myers and Zach Allen in their rotation. He finished the 25 season with 401 snaps, 41 tackles, 4 sacks, and 5 quarterback hits. Had he not missed five games, those numbers would have certainly been much higher.

With over 500 snaps up for grabs due Franklin-Myers' departure, the team will need Roach to step up and play his best ball to date. By all accounts, it seems that Roach is poised to be one of the first in line to make up for that. He has a big personality but also possesses the grit and determination to take his game to the next level.

He's always going to be looking at what he can do a little better, how he can play on third down relative to the rush. He's got really good football I.Q. and I think that it kind of shows up on film even at the defensive tackle position."