NFL 2026 Draft Review: Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos (14-3) were looking like they were about to go to the Super Bowl until QB Bo Nix broke his ankle in overtime in their 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos more than likely would have won the AFC Championship Game with Nix, but ended up losing 10-7 to the New England Patriots at home.

Fortunately, Denver's outlook for this season is still bright as Nix will be returning to practice in July. The Broncos will bring back one of the top defenses in the NFL. Plus, Denver's offense will be significantly better after trading for WR Jaylen Waddle during the offseason.

With seven picks, the Broncos then looked to build upon their stacked roster in this year's NFL Draft.

Round 3, Pick 2: Tyler Onyedim - DT - Texas A&M. 6'3", 292 lbs (48 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble).

Onyedim will definitely be in the rotation at defensive tackle. He will be given a chance to compete for a starting spot at DT due to his ability to make impact plays against the run.

Round 4, Pick 8: Jonah Coleman - RB - Washington. 5'8", 220 lbs (758 rush yds, 4.9 yds/rush, 15 TD, 31 rec, 354 rec yds, 11.4 yds/rec, 2 rec TD, 57 kick return yds).

Coleman is able to get those tough yards right up the middle, which explains why he had 15 rushing touchdowns last season. He is a capable receiver out of the backfield as well because he can break tackles after the catch. His low center of gravity explains why he is able to obtain so many touchdowns in the red zone. Coleman will definitely see some time in the backfield along with JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey.

Round 4, Pick 11: Kage Casey - OT - Boise State. 6'6", 310 lbs.

Casey was a three-year starter at tackle for the Broncos. He will now add offensive line depth for the Broncos. The team nickname remains the same for Casey.

Round 5, Pick 12: Justin Joly - TE - North Carolina State. 6'3", 241 lbs (49 rec, 489 rec yds, 7 TD).

Joly should see some time in the TE rotation in the red zone because of his size and because he is able to break tackles after the catch.

Round 7, Pick 30: Miles Scott - S - Illinois. 5'11", 190 lbs (64 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 INT, 4 pass deflections).

Scott converted to the defensive backfield at Illinois for three seasons after starting out as a wide receiver. He is able to anticpate passes well along with helping out against the run. He will be given time to develop.

Round 7, Pick 40: Dallen Bentley - TE - Utah. 6'4", 253 lbs (48 rec, 620 yds, 12.9 yds/rec, 6 TD, 10 return yds).

His strength is at run blocking, but he had a good amount of catches last season. He should definitely see some time when the Broncos run 3-TE sets in short-yardage and red zone situations.

Round 7, Pick 41: Red Murdock - LB - Buffalo. 6'2", 232 lbs (142 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 pass deflection, 2 fumble recoveries, 6 forced fumbles).

Murdock adds depth at inside linebacker for the Broncos. He broke an NCAA record with 17 career forced fumbles. He has a knack at causing fumbles so he could also see some time on special teams where a fumble caused on returns can change the momentum during any game.

Overview: This draft was pretty good for Denver even though the team did not have any first or second round picks. Selecting Coleman was critical because Dobbins has never had a season where he played in all of the games.

Grade: B-.

Disclaimer: All statements made in this post do not reflect the viewpoints of the representatives of Vocal Media.