The Denver Broncos have their newest addition to their team. Originally scheduled to pick at 62 overall, the Broncos moved down from the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft into the early part of the third round. By doing so, they received #182—the top pick in the sixth-round—as well as #66 from the Buffalo Bills.
Adding to the offensive and defensive trenches has been a priority for the Broncos under the leadership of General Manager George Paton and Head Coach Sean Payton. By selecting Texas A&M
defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim with their top pick in this year’s draft, it once again shows their commitment to keeping the foundations of the franchise strong and building upon a team strength.
A fifth-year senior, Onyedim transferred to Texas A&M after spending his first four years with the Iowa State Cyclones. In his ’25 season with the Aggies, he notched 48 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Additionally, he had 16 quarterback pressures, 10 quarterback hits, and 7 hurries.
Let’s do a deep dive into Denver’s third-round pick, his strengths and weaknesses, and what his best fit is in Vance Joseph’s defensive moving forward as he begins his NFL journey.
Player Profile: Tyler Onyedim — Defensive Lineman — Texas A&M
Height: 6’-3-1/2” | Weight: 292 pounds | Arm Length: 34-1/8” | Hand Size: 10-1/8” | Age: 22 Years Old
40-Yard Dash: 5.07 seconds | 10-Yard Split: 1.69 seconds | 20-Yard Split: 2.83 seconds
Shuttle: 4.65 seconds | 3-Cone: 7.9 seconds
Vertical: 32” | Broad Jump: 9’-3” | Bench Press: 24 reps
Statistics at Iowa State and Texas A&M: 55 games played, 33 starts. 138 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble.
Film Room & Highlights
Hart’s Scouting Report
Positives:
- Three-year starter with five years of playing experience
- NFL ready strength with extremely long arms, large wingspan, and big hands
- Over 1,600 career defensive snaps with experience at various spots on the defensive line
- Good block shedder with a great first step and sneaky spin move that slips him past opposing offensive lineman
- Despite average agility drills, the tape shows a player with surprisingly good range and athleticism
- Had 41 quarterback hurries, 26 quarterback hits, and 59 pressures in college
- Excelled as a fifth-year senior in a different scheme and made a lot more plays behind the line of scrimmage
Negatives:
- Mediocre pass rushing production with a lot of room for growth and diversification when it comes to his pass rushing arsenal
- Would benefit from adding some lower body mass and muscle
- High effort player for certain, but has consistency issues—a lot of big plays one week; seemingly missing in action the next
- Can get washed out of running plays when double-teamed and get him working laterally
- How much of an impact can he make for Denver in year one with an already loaded rotation?
How does Onyedim fit in with the Denver Broncos?
With the departure of John Franklin-Myers, the Denver Broncos needed to add another player to their rotation. They have Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, and Sai’vion Jones. However, Uwazurike is in the final year of his rookie deal. On top of that, we didn’t get to see much of Jones, the team’s ‘25 third-round draft pick as a rookie. He is still virtual unknown at this time, but the front office remains optimistic about his developmental arc.
In my opinion, Onyedim will compete alongside Jones as a developmental defensive lineman who will seek to offset the loss of Franklin-Myers. That’s who I believe the battle for the team’s fifth spot in the rotation comes down to. Both players have impressive physical traits but certainly have their fair share of rough edges to smooth out. It appears likely one of them will be a healthy scratch and game day inactive for most of the season, unless they opt to dress six defensive linemen.
Onyedim’s disruptiveness against the run may bode well in his favor. Having more experience at defensive tackle spots and perhaps more alignment versatility will be a plug mark in his favor. I don’t think he was a player many fans across Broncos Country had on their radar, but I love the fit and his potential. It usually takes defensive lineman a few years to hit their stride, though I’m confident Denver’s newest rookie will eventually become a productive player for them on defense.
