Around this time last year, it seemed as though the Denver Broncos had found the perfect tight end for their offensive unit. Evan Engram was solid for the Broncos last year, but it became obvious very quickly into his two-year free-agent contract that he was not going to be the long-term answer for the Broncos. Looking back into team history, the last legitimate, multi-year starter the Broncos had was likely the great Julius Thomas, well over a decade ago.
Engram was the hope to end that streak, but he likely will not remain in Denver past his original two-year pact. Everyone and their mothers knew that the Broncos were interested in adding a tight end in this year's draft, but the question was whether they would swing for one early or wait until day three to bring one in. Denver ended up waiting until the fifth round, but found their man in North Carolina State's Justin Joly.
Joly might not make an immediate impact on the Denver offense, especially considering that the Broncos are returning four tight ends from last year's roster. Adam Trautman, who is a considerably better blocking tight end than he is a receiving tight end, signed a new three-year pact to return to head coach Sean Payton's offense. Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins are both back with the Broncos next year and will be competing for snaps and reps in camp with Joly in just a few months. Assuming all goes to plan, he should win those snaps and could position himself as the team's long-term answer.
Justin Joly might end up being the next starting tight end for the Denver Broncos
By selecting Joly in the fifth round, it becomes somewhat clear where the Broncos are heading with the tight end position. Engram is in his contract year, and only Trautman has a long-term investment, and even then, Trautman is far from a legitimate receiving option. As it currently stands, the long-term answer for the Broncos at tight end is going to be Joly.
Joly transferred from UConn to NC State halfway through his college career and was a dynamic scoring option for a Wolfpack offense that did not do much in his two-year tenure. He racked up 95 receptions and 1,150 receiving yards over his two seasons, also scoring 11 times. In total, Joly finished just shy of 2,000 receiving yards in his college career, turning in consistently strong seasons his final three years - one as a Huskie and two as a member of the Wolfpack.
At almost 6'4" and 241 lbs, Joly is a larger receiver, but has strong hands and good footwork. He is strong enough to win matchups with safeties and is a good enough receiver to present a bad matchup for most inside linebackers. Defenses are going to struggle to cover Joly, which could help him become an immediate favorite of quarterback Bo Nix.
The Broncos are going to need to figure a few things out with their tight end room heading into the 2026 season, but one thing is now clear: the Broncos view Joly as a longterm answer at a position that has had over a decade of turnover.
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