Ups and downs at camp halfway point

When the Broncos report for practice Sunday morning, it will be their 26th day of training camp, and the season opener at Oakland will be 29 days away.

If the extra-long week between games at Seattle last Thursday and against San Francisco next Monday can be labeled as the halfway point of the preseason, it’s time to take a 10,000-foot view of the Broncos.

Here are four story lines moving forward:

Emerging players

Players who started camp on the roster bubble who have emerged …

1. OLB Malik Reed: An undrafted rookie from Nevada, Reed has eight tackles and two sacks, propelling him into the driver’s seat to be a backup edge rusher to Von Miller and Bradley Chubb.

2. ILB Josh Watson: Another undrafted rookie (Colorado State), he has a team-best 13 tackles and has been trusted to call the defense for the starters because of injuries to Todd Davis (calf ) and Josey Jewell (oblique).

five cornerbacks, he could get the final spot. He had five tackles (two for lost yardage) against Atlanta.

Signed after camp started, he should be the favorite to serve as punt returner/rotational slot receiver. He had a 24-yard catch against Seattle.

Hurting players

Players who need to pick itup…

have allowed Johnson to play 72 snaps. He has nine tackles, but his coverage angles and run-game awareness need work.

2. OLB Jeff Holland: He ended last year as the No. 3 edge rusher but is now No. 5 behind Miller, Chubb, Dekoda Watson and Reed. Holland should hope to do enough to merit a practice squad spot.

3. WR Trinity Benson: A fast start to camp has been followed by a tailoff. He has one catch in 42 snaps and doesn’t appear to be in the punt-return mix.

4. TE Noah Fant: A firstround pick, his roster status is secure, but to be a trusted part of the Week 1 game plan, the coaches should want to see more.

Lock’s progress

Coach Vic Fangio was honest throughout the first two-plus weeks of camp when asked about rookie quarterback Drew Lock. Simply put, he said Lock wasn’t ready yet.

But last Tuesday, Fangio smartly detoured, pointing out how Lock is doing things now — reciting longer play calls, lining up under center and handling protections/checks — he didn’t do in Missouri. It was the kind of public hat tip that Lock needed.

Not that there was a connection, but the week of practice showed itself against Seattle. Sure, Lock’s mechanics are sometimes out of whack, but a Lock-led offense looked better operationally.

Lock has three more preseason games to fine-tune and win the No. 2 job currently held by Kevin Hogan.

“I think I have a pretty broad horizon of things I want to work on; overall 100 percent, just being a better quarterback,” Lock said.

A key for Lock is managing the storm around him. When he’s in the game, it’s with backup players who are similarly inexperienced, and things can be clunky.

“He was standing in (the pocket) strong, and he’s getting the passes to where they need to be,” quarterback Joe Flacco said of Lock. “The second half of these (preseason) games are crazy. It’s 22 guys on the football field fighting for really their (professional) lives.”

”Great week”

The Broncos practice Sunday Monday, Tuesday and Thursday before San Francisco visits for workouts on Friday and Saturday.

The goal should be simple: Get tons of good work and keep the physicality in line. If 49ers-broncos are like other joint practices, it will be 1s vs. 1s in team drills, which should spice things up.

Asked how he will benefit, Flacco said: “It’s practice. It will change the scenery a little bit. I think it’s always good to break up camp and go against some new guys. I’ve never had an issue with them in the past. I assume good things will come (from them) this week.”

Said Fangio: “This will be a great week for us. We’ve been looking forward to it. A very important week for us.”

The Broncos’ schedule is probably why Fangio is placing importance on it. They play the 49ers on Aug. 19 and then have only two days of practice before playing the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 24, the final tuneup for the starters. If Fangio wants to simulate a regular-season game week (practice/meetings), this will be his final chance.

Roster math

Starting fullback Andy Janovich (partially torn pectoral muscle), and reserve inside linebacker/ special-teams core player Joe Jones (partially torn triceps tendon) are not expected to be ready for the regular-season opener.

If a player is placed on injured reserve before the initial 53-man cut Sept. 1, he is out for the season; if placed on IR starting Sept. 2, two players per team can be designed to return after they sit out eight weeks.

If the Broncos feel Janovich/jones will be ready by, say, Week 3, they could stash them on the 53. And that will impact the roster math. Minus Janovich, the theory is the Broncos will keep rookie fullback George Aston. Minus Jones, the theory is little trickier — the Broncos could decide to go with one less inside linebacker.

Are Janovich/jones important players? Sure. But not putting them on IR leaves the Broncos in a semi-bind depth-wise and forces them to waive a player they would rather keep.

Ryan O’halloran: rohalloran@denverpost.com or @ryanohalloran