The Denver Broncos had arguably the least draft capital of any team in the 2026 NFL Draft, but were still able to walk away with a solid group of players. Not only were the Broncos able to bring in a good crop of rookies, but they also found ways to bring in pieces that will immediately contribute on both sides of the ball. The sentiment heading into the 2026 NFL Draft was that the Broncos needed to try to find the next wave of their offensive starters, and they might have done just that.
In the end, the Broncos brought in four offensive players and four defenders, several of whom have a pathway to immediate snaps. Skills players Justin Joly and Jonah Coleman could have an immediate impact on the Broncos offense, while Dallen Bentley might have as much upside as any player selected in the seventh round in this draft class.
The major piece to this Broncos draft class is Jaylen Waddle. The Broncos traded their first and a third for Waddle and a fourth, who they ended up using on offensive lineman prospect Kage Casey. If Waddle performs as a true top receiver for the Broncos, then no one will ever look at what the pick they traded away ever does. Factoring Waddle into this draft class, it is hard to give the Broncos anything less than an A grade. Somehow, someone found a way to, and their grade was significantly less.
CBS Sports threw major shade at the Denver Broncos draft class while dissing the Jaylen Waddle trade
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco sat down and graded the draft classes of all 32 NFL teams, and made some interesting comments on the Broncos' draft class. Even when weighing in their major trade for Waddle, he found a way to bring down the Broncos' draft haul:
"Denver Broncos: C+
Best Pick: Third-round pick Tyler Onyedim from Texas A&M can help replace John Franklin-Myers, who left for Tennessee in free agency. He will be a rotation player from the start.Â
Worst Pick: I didn't like fourth-round back Jonah Coleman as much as some during this process. I thought Nebraska's Emmett Johnson, who went in the fifth round to the Chiefs, was a better option.Â
The Skinny: They traded their first-round pick to get receiver Jaylen Waddle, so he is sort of included in this draft. They needed his juice. This draft will be judged on how he plays. I did like Onyedim pick in the second and linebacker Red Murdock in the seventh as 'Mr. Irrelevant.'"
Admitting that Waddle is factored into the draft grade and then handing the Broncos a C+ almost feels comical. Waddle is going to have every chance to be the top weapon on a Super Bowl-contending offense, and has been one of the most dynamic receivers in the game for a few years now. With a much better quarterback situation than he had in Miami, he'll pop this year. A C+ while factoring in a trade for a top-10 wide receiver in the league makes zero sense.
Beyond that, the comparison between Coleman and Johnson is pretty lazy, given that both ended up in the AFC West. Only six running backs went in the draft this year, and Coleman was the fourth name off the board. This draft was incredibly light at the position, which also makes getting the fourth-best player at an important position in the fourth round a great deal, even if Coleman doesn't contribute much to the 2026 team.
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