If there is one position that needs to step up more than others on the Denver Broncos' offense in 2026, it's the tight end position.
Of course, the tight end position needs to be more productive in the passing game, but they also have to be better in the running game after some of the team's struggles -- especially running off-tackle -- during the 2025 season.
The Broncos addressed their need for a boost in the talent department at tight end by drafting not only one but two players at the position, including a sleeper in the 7th round who is entering training camp in a rather enviable position. That player is Dallen Bentley.
Broncos rookie tight end Dallen Bentley has a golden opportunity entering training camp
There are certainly some inherent disadvantages to being a 7th-round draft pick entering your first NFL training camp, but Bentley is coming to a great situation in that regard.
Sean Payton has said on a number of occasions that draft status is all but thrown out the window when these guys get on the field, and he's proven that in the way he's assembled his rosters in the past.
One perfect example is from the 2024 NFL Draft class. The Broncos traded up to the top of the 4th round to get wide receiver Troy Franklin, pairing him up with his college teammate Bo Nix. That selection felt like a steal for the Broncos in the moment, but it wasn't Franklin who was on the field and making plays for Nix during that 2024 season; it was 7th-round pick Devaughn Vele out of Utah.
Nobody would have expected Vele to come out and practice the way that he did during his first offseason in Denver, but he caught just about everything thrown his way, and made himself undeniable to the coaching staff.
Bentley's situation -- all the way down to being a 7th-rounder out of Utah -- feels quite similar.
The Broncos traded up into the top half of the 5th round to take North Carolina State tight end Justin Joly, another exciting player to monitor during training camp. The selection of Joly almost makes Bentley an afterthought by comparison, but that also gives him the opportunity to really put himself on the map as a deep sleeper at the position.
Everybody loves a good Cinderella story, right?
There are a few reasons to feel like Bentley could significantly out-play his NFL Draft status early on. He posted a 9.26 in the RAS department, proving he has elite athletic traits to make it in the NFL. The only reason his RAS wasn't higher overall is because he graded in the bottom 40 percent among tight ends at 6-foot-3 1/2.
Even with that in mind, Bentley's arm length of 33 1/8 inches give him enviable length at the position, and allows him to translate immediately a an in-line "Y" tight end at the next level.
Looking at his pre-draft testing, Bentley scored in the 84th percentile -- or better -- in bench press, vertical jump, 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, and 3-cone. To put that data into practical terms, he scored in the elite tier of strength, explosiveness, speed, burst, and change-of-direction.
Adding in the fact that he was also one of the most sure-handed players in the class (0 drops in 2025), and Bentley has one of the most enviable opportunities of all: Take everyone by surprise.
Even though there's no inherent bias for late-round picks who play above their NFL Draft status, you can't help but root for guys like that, especially if you're one of the coaches on the staff.
If Bentley can come out at the start of training camp and make plays in the passing game from the jump, he'll need only to prove himself reliable enough as a blocker to earn immediate snaps as a rookie in the NFL, and perhaps emerge as one of the key rookies from this talented Broncos rookie class.
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