The Denver Broncos are one of the best, but oldest teams in the sport. It's both a good and bad problem to have, as the age of the team makes it less likely that they are able to keep this window open, but at the same time, the Broncos are one of a small handful of teams actually capable of winning it all this year.
Denver has not gotten a ton from their rookie class this year, but that also might be by design. In an ideal world, some of these aging players make way for the younger first and second-year players in the future.
Let's dive into the rookies a bit more and give a grade for each one through nine games this year.
Grading every Denver Broncos rookie through nine games in 2026
NFL Draft Picks
Tyler Onyedim, DE: Incomplete
Tyler Onyedim was active for the first time in Week 9 and did force a fumble. It's clear that this was meant to be a bit of a redshirt year for Onyedim, as the Broncos defensive line features Zach Allen, DJ Jones, and Malcolm Roach, one of the best trios in football, and even Eyioma Uwazurike has held his own this year.
Jonah Coleman, RB: B+
In four games with touches, Jonah Coleman has amassed 191 rushing yards and 128 receiving yards. If we take his four-game production with the Broncos this year and average it out across a full 17-game slate, this is what we would get:
200 carries
812 yards
4.1 YPC
13 touchdowns
55 receptions
544 yards
Coleman has eaten up a ton of yards thus far and has been a really nice spark for the offense since returning from IR. You'd ideally love to see his 4.1 yards per carry get a tick or two higher in the second half of the season, but it's hard not to love what Coleman has produced thus far. Him missing four games earlier in the year does knock his grade down to a B+, as availability is the most important ability.
Kage Casey, OG: Incomplete
We have not see Kage Kasey active as of yet. My personal opinion is that Kasey, at minimum, completes for the starting left guard spot with Alex Palczewski next offseason, as current left guard Ben Powers has had a season to forget and is a free agent in 2027. Kasey may also have the ability at center, too, but, like Onyedim, this year appears to be a red-shirt year.
Justin Joly, TE: F
This was a total waste of a draft pick, to be honest. Justin Joly didn't even make the final roster cuts for the Broncos as a fifth-round pick. He's now on the Miami Dolphins.
Miles Scott, SAF: Incomplete
Miles Scott has been on the practice squad all year and was a seventh-round pick by the Broncos back in April.
Dallen Bentley, TE: Incomplete
Dallen Bentley did make the active roster but has been inactive all year. Bentley's skillset does allow him the potential to develop into a complete tight end, but he's already turning 26 years old in December and is a player that needs to break through sooner, rather than later.
Red Murdock, ILB: Incomplete
The final pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, Red Murdock is yet another Broncos rookie that has not been active for a game. In an ideal world, Murdock can contribute in this room in 2027 and beyond, but with how weak the Broncos linebacker room is overall, it could say a lot about Murdock's ability that he hasn't been able to get onto the active roster thus far.
Undrafted Free Agents
Brent Austin, CB: Incomplete
You can see a pattern here. Brent Austin is on the practice squad and has not been active this year.
Kolbe Katsis, WR: B
Kolbie Katsis played against the Los Angeles Rams and had three punt returns for 39 yards and four kick returns for 107 yards, so he was responsible for 146 all-purpose yards in that game and earns a B for that respectable performance.
Dane Key, WR: Incomplete
The brother of Devon Key, Dane Key is a 6-3 wide receiver, so he does fit the big-body mold that head coach Sean Payton loves with his receivers. He's been on the practice squad, so his grade is also incomplete.
Tyler Miller, OT: Incomplete
Tyler Miller, at 6-9, is actually one of the tallest players in the history of the NFL. He obviously has NFL-caliber length, so perhaps there is a sliver of a chance that his length and athleticism can translate enough in the future.
Gavin Ortega, OG: Incomplete
Lastly, Gavin Ortega. His grade is also complete, as he is one of a plethora of other rookies who have not notched a game in the regular season thus far. As mentioned above, the Broncos older, but extremely talented roster has made it nearly impossible for rookies to leave their mark.
With a slew of 'incomplete' grades, the Broncos are still a team flush with quality veteran talent, both via starters and backups.
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