The Denver Broncos have limited draft capital in 2026, but with the 62nd overall pick this year, the team could still get an impact starter. Given General Manager George Paton's NFL Draft history outside of the first round, it's honestly rather likely that Denver does come away with at least one starting-caliber player from this class.
Players like Riley Moss, Quinn Meinerz, and Troy Franklin, for example, were third and fourth-round picks and are all either hitting their stride or a starting-caliber player at what they do. Well, the Broncos may have subtly tipped their cap about their plans for the 62nd overall pick.
And a well-connected insider gave his take on this situation, creating what could be a very interesting situation.
Denver Broncos insider Mike Klis gives his take on the team's six options at pick 62
Paton recently said that the Broncos have six players they're focusing on with that 62nd overall pick, which is oddly specific, to be honest. It could show just how thorough the team has been with the NFL Draft prep, and Mike Klis gave his own take on the six players the Broncos might have in mind with the second-round selection, and some of the names will surely surprise you:
Max Klare, TE, Ohio State
Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas
Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
(Bonus) Justin Joly, TE, NC State, and Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
So, this is the list. It's notably all running backs or tight ends, but it does feature some names that are not necessarily viewed as a second-round pick. Klis does specifically mention the case of RJ Harvey, who went 60th overall to the Broncos last year, but virtually no one thought he would go that high.
The names that stick out as being shocks in this list for pick 62 are Mike Washington Jr., Emmett Johnson, Justin Joly, and Jonah Coleman. All of these prospects do have multiple encouraging qualities, but they've also been seen as third and fourth-round prospects this cycle.
Besides getting into the specifics of each player, it's quite interesting that all of the prospects in this bunch are a running back or a tight end. The Broncos might not be trying to hide anything, either. If Klis is hearing some of this chatter directly from the organization, the Broncos might truly have a running back or tight end in mind.
But given that the Broncos have kept things close to the chest more times than not, this could simply be a clever play to throw other teams off their scent. However, if these two playmaking positions aren't going to be on the table at pick 62, the options dwindle big-time.
Tackle and defensive line both stick out as being needs, and inside linebacker could be argued for this spot, too. What could be a sigh of relief, though, is that the team may actually be targeting a position of need, rather than simply drafting for the best player available.
The Broncos took the "BPA" route last year in the first round, grabbing Jahdae Barron, but Denver got virtually nothing for their first-round pick, who is already 24 years old. Of the bunch that Klis mentions, the best prospect is Price, a pure runner who could hear his name called in Round 1.
A descent into Round 2 just doesn't feel likely, but someone like Klare from Ohio State is a realistic target for Denver at pick 62. He's a high-end receiver with functional blocking ability, but someone who sticks out the most here is Coleman from Washington.
He does all the dirty work at running back. Coleman pass protects well, and it's a strength of his game. He uses his 5-8, 220lb frame to his advantage and just does not fumble the ball, either. Given this list from Klis, the Broncos could go in a number of directions at pick 62.
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