It feels like every offseason is labelled the "most important" offseason for the Denver Broncos these days, but hyperbole aside, the Broncos are undoubtedly in the midst of a championship window. The urgency is high, and the team has to pull the right strings to turn that urgency into a fourth Lombardi trophy.
NFL Free Agency looms large for the Broncos, who need to address some of their top needs by bringing in instant impact players, but the NFL Draft will also be huge when it comes to replacing some "stale" starters on this team.
The Broncos have done their best to maintain continuity as they build and establish culture, but entering year four of the Sean Payton era, the time has come for the team to bring in talent upgrades, even if that means taking some risks in the draft. Our latest 2026 mock draft predictions for the Broncos will take a look at a few scenarios where the team could replace some of those stale starters.
Broncos take unconventional need-first approach in 2026 mock draft predictions
1. 30th overall: Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
You could make the argument that the running back position is the biggest need on the Denver Broncos' roster in 2026. The Broncos were getting pretty outstanding production out of JK Dobbins last year through the first 10 games of the season before he suffered a season-ending foot injury.
And while bringing back Dobbins still makes some sense depending on the situation, the Broncos definitely need a longer-term solution as well. One of the ways the team could address the position is by going after a surprise player in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL Draft: Notre Dame's Jadarian Price.
Price is a 1st-round prospect who has been in the shadow of Jeremiyah Love, who might just be the best overall player in this entire class.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah says he thinks Notre Dame RB Jadarian Price could move into late-first round conversation. A potential fit for the #Broncos and "somebody who I think can be a complete, three-down back" to pair with RJ Harvey.
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) February 19, 2026
Said Denver needs more at RB and TE.
Price has been picking up some steam lately in NFL Draft discussions and the Broncos are a team that could make a ton of sense to snatch him up late in the 1st round. On just 119 total touches this past season, Price had 13 total touchdowns. Anything under a 10/1 ratio of touches to touchdowns is ridiculous no matter what level of football you're playing.
2. 62nd overall: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech
If there's one position group the Denver Broncos need an upgrade in the talent department defensively, it's linebacker. The Broncos have two pending unrestricted free agents in Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. Dre Greenlaw, who was signed in the 2025 offseason, was a disappointment in his first year with the team and could be a cap casualty. Drew Sanders, a 3rd-round pick in 2023, has been hurt most of his first three NFL seasons, and it would be an upset if he was on the final roster this coming season.
Jacob Rodriguez would bring a much-needed infusion of talent and playmaking ability to a position that has seemingly just been one short-term fix after another. Rodriguez was responsible for forcing a whopping 19 turnovers at Texas Tech, including 4 interceptions and 7 forced fumbles this past season alone.
The only issue right now is that he might soon see his draft stock ascend to the point that if the Broncos don't take him in the 1st round, they might not get him at all.
3. 94th overall: Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
There has been no shortage of buzz connecting the Denver Broncos to Stanford tight end Sam Roush, who would be one of the ideal scheme and need fits for this team in the top 3 rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Of course, right now, the mock draft machines have Roush as a guaranteed Day 3 pick, but we know NFL teams don't necessarily view these guys the same as the pundits in the media.
He's viewed as someone who can step right into an NFL program and play meaningful snaps as an in-line tight end, which is what the Broncos need to replace. As reliable as Adam Trautman has been for the last handful of years doing his job as an in-line player, the Broncos simply can't rely on him in the passing game. Even head coach Sean Payton joked that he barely gets 5 catches per year.
Even though Payton was being facetious, there's a nugget of truth in there that can help inform the need at this position. As important as blocking is for the offense, you have to have someone who can at least provide somewhat of a viable threat in the passing game. Roush looks like he can be the total package in time.
4. 108th overall: Jalen Farmer, OL, Kentucky
While it's difficult to say that things have gone "stale" with starting left guard Ben Powers, it does feel like the sand timer is running out a little bit. Powers signed his contract with the Broncos back in 2023, so he's already entering the final year of his deal. Coming off of a season in which he missed extensive time with an injury, it's possible the Broncos will put one eye on the future.
That's if they don't move on completely...
The idea of going after some big men on the offensive line is appealing in this draft. The Broncos need more options on the interior, especially, and that need was amplified greatly last season.
5. 130th overall: Bishop Fitzgerald, SAF, USC
There are a couple of things to talk about with this mock draft pick. First of all, it wouldn't be a shocker to see the Broncos take a safety even earlier than this. Brandon Jones is entering the last year of his contract, and PJ Locke is a free agent this offseason.
Second, the connection between Bishop Fitzgerald and new defensive backs coach Doug Belk is obvious. The Broncos hired Belk as one of their new coaches in the secondary, and Belk was most recently with the USC program. He helped coach Fitzgerald to an All-American season with five interceptions and 51 total tackles.
He'd be a no-brainer anywhere from the 3rd round to the 5th round if he's available.
6. 168th overall: Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana
7. 247th overall: Logan Fano, EDGE, Utah
8. 255th overall: Keeshawn Silver, DL, USC
The Broncos load up even more on defensive talent here in the back half of Day 3. It may seem counter-intuitive to project a defense-heavy draft class for the Broncos, but keeping that unit as good as possible is going to keep the floor of this team as high as possible for the foreseeable future.
They absolutely have to add depth at linebacker, where Aiden Fisher would be a great piece. He's one of the more underrated players at the position in this year's class.
Logan Fano comes from the Utah program, where the Broncos clearly have liked a lot of prospects since George Paton came around. Keeshawn Silver gives you a former five-star recruit with more ties to Doug Belk, and someone who could be a developmental piece for a defensive line that could lose John Franklin-Myers in the near future.