The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and the Denver Broncos are in the worst position of anyone in the AFC West in terms of draft selections. The Las Vegas Raiders are set to bring in a new franchise quarterback at the first overall selection, and the Kansas City Chiefs are in possession of a top-10 selection. Even the Los Angeles Chargers have a very clear set of needs for their pick in the early-20s.
Denver moved on from its first-round selection for Jaylen Waddle, a transaction that no Broncos fan is complaining about. Considering that the Broncos' selection was slated to be at 30th overall, it was unclear if the Broncos were going to be able to bring in a worthwhile receiver at that spot anyway. Still, Denver's draft outlook is one of the bleakest in the league.
The rest of the division is sitting in a fairly strong spot, however. The Broncos could find themselves in a few tough scenarios after the draft if a handful of draft situations break the way of the other three teams in the draft.
These three 2026 NFL Draft scenarios would create a nightmare for the Denver Broncos
The Raiders trade back into the first and get a legitimate wide receiver for Fernando Mendoza
The Raiders taking Fernando Mendoza at the top pick is all but complete, but they have the ammunition to move back into the first round. Their selections are at the top of every round, and they have a few extra day three selections in their grouping for this season. Let's say one of the major receivers begins to slip, the Raiders could pair their second this year, an extra fourth, and a day two pick next year to move into the back-half of the first this year to bring in a pass catcher. This would be a brutal development for Vance Joseph and his secondary.
The NFL's best backfield is in Kansas City as Jeremiyah Love falls to the Chiefs at ninth overall
The Chiefs signed reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to a free agent deal early in the open market period, which was already tough news for the Broncos. As the draft draws near, there has become a general understanding that the Chiefs are the floor for where Jeremiyah Love would be drafted, which would be absolutely brutal for Denver. A backfield of Smith and Love would be easily the best in the league, and considering how much the Broncos struggle against the run game at times, it would immediately sway the matchup between the two teams back to the Chiefs.
The Chargers grab a sliding wide receiver and create a strong trio for Justin Herbert to work with
The Chargers are seven seasons into the Justin Herbert experience, and have yet to find and develop a truly elite receiver for him to pair with. It has been the one major obstacle preventing the Chargers from becoming a legitimate contender with Herbert throwing their passes, but a wide receiver falling into their laps in the first, or them moving up to get one, would be a mess. Herbert is one of the best in the game, but is consistently let down by his playmakers. That change would immediately make them a legitimate contender.