The Denver Broncos had one of the most underwhelming groups of tight ends in the NFL last year in the passing game, and they just made a big move up the board on Day 3 of the NFL Draft to address it.
The Broncos traded picks 170 and 182 to move up to 152 and select North Carolina State tight end Justin Joly, who entered Day 3 of the NFL Draft as the clear best tight end on the board. There was a massive run on tight ends on Day 2 of the draft, and the Broncos were left without a date to the dance, so to speak.
To get Joly in the 5th round feels like a bit of highway robbery, as he's been mocked as high as the third round at times. He's one of the best pass-catching weapons in this year's draft class at the tight end position and is going to a situation where he'll be able to thrive with his versatility as a weapon.
Denver Broncos just drafted their future starting tight end with Justin Joly pick
In terms of production in the passing game, few in the 2026 NFL Draft class have as much on tape as Justin Joly, even in a really talented draft class at the position.
The Broncos, on the other hand, struggled badly to get any consistent production out of their tight ends last year. Even after signing Evan Engram, the Broncos didn't have a single tight end rank in the top 32 at the position last season in total receiving yards.
In 49 games between his time at UConn and North Carolina State, Joly caught 166 passes for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdown grabs. Once again, the Broncos prioritized a prospect with a lot of college experience, but Joly is still just 21 years old. He's got plenty of upside at the next level as he learns how to refine his route running abilities and the Broncos work to unlock him as a threat after the catch.
Over the past two seasons at North Carolina State, Joly has improved significantly with dropped passes. He had six drops in his last season at UConn in 2023, cut it down to three in 2024 at NC State, and then had just one drop this past season.
This is the type of player who projects really well at the next level to the "F" tight end position instead of the in-line position. Although Joly will undoubtedly have to work in-line in certain packages, his game is all about being a mismatch player who will move around the formation.
At NC State, he played almost half of his snaps (47.9 percent, subscription required) out of the slot and effectively was used as a bigger receiver. He's so strong at the catch point and will be a reliable target for Bo Nix, who could eventually become this team's top tight end in the passing game, maybe as early as 2027.
