Good morning, Broncos Country. The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off tonight in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’s been a long offseason, but the most fun part about it is finally upon us. The next few days should bring a lot of excitement for fans.
Unfortunately, our beloved Denver Broncos aren’t scheduled to pick tonight, but having Jaylen Waddle in the fold to bolster their offense for the 2026 season was a good move to make. That being said, here are a few storylines I will be watching closely tonight and
over the next few days.
All eyes on the competition in the AFC West
With the Broncos not having a pick until the second round, I’ll be keeping a close eye on what happens with the rest of the teams in the AFC West. It’s a tough division already, but a bunch of talent is going to be added into the fold by Denver’s competitors over the next few days.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the heavy favorite to be the top pick for the Las Vegas Raiders tonight to kickoff the 2026 NFL Draft. Mendoza will join Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers to help turn around the division’s bottom-dwelling franchise. Overall, they have 10 selections with six of them being in the top four rounds. That’s a lot of draft capital to help get things going in the right direction.
Truth be told, the Raiders have a ways to go before being a formidable competitor. Though this draft could wind up being their most important in recent memory and prove to be transformative if they can hit big with their large slate of picks. I’m very interested to see how Klint Kubiak and the new regime tackle their first draft together.
The Kansas City Chiefs have two first round selections at #9 and #29 and five in the Top 110. The Chiefs are poised to make a splash and could wind up with several impact players early on. That’s not the news Broncos Country wants to hear, but that’s a potential reality we have to accept. I’m guessing they will try and nab one of the best cornerbacks or edge rushers to shore up their defense, but with ample draft ammunition, they could surprise and make a big trade or two and move into the Top 5 for a premier prospect.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Chargers have just five selections. However, they have all their original picks in the Top 125. Finding an edge rusher seems like a good option in the first round for the Chargers. They could certainly use some help there given the age of Khalil Mack. Adding some beef up front to their offensive and defensive trenches seems like a strong possibility too.
What will John Harbaugh and the Giants do with two Top 10 picks?
John Harbaugh was tapped to revitalize the Giants and turn them back into a playoff contender. They made a lot of moves this offseason, but none was bigger than what happened the other day. They took the NFL by storm, trading defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the tenth overall selection.
Coupled with their fifth pick, Harbaugh and the Giants have the chance to turn things around in short order if they can get a few blue chip prospects. Several prospects consistently marked to them are linebacker Sonny Styles Jr. and safety Caleb Downs from Ohio State. They would certainly help out their defense which was one of the worst in the league last season.
Even so, I really think they may be hoping Jeremiyah Love falls to them. He’s arguably the best offensive player and playmaker in the draft–and would definitely make life a lot easier for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart. Though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them trade down from the tenth pick and try to accumulate more selections. They don’t have a third-round pick and it’s possible they won’t want to wait between 37 and 105 to add another player to a roster that desperately needs talent across the board.
How will the first-round events impact Denver’s second-round draft board and plans?
The Broncos aren’t scheduled to pick until the 62nd overall selection in the second round. A lot of talent will be off the board by then, but I’m still optimistic things will fall rather favorably for Denver. At least, I hope it does. The franchise done a good job finding talented players at the end of the second round the past few drafts with Nik Bonitto, Marvin Mims Jr., and RJ Harvey.
I’m hoping to see a bunch of edge rushers, wide receivers, and offensive lineman go in the first round. That would definitely help some targets at bigger positions of needs potentially fall to them in the second round. If that happens, I would not be the least bit surprised if General Manager George Paton and Head Coach Sean Payton were a bit more aggressive with their draft plans.
During their pre-draft press conference, Paton had noted they felt really comfortable in the 45 to 75 area when it comes to draft talent. If things go favorably for Denver in round one, I think there is a good shot they move up the board in Round 2 to get one of their most coveted players that can address a long-term need for the franchise.
How about you, Broncos Country? What storylines are you keeping close tabs on over the next few days? Let me know in the comments section.
As always, thank you for reading. Here is today’s slate of articles for Horse Tracks.
