2026 NFL Draft Grade: Denver Broncos -- B-

The Denver Broncos entered the 2026 NFL Draft with a clear hierarchy of needs. Offensive tackle sat as the critical priority, with wide receiver, tight end, and defensive tackle all ranked as high-level concerns by the front office. General manager George Paton, working alongside head coach Sean Payton and the scouting staff, had seven picks to work with -- three of them acquired via trades that moved the team around the board.

What emerged was a class of extremes. Denver nailed its late-round work with two A+ grades on tight end prospects and a strong A on a linebacker who slid deep into Day 3. But the early portion of the draft -- the third and fourth rounds -- produced grades in the C and D range, dragging down what could have been a more impressive haul. When the math settles, the Broncos walk away with a B- overall grade and a numeric score of 67.1, a solid but unspectacular result that leans heavily on the back end of the class.

Here is the pick-by-pick breakdown.

Pick 66 (Round 3) -- Tyler Onyedim, DT, Texas A&M Acquired via TEN through BUF Grade: C- (53.0)

Denver addressed a high-priority need here, and the fit makes schematic sense. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's 3-4 front values versatile interior disruptors, and Onyedim brings a power profile that could pair well with Zach Allen. But the value is where this pick gets sticky. Most draft boards had Onyedim ranked in the early portion of Day 3, making this a notable reach in the third round. The Broncos passed on several interior defensive linemen who were graded higher by evaluators and went later in the round, including players like Kaleb Proctor and Gracen Halton. The need was real -- the potential departure of John Franklin-Myers left a hole in the rotation -- but the team paid a premium to fill it. Onyedim will get every chance to contribute immediately, and if his tape translates, the grade will look better in retrospect. On paper, it's a swing that required more draft capital than most analysts expected.

Pick 108 (Round 4) -- Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington Acquired via NO Grade: D (40.0)

This is the hardest grade in the class to defend. Denver already rostered J.K. Dobbins, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, and Deuce Vaughn at running back coming into the draft. The position was not a high priority -- the evaluation notes listed it as a medium need at best -- and the team had already re-signed Dobbins in free agency. Coleman is a productive back who ran hard in the Pac-12, and he fits Payton's preference for physical runners who can also contribute in the screen game. But taking him in the fourth round, when multiple higher-graded running backs like Kaytron Allen and Eli Heidenreich were still on the board and went later, represents a clear reach relative to value. The grade reflects both the positional surplus and the draft capital spent. Coleman will compete for a roster spot, but this is the kind of pick that makes you wonder if the board fell the wrong way.

Pick 111 (Round 4) -- Kage Casey, OT, Boise State Acquired via MIA Grade: C (56.0)

Now we're talking about Denver's critical need. Offensive tackle was the only position the team labeled as a must-address, and Casey brings the kind of mauling run-blocking profile that Payton values in his offensive linemen. The Broncos have Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey as starters, but the depth behind them was thin, and Casey projects as a swing tackle with eventual starting upside in a zone-heavy scheme. The value gap is significant -- evaluators had Casey ranked well into Day 3 territory, making this a substantial reach by about two rounds of draft capital. But this is also a case where need drives the grade harder than raw board position. Denver identified its biggest roster hole and attacked it. The premium paid hurts the letter grade, but the strategic logic is sound.

Pick 152 (Round 5) -- Justin Joly, TE, NC State Acquired via DAL through SF and CLE Grade: A+ (98.0)

This is the best pick of the entire Denver class, and the grade reflects it. Joly was viewed by most evaluators as a top-125 prospect in this draft, and the Broncos landed him at pick 152 -- a value swing of roughly 28 slots in their favor. More importantly, tight end was a glaring opening on the roster. The pre-draft evaluation identified it as a high need, noting that Payton's offense historically leans on the position as a featured weapon, and the current group lacked a legitimate seam threat. Joly brings the athletic profile to change that. He's a flex tight end with enough speed to work the middle of the field and enough toughness to hold up as an inline blocker. This is the kind of Day 3 find that can reshape an offense. Pairing him with a creative play-caller like Payton creates real upside. Grade does not get higher than A+ for a reason -- this was a steal.

Pick 246 (Round 7) -- Miles Scott, S, Illinois Grade: D (40.0)

Seventh-round picks are lottery tickets, and this one came with particularly long odds. Scott was ranked deep on most draft boards, and Denver reached well ahead of where evaluators had him pegged. The safety room was already one of the roster's strengths with Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones on the roster, plus good depth. This is a special teams addition and a camp body more than a developmental starter. The grade is low because the value gap is extreme, but in the seventh round, the damage is minimal. If Scott wins a roster spot on coverage units, this pick was at least worth the dart throw.

Pick 256 (Round 7) -- Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah Grade: A+ (98.0)

This is the second A+ grade of the class, and it shows how well Denver worked the back end of the draft. Bentley, like Joly before him, was ranked significantly higher by evaluators than his draft slot would suggest -- most boards had him in the 141 range, making this a massive value grab 115 picks later. Utah's tight end room has produced NFL-ready blockers and pass-catchers in recent cycles, and Bentley fits that mold. He gives the Broncos a second young tight end with a different skill set than Joly -- more of a traditional Y who can handle inline duties while also presenting a target over the middle. Suddenly, a position that looked like a weakness entering the draft has two rookies with real promise. The double dip at tight end in the fifth and seventh rounds is the defining narrative of this class.

Pick 257 (Round 7) -- Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo Grade: A (85.0)

The Broncos saved perhaps their most intriguing Day 3 value for last. Murdock was graded as a top-160 prospect by most draft analysts, and Denver snagged him with the second-to-last pick in the entire draft -- a value differential of more than 100 slots. The need here is legitimate as well. Inside linebacker was identified as a critical need in the pre-draft evaluation, with Alex Singleton's future uncertain and the position group lacking a proven replacement. Murdock brings the kind of sideline-to-sideline range and coverage instincts that Joseph's system demands from its linebackers. He's not a finished product, but as a seventh-round pick with this kind of talent, he represents one of the best value bets in the entire Denver class. Harold Perkins Jr. went later in the round, but the broader linebacker board had Murdock rated ahead of his draft slot consistently.

Overall Grade: B- (67.1)

The best pick of the Broncos' draft is unquestionably Justin Joly, who filled a high-priority need at tight end at a value that earned a near-perfect grade. The worst pick is Jonah Coleman, a fourth-round running back that cost significant capital at a position where the team already had a full depth chart.

This class tells a story of two different draft strategies. In the early rounds, Denver was aggressive to the point of overpaying for need, taking Tyler Onyedim, Jonah Coleman, and Kage Casey at slots that evaluators felt were significantly ahead of their board positions. The result was three picks in the C- to D range that put the class in a hole.

Then something shifted. Starting with Justin Joly in the fifth round, the Broncos found their rhythm. Joly, Dallen Bentley, and Red Murdock all represented elite value relative to where they were selected, and all three filled genuine roster needs -- tight end was a high priority, and linebacker was critical. The back half of the draft rescued what could have been a below-average class.

Did Denver fill its actual needs? Yes, for the most part. The critical tackle need was addressed with Kage Casey, though at a premium price. The high needs at defensive tackle and tight end were both addressed, with the tight end double dip being the class's signature achievement. The critical linebacker need got a seventh-round flyer with real upside.

Did Denver get fair value at each slot? The answer is mixed. The early reaches cost the class upward mobility. But the late-round work was among the best in the league, with three Day 3 picks that returned exceptional value.

The verdict: Denver will look back at this draft and remember the fifth and seventh rounds as the weekend's defining moments. If Joly and Bentley become the tight end duo that Payton's offense has been missing, and if Murdock develops into a starting linebacker, this class will be remembered as a steal. If the early reaches don't hit, the overall grade will feel generous. For now, a B- feels right -- a class saved by its back end, with enough upside to keep Broncos fans optimistic.

Pick-by-Pick Summary