3 Broncos who could shockingly plummet down the depth chart after the draft

The Denver Broncos don't have a ton of positions the front office can notably upgrade in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is a good thing. What makes this even more true is that the team lacks a first-round pick and a third-round pick due to the Jaylen Waddle trade.

What might end up being the most likely scenario here is that Denver finds developmental prospects with long-term starting capabilities, but perhaps do not offer much as rookies. However, there is always a chance that the front office is able to find future starters.

From the first round with guys like Patrick Surtain II and Bo Nix, or the seventh-round with Jonathon Cooper, the front office has shown the ability to find studs all over the place. Let's dive into a few current players who could shockingly plummet down the depth chart following the NFL Draft.

Could these Denver Broncos shockingly plummet down the depth chart soon?

RJ Harvey, RB

The Broncos have met with Jonah Coleman this offseason, a running back prospect from Washington, and the more you read into Coleman, the more of a fit he would be on this offense.

He also does all of the 'dirty work' well, like in pass protection, for example. He's a 5-8, 220lb bowling ball of a running back who has also lost just one fumble in four seasons. Coleman does kind of feel like a version of David Montgomery, a running back who has had a good bit of success in the NFL.

Given that Coleman has a quality profile that could fit in Denver, the Broncos could snag him in the fourth round, and it would then only be a matter of time before RJ Harvey potentially drops down the depth chart.

Harvey didn't offer much at all in pass protection as a rookie, which was an issue. He did come on in this regard later in the season, but then you have the overall rushing inefficiency to take note of. Coleman, however, does have strong vision and could immediately step in an offer a more complete skillset at the position than Harvey currently offers.

While Denver did just use a second-round pick on Harvey, the former UCF product is a reason why the Broncos are forced to make another running back addition. Had Harvey shown more efficiency on the ground in 2025, we probably aren't having this conversation.

Justin Strnad, LB

Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton both got multi-year extensions from the Broncos this offseason, and while Singleton is the worse of the two, he wears the green dot on defense and is simply someone who is going to be starting for this team every week unless something major changes.

This might not be the case with Strnad, who was kind of splitting starting duties with Dre Greenlaw last year. Strnad brings a high-end pass-rushing ability in the middle of the defense, but with a long-term need present at the position, the Broncos are bound to address this group in the NFL Draft.

Even with Jonah Elliss set to get some snaps at linebacker, Denver could still bolster this group in the NFL Draft. The potential room featuring Singleton, Strnad, Elliss, and a young rookie could set the stage for some long-term stability.

And given that Strnad has been a part-time starter for the Broncos, there is nothing set in stone with a weekly starting job in 2026.

Evan Engram, TE

On the wrong side of 30 and in the final year of his deal with the Broncos, Evan Engram may see the Broncos draft his long-term replacement. Denver did re-sign Adam Trautman on a three-year deal this offseason, but yet again, we're talking about tight end being a major need.

The Broncos should be able to snag one of the many draftable prospects this year, and guys like Stanford's Sam Roush and Notre Dame's Eli Raridon, who both profile as two-phase players, could be logical targets.

It is also possible that the Broncos take a tight end in the NFL Draft, and he ends up putting it together quite early. Engram, while close friends with Davis Webb, is a limited tight end. How would the Broncos organize the tight end room if it features Engram, Trautman, and Raridon, for example?

With Trautman offering blocking upside, and someone like Raridon potentially offering both blocking and receiving, Engram's limited skillset could push him a slot down the depth chart.

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