Denver Broncos Called Out for Failing to Fill Hole Left by Franklin-Myers’ Exit

Franklin-Myers is now headed to the Tennessee Titans, where he reunites with former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh. Replacing Franklin-Myers’ 7.5 sacks from the 2025 season was never going to be easy for the Broncos.

Denver attempted to address that void by selecting Tyler Onyedim in Round 3 at Pick 66, but with the defensive tackle entering 2026 as a rookie, the expectations surrounding his development are already significant.

Barnwell also spoke about Denver’s reliance on younger players, saying that “there’s nothing wrong with asking Onyedim, second-year lineman Sai’vion Jones, and 28-year-old Eyioma Uwazurike to take on some of Franklin-Myers’ workload.”

He also added that the issue was that with Championship aspirations (as proved by the Jaylen Waddle trade), this team might not have done enough to fill their void.

The Broncos led the league in sacks over the last two years and built much of that success around a deep defensive line rotation. Franklin-Myers was one of the most reliable contributors, totalling 14.5 sacks in that time.

Matching the Titans’ deal for Franklin-Myers would have made things much tougher financially moving forward, especially with quarterback Bo Nix expected to become a long-term priority soon.

Broncos’ Top 2026 Draft Pick Tyler Onyedim Still Unsigned

The Denver Broncos have already signed most of their 2026 draft class, but third-round pick Tyler Onyedim is still waiting for his rookie deal.

According to the Denver Post, the delay surrounding Onyedim appears to be tied to a growing league-wide contract situation involving early third-round offers.

Denver selected Onyedim with the 66th overall pick and expects him to become part of the defensive line rotation right away.

“Kinda fit the total package we were looking for, inside.” Broncos assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt said on 20 May.

Denver’s Finalised contracts for fourth-round picks Kage Casey and Jonah Coleman leave Onyedim as the final unsigned Broncos rookie.

As a third-round pick, Onyedim would cherish an opportunity to start in his rookie NFL season. However, the expectation to be a part of the league’s leading sack unit would certainly be difficult to live up to.