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, selecting 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 gave him a 3rd-round grade. 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.
Player Profile
Tyler Onyedim | Defensive Linemen | Denver Broncos
- Height: 6-3
- Weight: 293 pounds
- Age: 23 years old
- Experience: Rookie
- Arm Length: 34 1/4 inches
- Hand Size: 10 1/8 inches
- 40-time: 5.07 seconds
- 10-Yard Split: 1.69 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 32 inches
- Broad Jump: 9-3
- Short Shuttle: 4.65 seconds
- 3-Cone Drill: 7.96 seconds
- Bench Press: 24 reps
- 2025 stats: 49 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble
Tyler Onyedim’s 2026 outlook with the Broncos
He will be part of the Broncos’ defensive line rotation, but his exact role is TBD.
After night two of the 2026 NFL Draft, Broncos head coach Sean Payton was asked if Onyedim could potentially fill the role veteran John Franklin-Myers had had the past few seasons, and Payton said, “Yes, absolutely”.
“Definitely when we’re taking a player in that spot, we discuss vision all the time. Yes, absolutely. They’re going to come in [and] earn their place. We go through this all the time. After the read, Broncos’ vision Year 1. It was positive, not only with the scouts, but with the coaches as well.”
So, that right there gives us an idea of how they view Tyler Onyedim. They view him as an attacking penetrator who will be rushing the passer in the NFL. General Manager George Paton expanded on this when asked about Onyedim’s time at Texas A&M.
At Iowa State they were playing him at a different… It was a 3-3-5 scheme. He was two-gapping, playing blocks. He wasn’t penetrating; he wasn’t rushing as much. He got to see and do more at A&M which he’ll be doing here. The tape was good at Iowa State, but we really liked it at A&M.”
As Paton states, he was good at Iowa State as a player, taking on blocks, but they really liked what they saw this past season at Texas A&M when tasked with attacking and rushing the passer more.
Now, Onyedim just needs to go out there and earn playing time and this key role on the Broncos’ defense. With Franklin-Myers gone, that leaves a large hole in the Broncos interior pass rush, and we could see several Broncos vying for that role.
Veteran Malcolm Roach signed an extension with the Broncos and has shown some underrated pass rush during his time with the team. He is someone I could see having an elevated role on defense this upcoming season. Eyioma Uwazruike has developed into a massive space-eating defensive tackle, but will likely get some looks, as will 2025 third-round pick Sai’vion Jones, who profiles a lot like John Franklin-Myers. He is someone I am expecting a big year-two jump from this upcoming season.
So, Onyedim will have competition for that role but will have a chance to earn it this summer during training camp and the preseason. He has the size, length, athleticism, and explosive get-off that you look for, and hopefully, he can give the Broncos yet another interior pass-rushing threat.
Final Thoughts
I am excited to see what Onyedim can do this summer. JFM had an important role on the Broncos’ defense, and replacing him will be key for the team. Thankfully, they have multiple in-house options, including Onyedim, so it should be a fun competition to watch play out throughout training camp and the preseason.
Personally, I am intrigued to see how Sai’vion Jones and Onyedim do this summer. Both were third-round picks, and the Broncos will need at least one of them to step up this season. Jones had a year of development and has the size, length, and athletic traits you look for, and is someone I believe can be a breakout player for them this season. Onyedim fits that profile too, but is a rookie; Payton and the Broncos have spoken highly of him, so let’s see what he can do as well.
At the end of the day, you can never have enough interior pass rushers, and a healthy rotation will make this already dangerous Broncos pass rush that much better. Hopefully, Onyedim and others can develop and give the Broncos multiple players who can rush the passer from the interior of their defense.
