Denver Broncos OTAs are the perfect opportunity for incoming rookies to make a good first impression. Even though this is a roster with the highest retention rate in the NFL (94 percent of last year's snaps are back again), there are opportunities on both sides of the ball for rookies to take on much bigger roles than anyone could have predicted.
That includes some of the unlikeliest prospects.
The Broncos held the last two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, obviously including the "Mr. Irrelevant" selection. That last pick was used on Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock, who was unanimously considered a massive steal for the team that late in the draft. Murdock was generally considered a Day 3 prospect, but more in the 4th-5th-round range than the last pick of the draft overall.
The Broncos might have struck gold with that pick, and Murdock has already wasted no time making an impression. Even with Murdock expected to be a great value for where he was drafted, there are other circumstances that could lead to him crashing the defensive depth chart as a rookie nobody saw coming.
Denver Broncos rookie Red Murdock could play much sooner than anyone expected
Entering the 2026 offseason, the Broncos -- frustratingly, from the fans' perspective -- had pretty much the same top three needs they had going into the 2025 offseason: Running back, linebacker, and tight end.
Defensively, the question marks at the linebacker position have really been the lone cause for concern on an otherwise ridiculously talented and deep group of defensive players, in general. The Broncos cut Dre Greenlaw this offseason and also had Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad hitting free agency. Most felt like they would do some combination of killing that need with fire through free agency and/or a high draft pick or two in 2026.
They did neither.
The Broncos brought back their own guys, which didn't exactly excite the fan base. They also didn't go after any linebackers with their top picks in the draft, which also didn't exactly excite the fan base. The one thing that was preventing people from bringing out the torches and pitchforks was the idea Sean Payton floated out earlier this offseason about Jonah Elliss taking reps at linebacker after spending his first two NFL seasons coming off the edge.
That idea vanished as quickly as it appeared. Payton said that Elliss's home will be off the edge, though it's still possible he could provide an option at linebacker in certain situations.
As we get into the thick of the offseason program, the Broncos' linebacker position consists of Singleton, Strnad, Murdock, and a bunch of former undrafted free agents. Player development has been a hallmark of this team under Sean Payton, but it's going to be significantly put to the test in this situation.
Entering the second week of OTAs, the Broncos are one injury to Singleton or Strnad away from having to turn to someone who has little-to-no NFL experience starting on one of the best defenses in the NFL.
To say the pressure is on players like Red Murdock, and even guys like Jordan Turner, Taurean York, and others, would be a massive understatement.
It's possible that Murdock could ascend to the 3rd overall spot on the linebacker depth chart before offseason activities even come to a close. He's certainly got the talent for it.
Murdock has somewhat of an old-school playing style. He's a head hunter at the linebacker position and plays with violence. He also broke Khalil Mack's FBS record with 17 forced fumbles at the college level, showing that he not only has a nose for being around the football, but he knows how to punch it loose and take it away.
Given the state of the roster right now, the Broncos are clearly giving Murdock a real shot to earn extensive snaps in his rookie season, and it could give the most unlikely player in the 2026 NFL Draft class a chance to prove he's anything but irrelevant.
Add us as a preferred source on Google