The attention of George Paton and Sean Payton seemingly has fully turned to the 2026 NFL Draft, with the Denver Broncos having fewer selections than they did this time last month. Denver might not have a first-round selection anymore, but knowing the history of George Paton and his consistent ability to find more draft selections, nothing is off the table in Denver. This appears to be where Paton is at his most comfortable.
The Broncos only having three selections in the first four rounds might be seen as making this draft less pressured for the Broncos' decision makers, but I would argue the exact opposite. Only one selection in the top-100 makes hitting on that one pick vital. The Broncos already know the pressures of hitting on the single selection they have in that range, but need to make sure that they don't psych themselves out or go down the wrong path in draft buildup.
Time and time again across the NFL, the final month leading up to the draft sees teams and scouts jump to brand new opinions about players that were not held leading up to the season. In some examples, like Jayden Daniels, the final build-up to the draft ends up working out well for a player and the team, while others end up looking like avoidable mistakes. The Broncos need to make sure to hold a mistake-free process over the next four weeks.
The Denver Broncos must avoid making these three predraft mistakes
3) Falling for pro day hype
Almost every year, a player who had major question marks coming out of college looks like a lock for first overall at their pro day, and every year, teams fall for it and regret the decision within a single year of making it. Considering Denver only has one selection over the first two days, they need to make sure they don't fall for pro day hype. The game tape and workout tape don't lie, but a program's pro day could absolutely deceive those interested in the results. Plus, these schools will do anything to make sure their players look as good as possible and get drafted as high as possible. Remember some of Zach Wilson's throws?
2) Overvaluing their own players
The Broncos have a ton of young players, but that does not mean that all of their young players are going to be major pieces for them heading into 2026. One of the major skills that any strong front office needs to hold is being able to tell when a player is or is not a piece of their future plans. If the Broncos can tell that a player isn't part of their future plans, let's hypothetically say they feel that way after one year of RJ Harvey, the Broncos should take a long look at running back options. Simply running players back because they are young is why the Kansas City Chiefs fell off as hard as they did.
1) Ignoring key positions because they have currently good players
The Broncos have arguably the best tackle duo in football, but they should probably still select a tackle in this year's draft. Why? Well, Denver's tackles are both on the wrong side of 30, and you never know when the play of an older offensive lineman in the NFL is simply going to bottom out. Having contingency plans for those scenarios is incredibly important, and the Broncos should make sure they are prepared for the future at a few vital positions.