Denver Broncos 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

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No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the Broncos' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

Denver Broncos Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Tight End
2. Defensive Back
3. Defensive Line

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Denver Broncos 2026 Draft Capital

The Broncos have the 32nd-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

Denver Broncos Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Broncos to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

Denver Broncos Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Denver Broncos, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Bo Nix
2. Jarrett Stidham
3. Sam Ehlinger

Bo Nix was up-and-down in his second NFL season, but he had Denver on the cusp of playing for a Super Bowl before missing the AFC Championship with an ankle injury.

He led the NFL in pass attempts (612), but completed 63.4% of his passes (23rd) for 6.4 yards per pass attempt (28th).

The only playoff quarterback with a lower yards per pass attempt last season was Bryce Young (6.3).

Nix averaged 10.1 yards per completion (28th), while 32% of his passes resulted in a first down or touchdown (25th).

This passing game was once again predicated on the short areas of the field.

Nix averaged 7.3 air yards per attempt (24th).

25.3% of his passes were at or behind the line of scrimmage (27th) while only 28.1% were throws 10 or more yards downfield (30th).

An interesting component with Nix is that he was last in the NFL in dropback rate in the pocket (68.5%).

When Nix stayed in the pocket, he posted a 95.2 rating (14th), completing 69.2% of his passes (8th) for 7.0 Y/A (20th).

Outside of the pocket, Nix only had a 69.2 rating (28th), completing 48.8% of his passes (28th) for 5.0 Y/A (28th).

He also had a 3.0% interception rate outside of the pocket (27th) compared to a 1.3% interception rate (7th) when he stayed in the pocket.

While those are all lackluster rankings, Nix did do some positive things.

He was one of the best quarterbacks at avoiding negative plays.

Only 13.5% of Nix’s dropbacks lost 1.0 EPA or worse, second in the league.

He also led the NFL with seven game-winning drives.

Denver is still in a win-now window with Nix on his rookie contract, and they are clearly all-in on getting Nix as many assets as possible to make that push.

Jarrett Stidham is in the final year of his current contract.

Stidham was put in a tough spot in the AFC Championship Game, but he has always been a player that Sean Payton has valued more for his character than for his objective production.

Stidham has thrown 228 NFL passes, completing 58.8% of his throws for 6.8 yards per pass attempt with a 3.9% interception rate and an 8.8% sack rate.

Running Back

1. J.K. Dobbins
2. RJ Harvey
3. Jaleel McLaughlin
4. Tyler Badie
5. Cody Schrader
6. Deuce Vaughn
7. Adam Prentice (FB)

This was an inconsistent running game last year, depending on who was running the ball.

J.K. Dobbins was their most effective back on the ground.

Dobbins rushed for 5.0 YPC (7th among backs with 100-plus runs) with a 42.5% success rate (14th).

13.7% of his runs went for 10 or more yards (5th) while 14.4% failed to gain yardage (14th).

Dobbins averaged 3.18 yards after contact per rush (16th).

Dobbins was not a factor in the passing game, catching 11 passes for 37 yards.

Denver ran the ball 55.7% of the time with him on the field.

Dobbins also missed the final seven games of the regular season and the entire postseason with a foot injury.

He has not played a full season in the league yet, missing four or more games each year.

Denver brought back Dobbins on a two-year contract worth up to $16 million.

The Broncos used a second-round pick (60th overall) on RJ Harvey last season.

Harvey finished his rookie season with 896 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns on 193 touches.

On the surface, those are solid counting stats, but his production as a runner left a lot to be desired.

Out of 49 running backs with 100 or more attempts this season, Harvey has posted:

• 3.7 YPC (42nd)
• 34.9% success rate (41st)
• 5.5% rate of runs for 10 or more yards (47th)
• 21.2% rate of runs to gain no yardage (39th)
• 2.66 yards after contact per rush (42nd)

After the loss of Dobbins, Harvey has rushed 96 times for 326 yards (3.4 YPC).

In the playoffs, he rushed 19 times for 57 yards (3.0 YPC).

Harvey rushed for more than 50 yards in two of those seven games.

He made an impact as a pass catcher, however.

Harvey caught 47 passes (RB8) for 356 yards (RB8) and 5 touchdowns (RB3).

Harvey was targeted on 22.8% of his routes (RB11) for 1.40 yards per route.

Denver could be in play to still add a back with early-down ability as insurance, but they are primarily looking for Harvey to take a step forward as a more complete player in his second season.

Wide Receiver

1. Jaylen Waddle
2. Courtland Sutton
3. Pat Bryant
4. Troy Franklin
5. Marvin Mims
6. Lil’ Jordan Humphrey
7. Michael Brandy

Denver is in win-now mode, and they aggressively made a move in acquiring Jaylen Waddle to step in and potentially serve as the catalyst for the passing game.

Waddle showed last season that he can still be a feature target earner.

After Tyreek Hill was lost for the season in 2025, Waddle was pushed into the WR1 role we craved.

While active from Week 5 to Week 17, Waddle was the WR12 in team target share (24.3%), the WR1 in share of air yards (48.4%), WR10 in target rate per route (26.2%), and the WR7 in yards per route run (2.47).

Waddle steps into a passing environment where he can excel and should push to be the WR1 target in the offense.

We saw a stretch last season where Denver was pushing Troy Franklin as the engine of the passing game, and Waddle can handle the targets near the line of scrimmage and operate as a better all-around receiver than Franklin.

From Week 2 to Week 11, Franklin out-targeted Courtland Sutton (75 to 65) and even out-targeted him in the end zone (9 to 5) over that period.

When Denver threw the ball to wide receivers last season, they were second in the league in screen rate (12%), third in go route rate (17.7%), and 12th in crossing route targets (13.4%).

Those are all areas where Waddle can excel.

Sutton wrapped up the season catching 74 passes for 1,017 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Posting back-to-back seasons with 1,000 yards receiving, Sutton did concede more work to his teammates.

After drawing a target on 23.2% of his routes for 1.86 yards per route in 2024, Sutton was targeted on 20.1% of his routes (WR42) for 1.65 yards per route run (WR43) last season.

After accounting for 43.8% of the Denver air yards in 2024, he tallied 35.2% last season.

That was despite Sutton being on the field for 92% of the dropbacks.

The next closest Bronco (Franklin) was at 71.8%.

With Waddle on board and Sutton turning 31, we should expect more of that transition.

Sutton is signed through 2029, but Denver does have options to save cap space each year remaining after this season.

Denver has young depth on their rookie contracts who have flashed.

The Broncos rotated their wide receivers behind Sutton, playing all of Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims, while mixing in a sprinkle of Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Over the tail end of the season, Denver pushed Bryant out as the leader of that group.

While Bryant spent more time on the field due to his size and activity in the run game, he was not featured much as a pass catcher.

Bryant was targeted on only 16.2% of his routes as a rookie compared to an 18.8% rate for Mims and a 21.6% rate for Franklin.

Franklin and Bryant still have multiple years on their rookie contracts.

Mims is set to be an unrestricted free agent after 2026.

Tight End

1. Evan Engram
2. Adam Trautman
3. Nate Adkins
4. Lucas Krull
5. Caleb Lohner

Evan Engram caught 50 passes for 461 yards and 1 touchdown last season with Denver.

He set a career low with 28.8 yards per game.

He averaged a career-low 4.4 air yards per target.

Engram was limited due to playing part-time, as he is not active in the run game.

He only ran a route on 53.9% of the dropbacks.

Denver ran the ball just 15.5% of the time with Engram on the field, the lowest rate of any tight end in the league.

Engram will be 32 in September and is only signed for 2026.

This class is littered with move tight ends, should Denver want to directly replace Engram with a player in a similar role, or look to upgrade on a more complete player at the position.

The team did retain Adam Trautman on a three-year contract so that it could be more of the former outcome.

Offensive Line

LT: Garett Bolles, Matt Peart, Marques Cox
LG: Ben Powers, Alex Palczewski, Nash Jones
C: Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth, Michael Deiter
RG: Quinn Meinerz, Calvin Throckmorton, Nick Gargiulo
RT: Mike McGlinchey, Frank Crum

This is the easiest offensive line section I have had to do throughout this series.

The Denver offensive line was a front-end unit again in 2025.

The Broncos ended the season ranking eighth in ESPN’s pass block win rate (68%) and fourth in run block win rate (74%).

At Pro Football Focus, they were first in team pass-blocking grade and seventh in run-blocking grade.

Denver is bringing all of their starters back this season.

Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz are front-end players at their positions, while Mike McGlinchey is a sturdy right tackle.

Not only that, but the Broncos are also in tremendous contractual shape up front with every starter currently under contract for multiple seasons.

Denver Broncos Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Denver Broncos, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Zach Allen
2. D.J. Jones
3. Malcolm Roach
4. Eyioma Uwazurike
5. Sai’vion Jones
6. Matt Henningsen
7. Jordan Jackson
8. Jordan Miller
9. Kristian Williams

The Broncos were outstanding across the board against running backs, allowing just 3.9 yards per carry (3rd) to the position and ranking in the top five in most important metrics.

The defensive line suffered a big loss in free agency with John Franklin-Myers going to the Titans, but they still have a strong group up front.

Zach Allen has gotten consistent pressure since joining the team in 2023, and that peaked with a 14.1% pressure rate in 2025.

D.J. Jones and Eyioma Uwazurike were outstanding against the run last season.

Uwazurike ranked second in run stuff rate among qualified defensive linemen, and Jones was ninth among that group.

Jones also set a career-best pressure rate (11.0%).

Malcolm Roach chipped in 4 sacks in his 12 games.

A third-round pick last year, Sai’vion Jones spent most of his rookie season inactive, but he could push for a bigger role with Franklin-Myers gone.

The Broncos lost a major player from this group, and it is tough to find other needs on the roster.

Those factors make the defensive line technically one of their top needs, but the reality is they are in a decent spot here.

Edge Defenders

1. Nik Bonitto
2. Jonathon Cooper
3. Dondrea Tillman
4. Que Robinson
5. Johnny Walker
6. Garrett Nelson

The Broncos ranked third in pressure rate (41.8%) and led the league with a massive 68 sacks.

That sack total was 11 more than the Falcons in second place.

Nik Bonitto continued to put up massive numbers, ranking second among all qualified pass rushers in pressure rate (19.4%) while recording 14 sacks (5th).

Jonathon Cooper had a 13.3% pressure rate (33rd) and 8 sacks (21st) of his own, giving the Broncos an outstanding duo atop the depth chart.

Dondrea Tillman had success of his own on limited snaps last year, but with Jonah Elliss expected to move inside, the depth out wide is a little lacking.

Still, this is a strong group, and 2025 fourth-round pick Que Robinson could solidify that No. 4 spot if he has a strong offseason.

Linebacker

1. Alex Singleton
2. Justin Strnad
3. Jonah Elliss
4. Drew Sanders
5. Karene Reid
6. Levelle Bailey
7. Jordan Turner

Alex Singleton somehow only missed one game despite in-season surgery to remove testicular cancer, which is unbelievable in itself.

More unbelievable is he led the team with 14 run stuffs, recorded a tackle on 20.5% of his run defense snaps, and finished 32nd in yards allowed per coverage snap among qualified linebackers.

The Broncos re-signed Singleton and Justin Strnad this offseason, which sets them up as the primary starters at linebacker.

Strnad played the second-most snaps among the linebacker group last season, and he finished one spot ahead of Singleton in yards allowed per coverage snap.

Jonah Elliss is the interesting name in this group following news he will shift inside for the 2026 season — which is the position played by his brothers Christian (Patriots) and Kaden (Saints).

Elliss had success as a pass rusher last season, but he was buried on the depth chart.

This move should give him a better shot at earning a role.

He will need to beat out 2023 third-round pick Drew Sanders, who has played four games in the last two years because of injury.

Like at defensive line, you could argue this is a primary need for the Broncos just because they are loaded everywhere else, but they are still in a good spot at linebacker.

Cornerback

1. Pat Surtain II
2. Riley Moss
3. Ja’Quan McMillian
4. Jahdae Barron
5. Kris Abrams-Draine
6. Reese Taylor
7. Jaden Robinson

The Broncos allowed just 6.1 yards per attempt (2nd) last season while finishing 10th in EPA allowed per pass attempt.

Denver’s top corner options are back for 2026.

Pat Surtain remained the anchor of Denver’s secondary, finishing sixth among qualified corners in yards allowed per coverage snap.

Riley Moss was still something of the weak link in the corner room, but he was active around the football, tying for the league lead with 19 passes defensed.

Ja’Quan McMillian has developed into a quality slot option for the Broncos and should keep that role in 2026.

The play and relative health of the top three meant 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron did not have much of a role as a rookie.

He also struggled when on the field, which is a concern if the Broncos expect him to push for snaps in year two.

There are no real concerns at cornerback for 2026, but both Moss and McMillian are scheduled to be free agents after this season.

If Barron does not take a step forward as a sophomore, the Broncos could be in a tricky spot this time next year.

Safety

1. Brandon Jones
2. Talanoa Hufanga
3. Devon Key
4. JL Skinner
5. Tycen Anderson

The Broncos lost P.J. Locke in free agency, which opens up an important role in the secondary.

Talanoa Hufanga had an excellent first season in Denver, playing in all 17 games for the first time since 2022.

Brandon Jones was the primary option next to him and should slot in as the starter for 2026.

The issue is that Jones missed time last year, and Hufanga has a history of injuries.

Denver did add Tycen Anderson in free agency, but he has been more of a special teams player.

This need is probably better filled by a veteran addition, but with Jones headed to free agency after this year, perhaps the Broncos turn to the draft for some depth at safety.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams