The Denver Broncos needs in the present are few, if any. Sure, there are some positions that need a boost, but you could almost argue that because of how loaded the roster is, the weakest positions appear to be weaker than they actually are.
Adding Jaylen Waddle via trade further boosted just how much talent this group has, and you almost run out of words to describe just how good of a job the front office has done. General Manager George Paton has been outstanding for the Broncos and, in partnership with head coach Sean Payton, has put together a Super Bowl-caliber group.
But the Broncos are getting older at some positions and need to always be looking to the long-term. The linebacker position is the most obvious example of this. Not only is this group the weakest on the roster, but both starters are getting up there in age, and planning for the eventual departure of Alex Singleton would be a wise idea.
Oregon's Bryce Boettcher would fit the Denver Broncos in more ways than one
One thing that sticks out with Bryce Boettcher is that he also played baseball for a short time in college, so being a two-sport athlete does prove the athleticism is there, which is something no NFL team can teach.
He played his college football at Oregon, and the Broncos have clearly coveted that school in recent years with players like Alex Forsyth, Bo Nix, and Troy Franklin. Denver also had Emmanuel Pregnon in for a visit. The talented guard in this year's class recently played for the Ducks.
The Oregon-to-Denver pipeline is real, and it's legitimate. Boettcher, though, isn't one of the top linebacker names like CJ Allen, Sonny Styles, and Anthony Hill Jr. He's might not even be a second or third-round prospect. Boettcher is someone who falls into that 120-150 range on most big boards, so he's a fourth-ish-round prospect.
That could work perfectly for Denver, though. They have picks 108, 111, and 170. Whether they take Boettcher at one of those top-115 picks or even try and trade down, they'd be in a spot to draft him. This is a player who could use some development, but the Broncos starters in Singleton and Justin Strnad are clearly locked in for 2026, or at least for part of the season.
Adding Boettcher into the mix as a developmental prospect would make a ton of sense, as he would not be thrust into a position to play earlier than necessary. Furthermore, with Jonah Elliss set to get some snaps at inside linebacker, Boettcher would share this room with another young player, and both would get the chance to absorb as much information as possible from Singleton, Strnad, and the defense itself.
As a player, Boettcher plays with an 'attack 'mindset. His motor is off the charts, and his downhill style of playing does also give him a mountain of upside against the run and even in getting into the backfield as a blitzer.
However, the other side of this is that he can sometimes totally whiff while doing this and lose his assignment or positioning. But given Denver's current defensive mindset, Boettcher being a downhill player does fit in nicely. He was also seen increasing his production in each year at Oregon, so he's on the right track in that regard.
Given that the Broncos could intend to move Elliss to inside linebacker full-time, along with not having a first-round pick, the team could look to deeper in the 2026 NFL Draft to find a developmental player who could profile as a long-term option.
Boettcher could be that player.