The start of the 2026 NFL Draft is just hours away, and soon we’ll have a new crop of rookies joining the Broncos roster. Due to the blockbuster Jaylen Waddle trade, the Broncos do not have a selection until late in the second round, but they have managed to do well in this position before.
Taking a look at the Broncos current depth chart, it looks a lot like the one we saw last season. The team brought back nearly all their free agents this offseason, outside of defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers
and safety PJ Locke. Their lone external free agent signing, up until this point, has been former Bengal safety/special teams ace, Tycen Anderson. The Broncos are running it back and have a roster that carried them to the AFC Championship Game last season.
Their big offseason addition thus far is wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. They traded what amounted to a 1st and 3rd rounder to the Dolphins for Waddle, who will bring the Broncos some much-needed big-play ability from their wide receiver room.
On the defensive side, things look about the same. As I mentioned, John Franklin-Myers and PJ Locke signed elsewhere, and the team released veteran linebacker Dre Greenlaw, but otherwise, it’s the same core unit. It’ll be a big year for second-year players Jahdae Barron, Que Robinson, and Sai’vion Jones. All three players could be pushing for significant playing time this season.
With the draft coming up, we could see the Broncos add a running back, tight end, linebacker, and some depth to the offensive and defensive lines. On top of that, we could see another 10+ UDFA’s signed by the Broncos. So, things will be changing, and hopefully, the Broncos can add some future stars to this team during this draft process.
With all that said, here is your Denver Broncos pre-draft depth chart. What position and players do you see the Broncos adding to the roster during the draft?
Offense
Notes
- Jaylen Waddle is pretty great.
- Will we see a wide receiver traded during the draft? GM George Paton downplayed it, but the Broncos do have depth, and teams could be calling.
- The Broncos need better depth at running back and will be drafting a running back.
- The TE room isn’t very exciting, but I could see a pass-catching threat added to this room, possibly with their second-round pick.
- Offensive line looks pretty good, but could we see the Broncos FINALLY draft an OT? Seems like it could happen this year. I’d look for some depth and competition to be added to the OL
- The QB room is set, but there were some Jarrett Stidham trade rumors. Could we see something happen during the draft? The team seems to really like Sam Ehlinger.
Notes
- Defensive line looks good, but could we see another rookie added to the room? All eyes will be on Sai’vion Jones to see if he can replace JFM and look for Malcolm Roach and Uwazurike to have expanded roles as well.
- Jonah Elliss – Is he a linebacker or edge rusher? If he’s a linebacker, that changes the draft outlook there and opens the door for an edge rusher to be drafted. If not, we could see the Broncos go linebacker early in this draft.
- If Jonah Elliss moves to linebacker, watch for Que Robinson to get an expanded role. Flashed at times as a rookie and has a lot of talent.
- Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are your starters, and everything else behind them is up in the air. This might be Drew Sanders’ final chance. Jordan Turner showed some promise, Karene Reid made the team last season, and Levelle Bailey has been a solid depth player.
- Will the Broncos trade a corner? I’d be surprised.
- Jahdae Barron vs. Riley Moss? The offseason battle to watch, in my opinion.
- Safety depth – Who will replace PJ Locke, and could we see the Broncos add a safety to this room via the draft?
Notes
- Overall, no major changes expected here. However, the Broncos have done some pre-draft work on long snappers. Could we see a potential offseason long snapper battle?
