In the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft the Broncos picked up two key players to help bolster the offense. Boise State left tackle Kage Casey and Washington running back Jonah Coleman are some great additions to this team.
With Coleman, there was plenty of talk between him and the team leading up to the draft and there was a relationship built from the beginning.
“We just hit it off right off the bat. As soon as I walked in the meeting, I felt the energy and really the love from the start. I went
in there, and we just talked some ball and just crushed it. When I went up there on a [Top 30] visit, all I kept hearing was they were really impressed with my interview at the Combine.”
Coleman, of course, is a fantastic, physical runner that will bolster Denver’s ability between the tackles, but that’s not the only reason he was drafted.
“It’s really important. Now I get to go protect [QB] Bo Nix, and I take pride in that. I may not have all the exciting plays and all of that, but I do the dirty work. I do those things that not a lot of people pay attention to. Just being able to be well rounded.”
Offensive lineman Kage Casey has been ready to be (remain) a Bronco for a while now.
“I was for sure hoping for it. They’ve been a team I’ve been eyeing. I was really hoping they would pick me, and I’m so happy it came true.”
“It’s so surreal. Same color scheme, same everything. I’m so excited. It’s basically a rock’s throw away from where I lived in Boise. I’m so excited for this new environment, a new coaching staff, a new team. I’m just so excited to be part of the Broncos again.”
He’s also a fan of the man who he might end up replacing.
“I know especially [T] Garett Bolles, he’s a guy who I try to model my own game after. I’m excited to actually meet him in person and be part of the offensive line with him.”
And what he likes most about him:
“Mainly just pass protection and also how consistent he is. Just his consistency in the pass pro itself is something that I’ve always tried to implement into my own game and what we’ll be trying to do further.”
Sean Payton certainly feels like these two guys were must-haves.
“I think as you go through the reads on the runner [Jonah Coleman] for instance, both Jonah and then there was one other back we kept thinking… They were graded early in the third, end of the second. That’s that tough scenario, ‘Will they make it to 108?’ It helped they were both available because we had discussed even climbing back. So Jonah came in for a visit. We spent a lot of time with him. I saw something that compared his running style, and I think the comparison was [RB] J.K. [Dobbins], and I think that’s a compliment obviously to the way Dobbins runs. He’s a physical runner. So we were real familiar with him.
“Then [OL] Kage [Casey] was someone the same way. How does the league value the guard-swing tackle versus the running back when we’re deciding that order? I think there were three picks between, and again the versatility there with Kage was really attractive. So that’s a long wait, if you will, where you’re going through a lot of picks. Certainly we discussed traveling back, and we ended up fortunately staying put. A lot of time, I felt, like a lot of time went off between the beginning of today and getting to both Jonah and Kage.”
In the fifth round the Broncos filled what’s likely their biggest hole on offense and drafted NC State’s tight end Justin Joly. Joly is an incredibly athletic receiver and can bring a much-needed bit of explosiveness to the intermediate portion of the field.
Here’s what Joly thinks he’s best at:
“I always feel like my hands work really well, and I’m a security blanket for my quarterback. When you have a great quarterback like [QB] Bo Nix, you live life a little bit easier.”
He also had a little more to say about Bo Nix and what he expects out of his new quarterback:
“Honestly just leadership and knowing what you’re doing all the time. He’s such a smart quarterback, and I love having the opportunity to see him play for the Broncos now. It’s just being reliable and be there when he needs you. That’s really what it is, whatever opportunities I might get, make the most of it because I’m not doing it for myself—I’m doing it for my team as well.”
Seventh-round pick Miles Scott get’s to reunite with a former teammate.
“It’ll be great. [WR] Pat [Bryant] was a great teammate. Me and Pat came in together at Illinois. We were both playing receiver. 2021 we both came in. Then I got to see him get drafted to Denver, and now he got to see me get drafted to Denver. So that’s kind of crazy. I was just with Pat while I was on the [Top] 30 visit. So it’s crazy.”
And a similar thing can be said by one of their other seventh-rounders, tight end Dallen Bentley, as he becomes another on a long list of Utes to be drafted or signed by Denver. He was asked why his fellow alum seem so alluring to the Broncos:
“I have no idea. (Laughs) I think Utah just plays with a certain style and has a certain grit to them that kind of draws attention from NFL teams, and specifically the Broncos. I have no idea to be honest, but we have a couple of guys there in the last few years, so it will be cool to see some of them.”
And the strong words from this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, linebacker Red Murdock when asked about his NCAA record 17 forced fumbles:
“Meticulous intent and being kind of being obsessed with it. Now I’m just ready to go do that on the field and help us get some wins.”
