The Denver Broncos enter the 2026 NFL Draft smack in the middle of a Super Bowl window, and with a franchise quarterback only entering his third season in the league.
We already know how the Broncos have spent their top pick in the draft with the 30th overall selection (along with a 3rd-round pick) off to the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Even before the Draft gets underway, the Broncos have made it clear that surrounding Bo Nix is the priority.
And we expect that to continue when the selections start to roll in. The Broncos have every reason to continue investing in the talent around Nix, even after picking up Jaylen Waddle, because the supporting cast offensively has arguably been the biggest reason for the team's most obvious struggles in Nix's first two seasons (dropped passes, run game inefficiency, lack of separation). How could the Broncos make Bo Nix's dreams come true with this incoming draft class while also addressing other areas of need? We're going to break it all down in this "final" Broncos mock draft before the 1st round gets underway.
Denver Broncos take playmaker at tight end with top pick in 2026 NFL mock draft
Round 2 | 62nd overall: Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
If the Broncos are interested in an "F" tight end with this selection, I would not be opposed to the idea of trading for Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts. Pitts is already a 2nd-team All-Pro with five years of NFL experience, and he's just 25 years old. Trading for Pitts would arguably be the best possible use of this pick for the Broncos.
If the Broncos don't trade this pick for a player like Pitts, it's very possible it could still be spent on a pass-catching threat at the tight end position. And a lot of Broncos fans are split on the idea of Eli Stowers, who isn't a great blocker at the tight end position. And frankly, he may never be. But that's not the point of drafting a player like this.
Sean Payton's offenses have historically always valued players like this. You can look at more recent examples like the signing of Evan Engram, even though it didn't go as planned in 2025. You can go back to Payton's time with the Saints, where he had Juwan Johnson as a converted wide receiver playing the F position. He's had guys like Jared Cook and Jimmy Graham thrive in his offense in the past.
Stowers doesn't have to be a great blocker, but he does have to be competent in that area. I would look at this pick as a long-term replacement of two different guys in Denver's offense currently: Evan Engram and Lil'Jordan Humphrey. The Broncos have used Humphrey a ton in the past few seasons, and you can use Stowers in similar ways.
You take a shot on this guy's potential to be one of the biggest mismatch players in the NFL and hope it can work out better than other recent tight end picks for the Broncos.
Round 3 | Trade up scenario: Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
I'm predicting the Broncos will trade into the back end of the 3rd round, but they'll use a future pick to do it. So this pick won't cost them any darts in the 2026 NFL Draft other than the 108th overall pick. So it could be something like pick 108 and a 2027 3rd-round pick to get whatever this pick ends up being, plus maybe a late-rounder in 2027.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the Broncos move up into the back end of the 3rd round, and it could be for multiple different positions. I initially wanted to go with Missouri defensive lineman Chris McClellan here, but the need for running back depth is arguably the top priority in this draft class.
The Broncos and Jonah Coleman could not be more of a hand-in-glove fit, and that's a song I've been singing all throughout this pre-draft process. There's no sense in changing tunes now.
Coleman has all of the qualities to be a truly perfect depth piece with JK Dobbins's injury history and RJ Harvey's role as the pass-catching threat at running back.
- Well-built at 5-foot-8, 222 pounds
- Physical between the tackles
- Ball security
- Big-play ability in the passing game
- Pass protection chops
Ultimately, Coleman looks like the perfect back to come in and replace Tyler Badie from last year's roster. And he offers a lot more upside in the running game overall.
Round 4 | Eli Heidenreich, RB/WR, Navy
There was once a time when Sean Payton created an entire offensive sub-package for Taysom Hill, and I can't help but wonder if he'll see a similar opportunity with someone like Navy offensive weapon Eli Heidenreich.
Heidenreich might not be the exact same type of player as Hill, but he's an offensive weapon with a couple of skills that are so important in today's NFL. First of all, he's ball-dominant as a pass-catching threat. He's so good in contested catch situations, and doesn't drop the ball. He doesn't fumble.
He's also got incredible short-area burst and quickness. He posted a 6.55-second 3-cone time at his pre-draft pro day, which is a borderline other-worldly time. When you get into the low red zone, this is the type of player who is going to help you cash in, whether he's the one making the plays or if he's drawing attention away from others.
With his skill set, you also might project him as a kickoff returner at the next level, which the Broncos need. I would see Heidenreich taking the place of someone like Jaleel McLaughlin on the final roster as an additional weapon to develop.
Round 5 | 170th overall: Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo
We finally get to the linebacker position, which could be a much higher priority for the Broncos when all is said and done, obviously.
The linebacker position has been discussed all offseason by the fan base, but the Broncos have already made three substantial moves at the position that could mean they wait to take someone in the draft later than many expect. They re-signed both Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad (both to multi-year deals), and have moved Jonah Elliss to the linebacker position to give him a shot at more time on the field.
I sitll view this position as needing quality depth and future starter options, but the Broncos can take advantage of the depth and value of this class by potentially stealing someone like Red Murdock on Day 3. Murdock had ridiculous tackle production at Buffalo, made a ton of plays behind the line of scrimmage, and accounted for 17 forced fumbles over the past three seasons.
Round 7 | 246th overall: Karson Sharar, LB, Iowa
Round 7 | 256th overall: Lorenzo Styles Jr., DB, Ohio State
Round 7 | 257th overall: Jordan van den Berg, DL, Georgia Tech
The Broncos close out this draft with a trio of picks on the defensive side of the ball, and a few guys who can fit as both special teams weapons right away and developmental starter options.
All of these guys have elite athletic traits, and that's something you obviously want to bet on with Day 3 picks. The Broncos never go a draft without taking a defensive back somewhere, so George Paton will find a way to continue that streak.
The only disappointment from this mock draft scenario is missing out on offensive line prospects, which don't need to be thrown into a class arbitrarily. The Broncos have no fewer than 8 or 9 players ready to contribute to a gameday roster, so any lineman selected -- regardless of how high -- would almost undoubtedly be a gameday inactive as a rookie and developmental prospect.
But the Broncos could absolutely target that position higher than people think, maybe even with their top pick.
Ultimately, upgrading the weapons for Bo Nix is the theme we went with, and this draft would give the Broncos multiple new offense creators and important depth pieces.
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