Good morning, Broncos Country. It’s been a few days since the 2026 NFL Draft concluded. The Denver Broncos had seven selections in this year’s draft with their earliest being in the third round. Overall, I thought General Manager George Paton and Head Coach Sean Payton did a good job addressing the team’s depth needs.
I’m not really someone who throws out “grades” for team’s draft endeavors, but I thought I’d share some of my thoughts about what they accomplished for today’s installment of Horse Tracks.
Bo Nix and the offense get some reinforcements
While it’s not technically included in their draft class, one can sprinkle in the acquisition of Jaylen Waddle toward the revamping of Denver’s offense this offseason. He will be a big-time playmaker for them this season and certainly be a reliable target for quarterback Bo Nix to throw too.
Adding more firepower on offense was also a consistent theme of theirs in the draft. With their top pick in the fourth round, the Broncos selected Washington running back Jonah Coleman. He’ll be the team’s third running back this season but could see an extended shot at playing time if J.K. Dobbins misses any time due to injury. He is a strong running between the tackles and has a knack for touchdowns–scoring 34 of them on the ground in his four-year collegiate career.
They followed that up by taking Kage Casey a few selections later. An offensive lineman from Boise State, Casey will provide the franchise with multi-position versatility. Denver won’t need him to make an impact as a rookie, but his ability to offer depth across their offensive line will be important. I have no doubts Zach Strief will be able to develop him into a starting caliber player.
In the fifth round, the Broncos traded up to snag North Carolina State tight end Justin Joly. The former Wolfpack standout doesn’t have premier athleticism. However, Joly has a knack for making tough catches, rarely drops the ball, and was a good chain mover for their offense. He saw reps playing inline, in the slot, and even some H-back. I’m confident that Sean Payton and Davis Webb will be able to carve out plays for him to help Denver’s down-to-down efficiency this coming season.
Late in the seventh round, Denver double-dipped at tight end selecting Utah prospect Dallen Bentley. He projects as more of a traditional inline ‘Y’ option in the NFL and has tremendous size and athleticism. Bentley will take some time for development, but the upside banking on his unteachable traits was a good use of late-round resources.
Denver was wise to address all three levels of their defense
The only big complaint I have with Denver’s draft came down to missing out on some of the top talent on the defensive side of the ball. Linebackers C.J. Allen and Anthony Hill Jr. came off the board right before their selection. I had both of those players graded very highly and believe they will wind up being top-notch players in the NFL. Even so, I thought the Broncos did well addressing needs at every level of their defense.
After moving down from the second round to the early third round, Denver selected Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim. The former Iowa State transfer excelled in his lone season with the Aggies and produced much better in a different scheme. The front office is hopeful Onyedim can compete for snaps as a rookie alongside second-year pro Sai’vion Jones, another third-round pick from franchise’s 2025 class. He has the traits and ability to be a starter and I’m excited to see what he can do as a rookie.
In the seventh round, the Broncos shored up depth concerns at safety and linebacker with their selections of Miles Scott and Red Murdock. Both of these players were incredibly productive in their final two years of collegiate play and forced a lot of turnovers. It’s highly unlikely they will earn large roles with the team this year, but both have the talent to be Day 1 contributors on special teams.
And while he wasn’t selected, I’m a big fan of Taurean York. A teammate of Onyedim’s with the Aggies this past season, York made a lot of big plays for their defense and was a two-time captain for them. He may lack the size coaches covet at inside linebacker, but his instincts, strong play downhill, and ability to cover give him an honest shot at making the Broncos’ final 53-man roster.
As always, thank you for reading. Here is today’s slate of articles for Horse Tracks.
