How did the Broncos grade out in this year's draft, despite not making a first or second-round pick?
The 2026 NFL draft is officially in the books. For the first time since 1995, the Denver Broncos did not make a first or second-round pick.
The Broncos were without a first-rounder, because they traded it for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. They started with a second-rounder, but opted to trade back during the draft from No. 62 to No. 66, which pushed them out of Round 2. , despite having no first or second-rounder. Let's go through each pick and render a grade.
Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. | John Mersits / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wirein Onyedim. After being buried in a defense at Iowa State that forced him to two-gap a lot, and create plays for others to make, he transferred to Texas A&M for the 2025 season, where he showed the NFL what he can do as a disruptor and penetrator.
The Broncos had questions up front in the wake of John Franklin-Myers's departure, but adding Onyedim to the mix with Eyioma Uwazurike and Sai'vion Jones gives the defense three solid options. It might be a vacuum that gets filled collectively, but by 2027, my bet is that Onyedim is the understood starter here opposite Zach Allen.
There are questions as to whether the Broncos reached a little with Onyedim, but as a player rated in the 80s, there was little reason to believe he'd be there at No. 108 if they waited. So, like RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant last year, the Broncos took him earlier than people in the media may have liked, but the team doesn't care because it has a vision for him.
Washington Huskies running back Jonah Coleman carries the ball against the Maryland Terrapins. | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images The Broncos landed an excellent fit at running back in Coleman. He gives Denver a between-the-tackles grinder and someColeman is a great team guy and will fit into the Broncos' locker-room culture well. Throw in his excellence as a pass protector, and the value here in Round 4 was very good.
Boise State Broncos offensive tackle Kage Casey against the Penn State Nittany Lions. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images, but he could have a chance to "fail inside.
" Meaning, he could get some snaps at left tackle as a backup to Garett Bolles and if he fails there, the Broncos will move him inside to guard where he projects better, at least initially. If Casey ends up inside, the Broncos could view him as a potential Ben Powers replacement at left guard in 2027. North Carolina State Wolfpack tight end Justin Joly during pregame activities against the Tennessee Volunteers.
| Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images The Broncos landed a "Joker" tight end and a candidate to replace Evan Engram in 2027. Joly plays the tight end position like a big wide receiver, but he's a lot more physical than you might think at first glance. Joly caught 166 passes for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns in college, and he's already looking forward to playing with Bo Nix, who he views as a "" quarterback.
Considering that most draftniks had Joly as a third-round tight end, getting him in Round 5 was excellent value, even though the Broncos did trade No. 182 overall to move up, which was the pick they got from Buffalo for moving down in Round 2. Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Miles Scott celebrates after a missed field goal by the Nebraska Cornhuskers. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images With P.J.
Locke departing for Dallas and Brandon Jones entering a contract year, the Broncos needed to draft a safety, and they. He was a productive player at Illinois and even played wide receiver his first two years there, in the same room as Pat Bryant.
Scott can also contribute on special teams right away, which the Broncos may need, especially if they plan to transition third-phase All-Pro Devon Key to more of a starring role on defense as the No. 3 safety, which is the spot Locke occupied last year. Utah's Dallen Bentley walks into the end zone for a score in the second half against the Oklahoma State University Cowboys.
| SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Bentley was viewed as a fifth-round tight end, but the Broncos got him late in Round 7. Once again, the value was tremendous. Bentely can step in as competent blocker and bring some competition to the tight end room. He's also the second Utah tight end the Broncos have drafted in the seventh round in consecutive years, joining Caleb Lohner.
September 21, 2024, Dekalb, Il, USA: Sept 21, 2024 DeKalb, Illinois, USA: Northern Illinois ETHAN HAMPTON runs as Buffalo s RED MURDOCK defends during the Mid-American Conference opener. Buffalo won, 23-20. | Rich Bamman / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire The Broncos struggled to take the ball away last season. Enter Murdock, who was the most prolific fumble-forcer in FBS history.
He had 17 throughout his career, which is the most in FBS history. Murdock is also a great leader and team captain. He's a "glue guy," who will happily and competently contribute on special teams and in any way the Broncos ask him to. The Broncos found a way to fill all their roster needs and consistently found value throughout the draft.
The players they selected all, to a man, fit the culture Sean Payton has cultivated at Broncos HQ, which only adds to the quality of this class. I don't recall feeling this confident in a Broncos draft class in quite some time, and that's saying something because GM George Paton has proven to be very competent in this area.
It's also quite something to see the Broncos' garner such a high grade for the draft class, even though they didn't have a first or second-round pick. Hats off to Paton and Payton for a job well done. The best part is that none of these draft picks will be pressured to start early.
Make no mistake, the Broncos have a vision for each player, but the quality and depth of the roster they'll be joining will allow for the coaches to develop these draft picks with very little pressure. Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsChad Jensen is the Publisher of Denver Broncos On SI, the Founder of Mile High Huddle, and creator of the popular Mile High Huddle Podcast.
Chad has been on the Denver Broncos beat since 2012 and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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