Johnson needs to step up game

Players to watch for the Broncos in Saturday night’s preseason game at the Los Angeles Rams:

1. Alexander Johnson

The status of inside linebacker Todd Davis (calf) for Week 1 is uncertain because he hasn’t practiced since July 18 (the first day of training camp) and coach Vic Fangio said Davis “is a little bit behind where we had hoped.” Enter Johnson, who started against Atlanta and San Francisco. His 11 tackles are second on the team and if the coaches feel he plays well against the Rams, he could get the base-down start at Oakland. “Some good, some not so good (against the 49ers),” Fangio said of Johnson. “I was hoping for more. He’s got to keep ascending and not flatten out. I thought he had a good camp early on. He’s got to step it up here.”

2. Brett Rypien

A spectator against Seattle and San Francisco — the feeling being the Broncos were keeping him under wraps so he can clear waivers on his way to the practice squad — Rypien will play after Kevin Hogan against the Rams. Does this mean he has a chance to be Joe Flacco’s backup while Drew Lock (sprained right thumb) is out? Maybe. His performance against the Rams could allow him to beat out Hogan. Rypien was 5-of-10 passing for 41 yards and the game-winning touchdown pass against Atlanta on Aug. 1.

3. Jamal Carter

A safety by trade, Carter was moved to inside linebacker on Aug. 11. Fangio said after the 49ers’ joint practices that the experiment was working well enough to keep Carter at linebacker but then he played only 10 snaps in the game. Does Carter have a chance to make the team as a versatile defender/special teams player? The numbers may not work out unless the Broncos think he can play strong safety in a pinch. “He’s a work in progress (at linebacker),” Fangio said. “He probably did about the way (on Monday) I expected him to. It’s a new world in there. Instead of going back 10 yards, now you’re at four yards and those linemen can be in your lap pretty quickly.”

4. Su’a Cravens

If the Broncos believed Cravens had the ability to be efficient as a fill-in safety, subpackage linebacker and special teams core player, he would be on the team, taking advantage of a fresh start after his 2018 went backward from the hop. But Fangio said early in camp that Cravens is strictly a safety. He played only 10 special teams snaps in two games and missed three practices and the San Francisco game because of an illness. Cravens may make the team by semidefault.

5. All returners

Our prediction is the Broncos’ Week 1 punt returner isn’t on the roster yet. River Cracraft, Kelvin McKnight, Nick Williams, Brendan Langley and Devontae Jackson have caught punts in the first three preseason games and have combined for more fumbles (two) than returns of more than seven yards (one). Cracraft got the first two chances against San Francisco. On kickoff returns, Jackson has four returns, but it is unlikely there is room for a fifth tailback on the 53-man roster since Theo Riddick (shoulder) is already hurt.