According to multiple reports, including The Denver Post’s Luca Evans, the Denver Broncos have signed rookie defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim to a four-year deal. He is getting a $1.83 million signing bonus, and his deal is worth $ 7.39 million over the next four years.
With Onyedim signed, the Denver Broncos now have their entire 2026 rookie class signed to their rookie contracts.
After a small trade back that netted them an extra 6th-round pick, the Denver Broncos made their first selection of the 2026 NFL Draft when they selected Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim. He is a 6-3, 292-pound defensive lineman with 34-inch arms, and profiles as a one-gap penetrator for the Broncos.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had him graded as his 74th overall player, ranked him as his 7th-best defensive tackle in the draft, and had a 3rd-round grade on him. Onyedim appeared in 53 games over five seasons with Iowa State (four seasons) and Texas A&M (one season) and totaled 138 tackles, 20.5 tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.
Brugler calls Onyedim a well-rounded defensive tackle with no “fatal flaw” to his game and says he profiles as a one-gap penetrator and a dependable rotational piece.
Onyedim is quick out of his stance and has adequate athleticism to shoot gaps and slice through blocks. His hands and feet stay connected as he works the blocker’s edge, but he reverts to a predictable long-arm move as his go-to plan B and needs to evolve beyond that. Against the run, he plays with awareness and extension to do his job, but he struggles reacting to double teams and down blocks. Onyedim might not have a true distinguishing trait, but he also doesn’t have a fatal flaw that will be exposed by NFL competition. He projects best as a one-gap penetrator and dependable rotational piece.
So, why did the Broncos draft Onyedim? They wanted to keep their defensive line strong. He will help replace the void left by John Franklin-Myers, who signed with the Titans during free agency.
He joins Zach Allen, DJ Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Sai’vion Jones, and the rest of the Broncos defensive linemen and will be a valuable rotational player for them. The Broncos signed Roach to an extension, so look for him to have an expanded role and fill some of the snaps that Franklin-Myers had last season. Onyedim will slot in as a depth player and could potentially take over Malcolm Roach’s previous role as the Broncos’ do-it-all reserve lineman. He could even push for some third-down/pass-rushing snaps this season if he has a strong training camp and preseason.
Onyedim has already earned the praise of Broncos All-Pro defensive lineman Zach Allen. He told reporters that Onyedim has the hard part kind of done. The physical traits are obvious; he has a good attitude, he asks questions, and takes film seriously. Allen added, “When the pads are on, it’s going to be fun”.
“He’s got the hard part kind of done. You could definitely tell he’s got the physical traits, and then he’s got a good attitude about it. So he is always trying to learn, always asking questions. He really takes the film seriously, which is pretty rare for a young player. He’s been great. It’s been awesome. [I’m] really excited just to keep working [with him]. It’s crazy to think it’s only his second week on the job. When the pads are on, it’s going to be fun.”
Onyedim has been a standout player during the Broncos OTA and minicamp practices, but with them being non-padded, it is tough to come away with much from them. The real test will be when the pads finally come on in a few days into the Broncos training camp practices. From there, we will really get to see what Onyedim can do in the trenches.
