The Denver Broncos, unsurprisingly, did not make a trade back into Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft. With no first-round pick thanks to the Jaylen Waddle trade, the Broncos did get to relax a bit. Slated to pick with the 62nd overall selection, which is at the bottom of Round 2, Denver could still find a future starter with that selection.
But given that the team has limited capital, the front office could want to trade down in some capacity to recoup more capital. Or, on the flip side, given how loaded this roster is, the front office may consider trading up for a higher-rated prospect.
Let's sort through a few of these prospects and dive into three the team must stay away from.
The Denver Broncos must stay away from a few players on Day 2
Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
Eli Stowers has been seen as an obvious fit for Sean Payton and the Broncos, but I'm not a fan. Stowers might be an actual "Joker"-type of player, but that phrase is getting overused at this point. Stowers hovers somewhere between a wide receiver and a tight end.
He doesn't block well, doesn't play special teams, but also doesn't really have a wide receiver body type. This type of positionless player might struggle to find his footing in the NFL. Last year, the Broncos signed a similar player in Evan Engram for a role that Stowers would be in, and Engram didn't really make a huge impact.
Denver should just forget about Stowers, as they were able to add Waddle and do have enough weapons.
Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
Chris Bell tore his ACL back in November, and had that not happened, he could have been a first-round pick. Now likely going somewhere in Day 2, Bell should not be a Broncos target, and the team should not jump on a player just because he's sliding due to an injury.
Bell's route running is just OK, and he doesn't really profile as anything more than an average player. The Broncos have dumped a ton of resources into the receiver room in recent years, and might be tempted to do that here, but Bell could honestly not be less of a need for the team right now.
Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
With double-digit fumbles in college and only moderate production, the Broncos should steer clear of Mike Washington Jr from Arkansas. Given his size, nearly 6-2 and 225lbs, you'd think that Washington would be a great pass protector, but that isn't the case.
He's a solid runner with great speed, but the fumbles and below-average pass protection are a bit of a red flag. Furthermore, the Broncos could find much better value by taking Jonah Coleman in a Round 3 trade-up scenario or in Round 4 on Day 3.
Coleman has pass protection chops and is a rugged runner who could handle those 'ugly' carries for the Broncos. Denver does figure to address the running back position, but there are better options out there than Washington.
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