Building up the offensive line has been a primary endeavor for the Denver Broncos since Head Coach Sean Payton’s arrival in Denver. The franchise has signed multiple high-profile players, extended several in-house players, but have also been diligent in their approach to finding and developing late-round and UDFA players.
In the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Broncos added Boise State product Kage Casey to the group. A three-year starter and two-time All-American, Casey locked down their
left tackle position. However, the start of his NFL journey will be inside at interior.
In the team’s draft presser, Head Coach Sean Payton spoke highly of Casey’s versatility—a primary reason he was picked. When drafted, Casey acknowledged his willingness to play wherever the Broncos need to. He also highlighted his play style and what fans should expect from him as he begins his pro career.
“I play quick, aggressive. My football intelligence, my ability to read the field and slow down the game for myself, read pressure, see where a defender is going to be moving post-snap allows me to play fast. I’m an extremely consistent guy. I’m disciplined, and I’m ready to learn wherever I need to be,” stated Casey.
Throughout the offseason and training camp, Casey has been getting a lot of work in the interior, specifically left guard. Yesterday after practice, Head Coach Sean Payton gave an update on the rookie’s progression to date. However, he also revealed a new tidbit of information—that Casey will also see reps and playing time at center leading up to the regular season.
“He’s got good feet and he’s smart. I think his ideal position is guard, but we’ll give him some center flex. He comes to us having been well coached. You feel that in his play and we felt that on film. We’ve been pretty fortunate with some of those draft picks or free agents on the offensive line,” noted Paton.
With fourth-year pro Alex Forsyth in the final deal of his rookie contract and Ben Powers in the last year of his revised deal, having Casey learn the ropes at both positions makes a lot of sense. That sort of cross-training and ability will fortify their offensive trench outlook long-term.
