The Denver Broncos were one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 NFL season, as Sean Payton and company secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC and dethroned the Kansas City Chiefs as the champions of the AFC West. Bo Nix took a step forward and became Denver’s franchise QB moving forward, and now the Broncos have a lot to look forward to heading into 2026.
There will be a bitter taste in the mouths of Broncos fans after Denver’s playoff run was cut short, in part by an ankle injury to Bo Nix and in part by a brutal blizzard, in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots. The Broncos will be very hungry to get back to that point and get over the hump this time and into the Super Bowl.
In order to do that, the Broncos have to nail the NFL Draft. Denver won a ton of close games in 2025, which suggests that regression may be on the horizon. In order to combat that, the Broncos have to hit some draft picks and improve the depth of the roster.
Of course, the Broncos gave up some of their ammo to do just that this offseason when they sent a first-round pick and a third-round pick to the Dolphins for star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in a deal that also included a swap of fourth-rounders. Adding Waddle gives the Broncos’ offense an element of speed and explosiveness that it didn’t have last season, so it’s well worth the steep price for a team trying to get over the hump in the playoffs.
What picks do the Broncos have left, and what should they do with those selections? Denver’s 2026 NFL Draft guide has you covered.
Broncos’ 2026 NFL Draft picks
Round 2, Pick 62
Round 4, Pick 108 (From Saints)
Round 4, Pick 111 (From Dolphins)
Round 5, Pick 170
Round 7, Pick 246
Round 7, Pick 256
Round 7, Pick 257
Denver has seven picks in the upcoming draft, even if three of them come at the end of the seventh and final round. However, after using a lot of their top resources to acquire Waddle, the Broncos only have one pick in the top 100. That comes at the end of the second round, where Denver has had a ton of success in recent years, most notably by selecting star edge rusher Nik Bonitto with the 64th overall pick in 2022.
The Broncos have a pair of early fourth-rounders, one from the Saints and one from the Dolphins, that they can package to try to move back into day two if they have a target in mind. However, filling out this roster with depth on the front seven and at the offensive skill positions would also be a good way to go here for George Paton and the Denver front office.
Broncos’ 2026 NFL Draft needs and targets
Inside Linebacker
The Broncos have had a need at inside linebacker for a number of years now, but they improved at that spot with the pairing of Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw in 2025. However, Greenlaw is now gone and back in San Francisco, leaving the Broncos with just Justin Strnad next to Singleton, which isn’t going to cut it against some of the loaded offenses in the AFC.
Denver’s issue at inside linebacker could also be compounded by the fact that it doesn’t have a lot of depth on the interior of its defensive line and that Nik Bonitto isn’t an elite run defender on the edge. Therefore, if the Broncos don’t find an upgrade at linebacker before the start of next season, defending the run could be a big problem for them.
The Broncos were a popular landing spot for Georgia’s CJ Allen before they traded their first-round pick. Now, keep an eye out for someone like Anthony Hill Jr. from Texas or Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech as potential targets at linebacker on draft night.
Defensive Tackle
The Broncos lost John Franklin-Myers in free agency to the Tennessee Titans, leaving a hole in the middle of their defense that needs to be addressed. Zach Allen is a star and DJ Jones is a quality player, but the depth on the defensive line is severely lacking at this point.
Adding another defensive tackle to fill the role that Franklin-Myers did last season would be a step in the right direction for Vance Joseph’s defense if it wants to remain one of the best in the NFL next season. Thankfully for the Broncos, this is a solid defensive tackle class that won’t get eaten into at the top of the draft. Names like Gracen Halton (Oklahoma), Lee Hunter (Texas Tech), or even Christen Miller (Georgia) would be good fits in Denver.
Tight End
One of the big splashes that the Broncos made last season was bringing in Evan Engram at tight end. Sean Payton dubbed Engram his “joker” on offense, but the former Jaguar wasn’t very productive in his first season in the Denver offense. Instead, Adam Trautman got a lot of looks at tight end, but the Broncos would love to have someone a little bit more explosive at the position.
Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq was a popular mock draft target for the Broncos in the first round, but that’s obviously not on the table anymore. Instead, look for Eli Raridon from Notre Dame or Joe Royer from Cincinnati to be on the Broncos’ radar on day two or early on day three.
Broncos’ recent draft history and top picks since 2020
2025: Jahdae Barron (Round 1, Pick 20)
2024: Bo Nix (Round 1, Pick 12)
2023: Marvin Mims (Round 2, Pick 63)
2022: Nik Bonitto (Round 2, Pick 64)
2021: Patrick Surtain II (Round 1, Pick 9)
2020: Jerry Jeudy (Round 1, Pick 15)
The Broncos have done a solid job in the draft in recent years, specifically landing both Bo Nix and Patrick Surtain II in the first round this decade. Denver has also built out the rest of its roster with key draft picks on day two and three, including the pick of Nik Bonitto in the second round in 2022.
However, if there’s one critique of the Broncos’ drafts this decade, it’s the lack of true superstar players with the exception of curtain and Bonitto. A lot of Denver’s contributors on both sides of the ball — Riley Moss, Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, RJ Harvey, the list goes on — are from the draft, but the Broncos are lacking in some of the big names that you need to win a Super Bowl.
That’s arguably why Denver used its first-round pick this season to go out and get someone like Waddle, who is already an established star. Finding a diamond in the rough on day two or three would go a long way for this Broncos team.
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