Not many people had Boise State offensive lineman Kage Casey at the top of their list for the Denver Broncos, but our own Ross Allen had his eyes on the interior lineman long before they called his name in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. In one of our pre-draft roundtables, Ross singled him out as a guy he hoped Denver would draft, saying:
If the Broncos can get their hands on him, then I’d be a huge fan of them drafting Boise State’s Kage Casey. He’s a two-time 2nd Team All-American and a big
guy at 6’6” and 310 pounds. He is athletic, strong, very durable, and is known by his teammates as a work horse. Also, Denver has good history when it comes to offensive linemen from Boise State.
Clearly, general manager George Paton agreed. Let’s review what we have in this young lineman today.
Broncos daily recap
Bo Nix ankle injury update
Bo Nix’s ankle recovery is tracking ahead of schedule. The Broncos QB underwent a pre-planned cleanup procedure on the right ankle he broke during Denver’s divisional playoff win over Buffalo in January, and Sean Payton offered an encouraging update: “He had a recheck that was scheduled. He’s doing great. We’re excited about his progress.” It remains unclear whether Nix will be a full participant in OTAs or June minicamp, but the expectation is he’ll be at full health by the start of training camp in July at the latest. No long-term concerns about the ankle.Justin Simmons retirement
Justin Simmons is officially hanging it up — and he’s doing it as a Bronco. The four-time Second-Team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl safety announced his retirement from the NFL, fittingly on the 10-year anniversary of Denver selecting him in the third round of the 2016 draft. “Being a Denver Bronco was more than just a team. It was my heart, my home and my story,” Simmons said. He spent eight of his nine NFL seasons in Denver, finishing his career with 32 interceptions, 71 passes defended, and 666 tackles across 134 regular-season games while earning three team captain designations and three Walter Payton Man of the Year nominations. Simmons plans to attend Denver’s 2026 home opener as a fan in the lower bowl — watching from the other side for the first time.
Potent quotables – Kage Casey focus
Paton and Payton quotes on Casey
On if the two fourth-round picks, RB Jonah Coleman and OL Kage Casey, will define this draft class
Sean Payton: “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.”
Kage Casey quotes
On his pre-draft interaction with the Broncos and what he knows about Denver’s offensive line
“The pre-draft process with the Broncos was awesome. I met them first off at the Senior Bowl. I had a quick visit with them, and then at the Combine had a formal with them as well. That went very, very well. Just the whole process has been great. 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. Just the whole offensive line in general, it’s going to be an awesome environment to be part of.”
On what he likes about T Garett Bolles’ game that he has tried to emulate
“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.”
On the Broncos’ vision for where he can play on the offensive line
“Really wherever they want me. As of now, I don’t know for sure, but wherever they want me, I know I’m going to excel at.”
On how he would describe his game
“I think 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.”
On what his formal interview with the Broncos at the Combine was like
“It was an amazing meeting with the Broncos. A lot of it was just going over my own film. [We] didn’t install much of the Broncos offense with me, but mainly it was just watching a bunch of my own film, breaking it down, maybe a few mistakes here and wanted to take accountability for my actions, and seeing if I can grow, seeing if I’m coachable. Overall the environment in that room was awesome.”
On going from the Boise State Broncos to the Denver Broncos
“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.”
On if he thought there was a possibility the Broncos would draft him today
“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.”
On if his versatility was desirable to the Broncos
“Yes, absolutely. I think even in the pre-draft process, me bumping to guard, playing a little bit of center in my Pro Day was something that helped me out a lot and something I think the Broncos could use.”
Under the radar
More on the Bo Nix injury situation.
Everything Kage Casey
We here at Mile High Report covered each Denver Broncos draft pick in a variety of ways, but the news feed got deep fast and much of that coverage was buried in short order. Here is everything we did on offensive lineman Kage Casey over draft weekend ICYMI:
Denver Broncos select Boise State OL Kage Casey with their 111th overall selection
Denver doubled up in the fourth round, taking Boise State offensive lineman Kage Casey at No. 111 just three picks after grabbing Jonah Coleman. The 6’6″, 310-pound Casey was a two-time First-Team All-Mountain West tackle who allowed just six sacks across 1,351 career snaps — and zero sacks during the entire 2024 season. Though he played tackle in college, the Broncos announced him as a guard, signaling they see his future on the interior as a versatile depth piece who can play guard, tackle, or even center.Denver Broncos offensive lineman Kage Casey highlights
The tape on Casey shows a technically sound blocker who wins with preparation and positioning rather than raw athleticism. His highlights showcase strong hands in pass protection, the ability to get to the second level in the run game, and a disciplined approach — just three penalties across 2,638 career offensive snaps. He’s not going to pancake defenders, but he consistently walls off rushers and seals lanes with the kind of cerebral, assignment-sound play that translates to the NFL.Why the Broncos drafted OL Kage Casey
Denver’s offensive line is arguably the best in the NFL, but turnover is coming, and Casey is the investment against that. In the short term, he joins Alex Palczewski as a versatile reserve who can slide between guard, tackle, and center as injuries demand. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had him as his 10th-best guard in the class and called him a “determined, assignment-sound blocker” who could compete for meaningful snaps as a rookie. Casey’s cerebral pre-snap reads and zone-blocking fit make him a natural match for Denver’s heavy zone run scheme.Scouting report for offensive lineman Kage Casey
MHR’s full breakdown highlights Casey’s football IQ as his best trait — he slows the game down pre-snap, diagnoses fronts, and consistently gets ahead of the curve on his assignments. He stays square in pass pro with strong hands and gets to the second level well in zone concepts. The concerns: he doesn’t overwhelm defenders in the run game, has some stiffness in his lower half, and will need to fire his feet quicker to handle immediate interior contact if he moves to guard full-time. The projection is a high-floor swing lineman who could develop into a starter as Denver’s O-line eventually cycles through its current core.
How do you feel about Kage Casey?
