The Denver Broncos currently own the 30th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Some may want the Broncos to actually trade this pick for a proven player, like a Jaylen Waddle, for example. However, the Broncos don't necessarily operate that way, so it could be much more likely the team stands pat with this pick and selects a player.
Fortunately, the draft class this year, while not deep overall, is quite deep at tight end and inside linebacker, two positions the team needs some major help at. Before the draft, though, Denver will embark on free agency to try and fill other roster needs.
Overall, the Broncos have enough resources this offseason to load this roster up for a Super Bowl run, and a recent bit of news from the NFL Combine really shines a bright light on who the Broncos should take with their first-round selection.
Georgia LB CJ Allen could be the ideal first-round pick for Denver Broncos
Brett Kollmann provided some insight on Georgia linebacker CJ Allen, a player who has been mocked to the Broncos quite a bit, and for good reason.
Talked to Georgia linebacker CJ Allen a bit just now.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) February 25, 2026
Apparently Glenn Schumann just let him run the show on the field most of the time unless he had a specific situational call on the sheet he wanted to get into.
For everything else, Allen did the calls, the checks, all of it.
Folks, this is flat-out insane (in a good way). Allen's football IQ is truly off the charts, and not only that, but inside linebacker is a major need for the Broncos with both Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad set to be free agents. Not only that, but the Broncos didn't get much from Dre Greenlaw this offseason.
Lance Zierlein's NFL Draft profile on Allen is also encouraging.
"“Green dot” linebacker and team captain more capable of rowing the boat than making big splashes. Allen plays with toughness and control, sorting through run fits with patience and leverage in pursuit. He has average trigger quickness and pursuit speed, which forces him to work harder to get to junction points when facing climbing blockers. He has adequate size and strength with good hand strikes to play off blocks. He doesn’t blow up blocks or disrupt on the other side of the line all that often, though. He’s an effective blitzer with average man-cover talent and is capable on all three downs. Allen is a dependable starting Mike ‘backer who raises the floor of a defense."
With Vance Joseph's defense being complex in nature, the Broncos have to field some above-average play at the linebacker position. Greenlaw actually provided some insight about a month ago with the defensive playbook, saying that learning the defense was like trying to learn Spanish.
This does explain why the Broncos could re-sign Singleton, as he's clearly the linebacker who is able to communicate this defense to the rest of the unit. However, snagging Allen at pick 30 would give the Broncos the new 'green dot' player and also giver the team a long-term starter at the position.
Allen seems extremely capable of handling the communication side of things. Georgia's defense ranked 10th in the nation in 2025 in points allowed per game, allowing just 17.6 per contest. That was out of 136 total schools. Allen led the defense in tackles, tackles for loss, and was second in sacks.
Not only was Georgia's defense the closest thing to an NFL defense in college, but Allen excelling at the ultra-important communication really makes him a perfect fit for Denver. He's not the biggest, strongest, or fastest, but he's a future starter in the NFL and someone who would make the team's defense that much better.