Last season, the Denver Broncos had their most successful season since 2015, finishing 14-3 and reaching the AFC Championship, where they endured a heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots. Still, the Broncos entered this year’s draft with many holes to fill. Now that the 2026 NFL Draft is officially over, it’s time to grade and analyze each pick, which will detail how well George Paton and everyone else in the Broncos front office did as they prepare to repeat as AFC West champions.
Denver Broncos 2026 NFL Draft Grades
Third Round (66th Overall): Tyler Onyedim, DT, Texas A&M
After trading their only pick in the second round to the Buffalo Bills for a third-round pick, the Denver Broncos were still able to draft a defensive tackle with their first selection this year. Texas A&M’s Tyler Onyedim is who the Broncos went with, which makes it clear the team’s number one priority was drafting someone who can fill the void in the defensive line after the departure of John Franklin-Myers.
With some of the next best available defensive tackles in Kayden McDonald, Christen Miller, and Lee Hunter taken before 62nd overall, Onyedim was Denver’s next best choice. It also seemed more obvious that the Broncos were going to draft a defensive tackle after the selections of tight ends Eli Stowers and Max Klare. At the same time, linebackers Josiah Trotter and Anthony Hill Jr., who many linked to the Broncos also weren’t on the board anymore. Onyedim is still a solid pick for the Broncos, as he does a good job of getting to running backs at the line of scrimmage and can also put pressure on quarterbacks while limiting their dual-threat abilities.
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle also previously played at Iowa State and finished his college career with 138 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass deflection, and 1 interception. In terms of where Onyedim needs to improve, he needs to be more productive when it comes to pass-rushing and finishing tackles. Being in Denver will be good for Onyedim, as he will be able to learn from the veterans on the defensive line and reunite with Eyioma Uwazurike, whom he played with at Iowa State. Onyedim wasn’t Denver’s best option initially. However, he can still be an essential part of the team’s rotation at nose tackle, especially with Franklin-Myers gone.
Broncos Draft Grade: B+
2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Tyler Onyedim
Fourth Round (108th Overall): Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
With their first pick in the fourth round, the Broncos selected Washington running back Jonah Coleman. The pick makes sense as Coleman visited the Broncos. Coleman is a great addition to the Broncos’ offense and fits the type of running backs Sean Payton has coached in the past. The reason this pick will get a high grade is because of the depth Coleman now brings to the position. Coleman is an elusive running back who can break tackles and is a nightmare for defenders, creating big runs in the open field.
The 5-foot-9, 228-pound running back will be another option Bo Nix can depend on when catching passes out of the backfield, as he is more than capable of making plays, especially when thrown screens. Coleman also played at Arizona and finished his college career with 552 carries for 3,054 rushing yards and 34 rushing touchdowns, while also adding 87 receptions for 838 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. Coleman can improve his pass-blocking skills and be more effective as a receiver. Sometimes his size limits how well he can make decisions while running.
Denver has J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and Jaleel McLaughlin. Still, Coleman will come in and most likely compete with McLaughlin for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. McLaughlin didn’t see as much action last season due to Harvey. Dobbins will most likely still be the No. 1 running back, but one concern throughout his career has been injuries. If Dobbins deals with injuries again, the Broncos don’t have to worry about pursuing someone else through a trade or free agency, as they will have Harvey and Coleman.
Broncos Draft Grade: A-
Jonah Coleman 2026 NFL Draft Profile – Last Word On NFL
Fourth Round (111th Overall): Kage Casey, OT, Boise State
The Broncos already have two starters at tackle in Garrett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey. Still, Kage Casey, out of Boise State, is another great pick by Denver, as both of its veteran tackles are getting older. Casey will be going from one Broncos team to another. At the same time, one of the 6-foot-5, 311-pound offensive tackle’s biggest strengths at Boise State was his pass blocking abilities against edges, which gave his quarterbacks enough time to release the ball.
Speed is one area where Casey can still improve, as he’s going to need quicker feet and recovery speed against NFL edges. Nevertheless, Casey is reliable, as he stayed healthy in all four seasons at Boise State, starting for three years, playing over 2,700 snaps, and missing zero games. Even better, he will be able to learn from a First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl tackle in Bolles, as well as all the other veterans Denver has at the position.
The Broncos are an excellent fit for Casey, as he will be able to develop. It even took a player as good as Bolles some time to develop into what he is now. Casey is also versatile, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he gets some reps at center in Denver, as he has experience playing the position, which could add more depth if Luke Wattenberg deals with injuries again, given how much Alex Forsyth struggled when filling his role last season.
Broncos Draft Grade: A+
Fifth Round (152nd Overall): Justin Joly, TE, NC State
Just as it seemed like all of the tight ends who would be a great fit in Denver were gone, NC State’s Justin Joly was available in the fifth round, with the Broncos snagging him at 152nd overall after moving up and trading their 170th overall pick with the Cleveland Browns. Everyone knew Denver would eventually select a tight end, but didn’t know when.
Joly, who stands at 6-foot-3 and 251 pounds, also played at UConn and finished his college career with 166 receptions for 1,978 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. Joly has a great catch radius, does well getting open, and would be a great option for Nix on quick routes, especially on early downs.
At the same time, he also averaged more than 10 yards per catch throughout his college career. Some weaknesses of Joly include being often labeled undersized as a tight end, his run-blocking, and his failure to finish plays and break tackles as efficiently as he did in previous college seasons.
The Broncos made another great pick, and even though they already have Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, and Nate Adkins, Joly can make his case to be the team’s No. 1 tight end, especially if he proves to be the most productive, as Denver lacked consistency from all of its tight ends when it came to receiving last season.
Broncos Draft Grade: A
Justin Joly NFL Draft Profile: Late Bloomer With Real Upside – Last Word On NFL
Seventh Round (246th Overall): Miles Scott, S, Illinois
The Broncos added more depth at safety after picking Miles Scott out of Illinois. Scott is a ballhawk on defense, as he did an excellent job getting interceptions. He’s good at producing turnovers in general, as he also had multiple fumble recoveries. A concern with Scott is that he is undersized compared to typical NFL safeties, which can cause him to struggle against taller receivers.
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound safety played wide receiver when he first began his career with the Fighting Illini, but made the switch to defensive back in his sophomore season. Scott finished his college career with 182 tackles, 11 pass deflections, 7 interceptions, 2 defensive touchdowns, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. With P.J. Locke now on the Dallas Cowboys, the Broncos got another steal in the draft who could not only be a great replacement for Locke, but a player who potentially sees a lot of special teams action as well. Safety was never a high priority for the Broncos in this year’s draft.
Still, now that Scott is heading to Denver, the position is extremely secure. At the same time, he will have the opportunity to learn from other safeties such as Talanoa Hufanga, JL Skinner, Tycen Anderson, Brandon Jones, and Devon Key. Scott may see a lot of playing time in his rookie year if the team’s other safeties deal with injuries. Moreover, the skill he has to cause turnovers is exactly what the Broncos and Vance Joseph need on defense.
Broncos Draft Grade: B
Seventh Round (256th Overall): Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah
The Broncos selecting Dallen Bentley out of Utah doesn’t make sense, as they just drafted Joly and now have seven tight ends on their roster. The only thing that comes to mind is that Denver may have made this selection in hopes that the team will now have two effective tight ends for Nix in the receiving game. In his career with the Utes, the 6-foot-4, 264-pound tight end caught 51 receptions for 640 receiving yards and 6 receiving touchdowns.
Despite this pick being one of the lower grades, Bentley can also potentially do well in Denver’s offense. An advantage Bentley has is his size, as he’s able to break tackles and gain more yards after a catch. He is also good at getting open, and in his most productive season, he averaged 12.9 yards per catch.
Bentley can still improve at run blocking and route running, as most of his success came against defenses running zone coverage. Production is probably the biggest concern, as in his three seasons at Utah, he only had one productive year. Hopefully Bentley and Joly can both make the final roster and bring the productivity they most recently had to the pros, which can help the Broncos have one of the most dangerous tight end tandems in the NFL.
Broncos Draft Grade: C
Seventh Round (257th Overall): Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo
The Broncos also made their first Mr. Irrelevant pick since they selected Chad Kelly in 2017 and drafted Buffalo linebacker, Red Murdock. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker does a great job making tackles downhill, fighting off blocks, and forcing fumbles. Murdock finished his career at Buffalo with 362 tackles, 17 forced fumbles, 9 sacks, 3 pass deflections, 1 interception, and 1 defensive touchdown.
Pass-rushing abilities and coverage skills are areas Murdock still needs to work on, especially when covering running backs, particularly in man coverage. The decision to pick Murdock makes sense, as Dre Greenlaw is no longer in Denver, but it’s puzzling that the Broncos waited this long to draft a player who fits one of their biggest needs.
It also doesn’t help that one of the biggest struggles for Denver’s linebackers last season was their inability to cover, which is why this pick is the lowest grade of them all. On the flip side, Murdock can learn from all of the other linebackers currently on the Broncos roster. Murdock’s physicality and skill to create turnovers can help him see a lot of action and possibly replace Drew Sanders if Sanders continues to deal with lingering injuries.
Broncos Draft Grade: C-
