Without a first-round pick, and trading out of the second round, the Denver Broncos did manage to bring in a rather strong class, but with as many players that get drafted, each team surely ended up making a mistake.
Even the teams that are run the best slip up from time to time - it's a part of the fabric of the NFL. Fortunately, the Broncos have slipped up less than most teams, and it's why the roster is in the position it's in now.
There's no denying just how loaded this group is, but did the Broncos make a mistake not taking these three players?
Denver Broncos could soon have major regrets not drafting these three players
Sam Roush, TE, Chicago Bears (Pick 69)
The Broncos took defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim at pick 66, passing up on a prospect like Sam Roush. The Stanford product went to the Chicago Bears just three picks later, and while the Broncos did invest in the tight end position with Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley, those players were late-round picks for a reason.
Roush is 6-6 and 267 pounds, so he has insane size for the position. He also might have been the best blocker in the class and would have been an immediate starter for the Broncos. The pass-catching upside isn't out of this world, but it's present. Roush was a true two-phase tight end and went two rounds ahead of Joly and four rounds ahead of Bentley for a reason.
Sure, the Broncos did double-dip at the position, but they may come to regret not making a more substantive investment.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, Buffalo Bills (Pick 126)
After selecting Kage Casey at pick 111 in Round 4, the Buffalo Bills took linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr at pick 126. The Broncos, surprisingly, did not invest in the linebacker position until the final pick of the entire draft with Red Murdock, and they also landed a top undrafted free agent in Taurean York.
Inside linebacker may have been the team's biggest need, and while the Broncos double-dipped at this position, like they did tight end, the front office didn't really come away with an unquestioned developmental prospect. Elarms-Orr has above-average athleticism and is a strong tackler. Addressing linebacker earlier in the draft would have been a smart move.
Uar Bernard, DT, Philadelphia Eagles (Pick 251)
The Broncos took Illinois safety Miles Scott at pick 246, not selecting Uar Bernard, who went five picks later to the Philadelphia Eagles. Bernard got into the NFL thanks to the International Pathway Program. Bernard is extremely new to the sport and could have easily gone undrafted, but at 6-4 and 306 pounds, he's got perfect side for a spot along the defensive line, and some of his athletic testing scores are simply mind-boggling:
Uar Bernard is a DT prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.90 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 23 out of 2278 DT from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/Wbla0CPmfl pic.twitter.com/A1kaFIk4Ik
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 19, 2026
Bernard has a 4.63 forty-yard dash, a vertical jump of nearly 40 inches, and a broad jump of nearly 11 feet, but he's over 300 pounds!
The main thing this Broncos coaching staff has done well is develop. This team has seen so many players, whether veterans or younger, hit their stride. This team's development has been among the very best in the league, and there really isn't a better player to try and develop than someone with outstanding athletic traits.
You cannot teach raw athleticism, and Bernard has that. The Broncos also field one of the best defensive lines in the league, and it'll only remain that way with the proper player acquisition and development. Bernard would have been a perfect addition in the seventh round for Denver.
Add us as a preferred source on Google