Just a quick and dirty roundup today. Not much in the way of news or rumors, just sitting here on the home stretch to the 2026 NFL Draft.
Broncos daily recap
Horse Tracks: Draft priority is ‘good football players’ George Paton isn’t overthinking position needs heading into draft week. “It starts with just being a good football player,” the GM said, emphasizing that Denver’s coaching staff has earned his trust in developing high-trait players regardless of how NFL-ready they are on Day 1. Paton reiterated that he feels
good about the talent available around pick No. 62 and with their pair of early fourth-rounders, pointing to the franchise’s recent second-round track record — Bonitto, Mims, Harvey, Sutton — as proof the front office knows how to find impact in that range.
5 defensive players the Broncos may draft in round two
The defensive side of the second-round board highlights Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. as an athletic, rangy blitzer, and Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter as a stout run-stuffing DT who could help offset losing John Franklin-Myers. Safety also pops as a sneaky need — Brandon Jones is in a contract year coming off injury and PJ Locke left in free agency, leaving the third safety spot wide open. Despite Denver’s defense leading the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons, the piece argues there are still holes worth addressing with premium capital on Day 2.Discussing expectations for the Broncos’ draft class
With no first or third-round pick, the MHR staff tempers expectations that this draft class will be an immediate needle-mover in Denver’s Super Bowl chase. The Broncos hold seven total picks — No. 62 in Round 2 plus six Day 3 selections — and while Paton insists expectations remain “very high,” the staff consensus is that the realistic goal is finding high-trait developmental players who can eventually grow into starters, not plug-and-play contributors across the board. The staff points to Denver’s experience navigating three previous drafts without a first-rounder as reason for cautious optimism.Should the Broncos be aggressive moving up for their top-ranked players?
The MHR staff is split on this one. The “go get your guy” camp argues Denver is in a Super Bowl window right now and should be bold about trading up from 62, especially with a projected 10 picks in the 2027 draft giving them future capital to burn. The conservative camp prefers trading back to accumulate more selections, arguing that without a first or third-rounder you can’t afford to further thin out an already limited draft haul. The middle ground: be aggressive only if there’s a specific player the staff is in love with who another team is clearly targeting.Denver Broncos 2026 NFL draft big board: Offense
MHR’s final offensive big board slots Georgia Tech OG Keylan Rutledge at the top as a Tier 1 prospect — a four-year starter and back-to-back First-Team All-American who models his finishing toughness after Quinn Meinerz and could pair with him to give Denver two mauler bookends on the interior. Tier 2 features TE Eli Stowers as the “Joker” piece Sean Payton covets, Max Klare as the best blocking-plus-receiving TE option, Northwestern OT Caleb Tiernan as a 6’8″ high-character tackle despite shorter-than-ideal arms, and NDSU WR Bryce Lance as a contested-catch Day 3 flier. The board is heavy on tight ends, reinforcing where Denver’s second-round pick likely lands.NFL and Bronco Draft History
A deep dive into draft history and how it frames Denver’s 2026 approach. The piece notes that the No. 1 overall pick has been a quarterback in 19 of the 25 drafts this century, with the remaining six being edge rushers (4) or offensive tackles (2). For Denver specifically, the article tracks the Broncos’ recent second-round success — Bonitto at 64, Mims at 63 — against years of terrible second-round misses before the Paton era. The last time Denver entered a draft without a first-rounder was 2023, when they grabbed Mims and still came away with a productive class, setting the historical precedent for optimism this week.
Under the radar
Luca Evans from the Denver Post shared a thread on draft sleepers that have received some interest from the Denver Broncos.
From the FEED
Mike Klis of 9News dropped a list of players in play for the Denver Broncos. It’s a running back and tight end list only, apparently, but useful to discuss.
