If you're holding out hope the Denver Broncos will trade back into the 1st round of the 2026 NFL Draft, don't hold your breath.
Denver Broncos GM George Paton confirmed at his pre-draft press conference that it's "unlikely" the Broncos will move back into the 1st round with their top selection coming at 62nd overall, but he did acknowledge that they have the flexbility to move up in the 2nd round.
And he might have even given us a hint of how high he might be willing to go...
George Paton says Denver Broncos are honed in on "45-75" range of players in the 2026 NFL Draft
George Paton: "We're really honed in, let's say, from 45 to 75. Just really honed into that group of players. Not that we haven't gone through the process in the first round like we always do, but now this just gives us time to focus on the players (in that range)."
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) April 16, 2026
Paton is not saying the Broncos will trade up to exactly the 45th overall pick, or even that he would trade down to exactly the 75th overall pick. What he's saying here is that the Broncos have a group of prospects they are considering in that particular range, so if you piece things together, you could make the inference that it's realistic to consider the Broncos a trade-up candidate nearly 20 spots in this draft...
...for the right player.
On top of stating that the team is focused on players in that 45-75 range, Paton acknowledged that there are about six players they are focused on right now that they believe could be available when the Broncos are on the clock at 62 overall.
#Broncos GM Sean Payton: "There's six players we've been focused on" that they think could be there at No. 62.
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) April 16, 2026
In that case, maybe the Broncos would trade down in the 2nd round to accumulate some more picks, then use some of their extra draft capital to move up and make an extra selection in the 3rd round. We could see the team make multiple picks in the 3rd round even though they are currently only slated for one.
Even without a 1st- or 3rd-round pick available, the Broncos could have ultimate flexibility on draft weekend. And they like where they're at in terms of the players that could still help this team. They are looking at guys with top-tier traits, even if it means investing a little bit more in their long-term development.
That kind of thinking should bode well for players like Caleb Banks, Jake Golday, Eli Stowers, and others who are considered unfinished products at this point.
The Broncos feel like their current top pick at 62 overall is in their sweet spot when it comes to the NFL Draft. They took Nik Bonitto at 64 back in 2022, Marvin MIms Jr. at 63 back in 2023, and RJ Harvey at 60 in 2025. Nothing is guaranteed, but this pick range feels like a bit of a good-luck charm for the Broncos in the Draft, and they're ready to take advantage of that.
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