Grading the Denver Broncos' 2026 NFL Draft

The Denver Broncos entered the 2026 NFL Draft with an especially tall task lying in front of them – adding enough talent to get this championship-contending roster over the top, despite starting the draft with only one top-100 pick and three top-165 picks.

How did George Paton and Sean Payton walk that tightrope in this high-stakes draft?

To answer that question, here are your 2026 Denver Broncos Draft Grades:

Round 3, Pick 66: Tyler Onyedim, IDL, Texas A&M

After moving back four slots – in a swap which eventually allowed Denver to trade up for Justin Joly in the fifth round – the Broncos landed Tyler Onyedim, in hopes he can help replace the loss of John Franklin-Myers.

Onyedim is a versatile defensive line prospect who played several different positions across the line during his time at Texas A&M and Iowa State, but in the NFL, he’ll likely serve a similar role to Franklin-Myers, as a lighter, lengthy 3-4 defensive end with positional flexibility who specializes in backfield penetration, particularly against the run.

He lacks ideal production for the position, but his impressive length, burst off the line of scrimmage, balance, and pound-for-pound strength make him a tantalizing option. Plus, the funkiness of the Aggies’ and Cyclones’ defensive schemes excuses the subpar production, to an extent.

At the next level, Onyedim will have to develop a wider array of pass-rush moves and improve how smoothly he transitions between them, but Denver’s coaching staff has proven capable of sharpening those skills.

Onyedim should immediately contribute in a rotational role and challenge for a starting job in the near future. Fans might’ve been surprised by the pick, but sources tell KOA’s NFL insider Benjamin Allbright that Onyedim was expected to go off the board somewhere between pick 55 and pick 75, which lessens those concerns.

Grade: B

Round 4, Pick 108: Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington

The Broncos’ selection of Jonah Coleman has been many fans’ favorite addition of the class, and it’s easy to see why.

For starters, RB was arguably the most glaring need on a roster, as the run game was one injury to JK Dobbins away from potentially cratering, as it did last season. That fragility is repaired with the addition of Coleman – a savvy, physical back, who can immediately contribute on all three downs as a rusher, receiver, or pass-protector.

Plus, unlike some other backfield options in this range, Coleman is a fantastic scheme and roster fit. Although last year’s second-round selection still has plenty of potential to continue developing as a ball-carrier, Coleman’s between-the-tackles excellence provides a perfect pairing no matter what path Harvey’s career takes.

Coleman’s lack of burst and long speed limits his explosivity and superstar potential, but he compensates with a remarkably high floor. If he doesn’t develop a little more urgency, it’s possible he won’t have enough juice, a la Audric Estime, but that doesn’t seem likely.

This selection addresses an immediate need and sets Denver’s backfield up for the future, at an impressive value, and it’s a fantastic fit.

Grade: A

Round 4, Pick 111: Kage Casey, G/T, Boise St.

An investment in the offensive line was well overdue, as the Broncos had not drafted one inside the top-150 since Quinn Meinerz, and the front office tabbed Kage Casey to snap the team’s drought.

Expected to move to guard for Denver, Casey started 41 games at tackle for Boise State, and that experience is evident on tape, with his impressive awareness. He’s a violent, gritty blocker who looks for extra work and has a respectable anchor in pass protection.

Casey’s limited length and shorter strides likely necessitate a move inside to guard, but he provides some tackle flexibility if the Broncos were ever in an injury bind. He also needs to improve his balance and some technical details, but Zach Strief should be trusted to clean that up.

In 2026, he’ll provide needed depth, and he’s the odds-on favorite to replace Ben Powers at left guard for 2027 and beyond. Casey wasn’t a remarkable steal, but he was a quality value for Denver, especially considering the fit.

Grade: B+

Round 5, Pick 152: Justin Joly, TE, North Carolina St.

With Justin Joly slipping, the Broncos made an aggressive deal to climb the boards, sending picks 170 and 182 to the Browns in exchange for pick 152. Jimmy Johnson’s infamous trade value chart and the modern Fitzgerald-Spielberger chart both view the trade as an overpay, with the Broncos suffering a net loss comparable to about the 200th selection overall.

That said, the fact that the trade was for a prospect most expected to be gone by the end of the third, if not the fourth round, makes that trade easier to swallow.

Joly is one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in the class. He’s got a solid catch radius and large hands that help him pluck the ball out of the air and win contested-catch situations. He knows how to maximize his frame to create leverage vs. coverage, and has a commendable feel for where the soft spots in the defense’s coverage are.

Although he gets the most out of his tools, they are fairly limited. He’s undersized for the position, underwhelmed in the athletic testing, and you don’t see him pull away from many defenders on tape, which brings his ceiling into question. Joly’s size is especially apparent when he’s asked to block, where he has excellent commitment, but struggles to match up physically.

Joly’s a high-floor pass-catching option who could see the field immediately and provides an excellent off-ramp from Evan Engram next offseason, though the costly trade-up package somewhat negates the excitement of landing him a round-plus later than most expected.

Grade: B-

Round 7, Pick 246: Miles Scott, S, Illinois

Of all the players the Broncos drafted, Miles Scott might have the most interesting backstory, as a former receiver who transitioned to safety.

Unsurprisingly, considering his background, Scott is an intriguing coverage player who is fantastic at the catch point and has high-end ball skills for the position. He’s also surprisingly mentally advanced for the position, demonstrated by his trustworthy instincts and his green-dot responsibilities.

Scott lacks ideal athletic traits for the position, which limits his coverage range. Also, while his ball skills have come naturally, his tackling is still inconsistent. Though even with Scott still improving his effectiveness as a run defender, he savors big hits and contact. He even played some in the box as a Sam linebacker for Illinois.

Safety was an under-the-radar need for the Broncos entering the draft, so addressing it was smart. Though he’s still learning the position and wasn’t projected to be drafted, Scott’s upside and playmaking are tantalizing.

Grade: B-

Round 7, Pick 256: Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah

The Broncos stole a TE in the fifth round, and yet still, their seventh-round TE selection may prove to be the better, more impactful option.

Dallen Bentley has an atypical profile, as a former missionary who became a walk-on at a JuCo in 2022. Bentley’s impressive athletic gifts and physicality helped him quickly rise through the ranks, and he impressed once he finally got a chance to start at Utah this past season.

He is a stout athlete and natural pass-catcher who provides legitimate upside as both an inline blocker and receiver. Bentley has a shockingly robust feel for leverage and zones, despite his relative inexperience, and the fluidity and movement skills to quickly become dangerous after the catch. He’s lacking consistency at the catch point, particularly in traffic, but his size and toughness provide optimism for growth there.

He needs more refinement as a run-blocker, but, unlike Joly, Bentley’s physical traits point to an attainable and valuable blocking upside. His overaggression and still-developing footwork can lead to shoddy balance, but he’s got the grit, desire, strength, and size to contribute early and eventually develop into a starter.

Bentley should immediately contribute as a red-zone threat, and could even challenge for Trautman’s job in the relatively near future.

Grade: A

Round 7, Pick 257: Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo

With their final pick in the draft, the Broncos finally addressed the need at linebacker, and did so with excellent value, snagging Red Murdock, who was Dane Brugler’s final top-150 player remaining as the draft concluded.

Although his instincts are still developing, he plays with excellent reaction speed and violence. He’s a heat-seeking pursuit player, who slices through traffic in the middle of the field, only to explode when reaching his designated target. He plays with a red-hot motor and his presence is constantly felt, whether it’s blowing up runs in the backfield or forcing a fumble (forced FBS-record 17 fumbles in just 34 appearances).

He is a middling athlete for the position, which limits his coverage potential, and amplifies the importance of further developing his instincts and feel for the position. He also needs to become a better block-shedder if he wants to carry his impact into the NFL.

Murdock should immediately solidify the depth behind Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton, and could even become the first man off the bench as a rookie, before eventually challenging for a starting role before the end of his rookie deal.

Grade: A-

Overall

Despite operating with limited capital, the Denver Broncos seem to have accumulated an excellent haul in the 2026 NFL Draft.

They avoided making any problematic reaches, consistently drafted good value that fell to them, and accomplished that while also addressing the roster’s biggest needs for the upcoming season and beyond.

Outside of the Broncos not maximizing the value of their draft picks in their trade-down and trade-up scenarios, there’s very little for Broncos Country to reasonably quibble with.

Final Grade: A-