The Denver Broncos are marching forward under Sean Payton’s leadership toward what looks like a “Super Bowl or Bust” kind of season. The roster is pretty much intact, which is good given that they did so well last year and, as such, have end-of-the-round picks by and large. They also traded away their 1st round pick for a much-needed offensive weapon in Jaylen Waddle.
This year, the Broncos are looking for depth and development with the kind of upside that will help them transition smoothly as some
of their preeminent starters become too pricey in the near future.
But keep in mind that Sean Payton is always looking for upgrades to his team. If a player shows that he’s capable of making an impact, he will get more opportunities. The best recent example of this in my mind was Pat Bryant. Last season, he earned more and more snaps as the season wore on, even though he was a rookie.
While any player at any position is in play, keep in mind what we’ve seen from this front office in the past few years. They tend to pick players in positions of need with a small sprinkle of grabbing an exceptional talent that drops here or there (Jahdae Barron comes to mind).
Broncos Picks
- 2nd: 62
- 4th: 108
- 4th: 111
- 5th: 170
- 7th: 246
- 7th: 256
- 7th: 257
Team Needs
- Tight End
- Running Back
- Inside Linebacker
To me, the biggest need in the short term is a tight end weapon. Evan Engram is the answer today, but tomorrow is right around the corner. Getting a tight end who can produce in the passing game is going to be a big deal. I don’t think you have to go tight end in the 2nd round, though. We need a player who can be rounded into form and ready to take over in the next couple of years.
The Denver Broncos believe in JK Dobbins. I believe in Dobbins’ injury history. The Broncos absolutely need to get another young back for their rotation who has that same kind of capability to carry the load and churn out positive gains as a primary rusher (the team doesn’t have a guy like that on the roster currently). Thankfully, this is another spot where you aren’t forced to go there in the 2nd round. They can take him back later in the draft with the idea of developing him in 2026.
Finally, Inside Linebacker has been addressed for 2026. We’re running it back with Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton. The Broncos have also mentioned moving Jonah Ellis, which honestly looks great to me on paper. I like what Ellis brings to the field. I think that’s more of a band-aid move than anything, though. The Broncos will need to draft a young, modern, and athletic linebacker to learn the system this year, in hopes that they can take over in the near future.
Team Wants
- Safety
- Offensive Tackle
- Offensive Guard
We’re continuing the theme of development at safety. The Broncos are returning both Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones as starters this year. They lost P.J. Locke. I’m a huge fan of getting a future player for the safety position, as Jones is an unrestricted free agent after this year, and the team should look at going younger at the position.
We then land on the offensive line. I’m a big believer in Alex Palczewski, who has shown the flexibility to play at guard or tackle. I see the Broncos possibly moving on from Ben Powers in the near future and possibly even Mike McGlinchey. Both players are nearing the end of their contracts with void years either imminent (Powers) or around the corner (McGlinchey).
Picks I like for the Broncos
I like the idea of Eli Stowers early on if he drops to us. I’d also love Anthony Hill, Jr. Both players could be there in the 2nd round. As a fan of the safety position, I’d be absolutely stoked to see A.J. Haulcy picked early.
As the Broncos get into the 4th round, look out for Dametrious Crownover if he drops. If they are serious about replacing a tackle in a year, he’s the kind of player you take and develop at a coveted position.
I also like the idea of Kaytron Allen to help bolster the needs at running back for the team. He plays with vision, which goes a long way in the NFL. He runs with power and likes to get upfield, which meshes well with what the offense asks from Dobbins.
For the 5th round, I spy a Utah linebacker in Lander Barton who would be right at home on this roster. He needs some work to develop a bit, but who doesn’t once you get this deep in the draft? What I like most about him is his ability to read both before and after the snap and follow through with his assignments. Understanding the game from the inside linebacker position is a high priority if you want to be a future starter in the middle of the field.
Final Thoughts
I’m not going to pretend to have great ideas about anything past the 5th round. Luckily, the Broncos have shown to have a superb scouting department that has been absolutely killing it the past few years in finding great fits for the team. When you find players like Jonathan Cooper, Frank Crum, Alex Palczewski, and Jaleel McLaughlin late in the draft or undrafted, you are doing a pretty darn good job of finding talent late in the draft process.
We’ve done nothing but get better for multiple years in a row, and this front office has earned a ton of trust from Broncos Country. Don’t get sideways if the team doesn’t pick a guy you think is a slam dunk. Don’t be surprised if the team trades down to collect some picks, either. I think there’s a lot of comfortable room for this team to be themselves and find smart, strong, team-first players to continue building this roster.
I think, given how the team is set up currently, I could see a big trade happen for a guy like Marvin Mims or even Jonathan Cooper. Both players could net the team some significant picks and have depth at their positions that would allow the team to take the risk if they so choose.
Enjoy your time with the draft. We’ll be here at milehighreport covering every pick, and I’ll be back with a thoughts post next week to go over what I see from the choices they’ve made. Hit me up in the comments with the guy you think is custom-made for the Broncos (any round). I’d love to hear who you all are in love with in this year’s draft (when we had a 1st round pick, mine was going to be Kenyon Sadiq for what is worth).
