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Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Denver Broncos general manager George Paton speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ranking Broncos' Early 2026 Draft Needs

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Erick Trickel | Last updated Dec 2, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Denver Broncos have fast-tracked a roster rebuild under the leadership of head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton. Payton has done a lot to develop the players on the field, while Paton has excelled in the draft, establishing himself as one of the NFL's better drafting general managers.

Amidst the Broncos' 10-win season, looking ahead to the NFL draft might seem premature, but it's the best way for a team like this to add young, cost-controlled talent, especially considering the number of veterans playing on expiring contracts. The Broncos' scouting department has already been hard at work on the 2026 NFL draft class, and there are a few positions they should be looking hard at.

Things have changed since the beginning of the season, but the Broncos' draft needs are much the same. Let's examine them in a loose order of priority.

Tight End

The Broncos still need tight end help, with Evan Engram failing to meet expectations, although he showed some promise in Week 13's overtime win over the Washington Commanders. Also, Adam Trautman has been a blocking liability, even though the offense is more efficient when he's on the field.

Offensive Line

The injury to left guard Ben Powers makes left guard even more of a question, which was already in question because of his contract situation. While Alex Palczewski has done well filling in, it hasn't been at a level where the Broncos will be handing him the job without someone competing for it.

Nick Gargiulo could be an option, but he will be coming off a serious injury that landed him on injured reserve before the season. He showed some promise in training camp before that unfortunate setback.

During the bye week, the Broncos got some extensions done that helped cover their needs for the 2026 offseason. One of them was the extension for Luke Wattenberg, which locks up Denver's starting center for a while longer, instead of having to eyeball veterans for added competition with Alex Forsyth.

Wide Receiver

The Broncos showed significant interest in adding a wide receiver ahead of the NFL trade deadline, particularly Jaylen Waddle, and that speaks volumes about their thoughts on their current room. There's no doubt that wide receiver is very much in play for the Broncos in the 2026 offseason, either via free agency, a trade, or early in the draft.

Linebacker

On the defensive side of the ball, the linebacker position remains a question, though, for different reasons. Alex Singleton has been a fine starter since about Week 5, and Justin Strnad was great filling in for Dre Greenlaw.

However, Denver has gotten a handful of games out of Greenlaw thus far, with Strnad and Singleton set to be free agents after this year. No one else on the roster is ready to step up.

Defensive Line

The interior defensive line has been great, but John Franklin-Myers is playing on an expiring deal with no one proven waiting in the wings. Ideally, Paton and Payton realize how dangerous this unit is and extend Franklin-Myers, but they haven't even had any contact with the veteran player (reportedly).

The Broncos did get an extension done with Malcolm Roach, which helps to ease their need on the defensive line. They could be looking at a combination of players like Eyioma Uwazurike and Sai'vion Jones to replace Franklin-Myers, with the former on run downs and the latter on passing downs.

Cornerback

Riley Moss will be on the final year of his deal in 2026, and Ja'Quan McMillian will be on the last year of cost-control options for Denver, so corner remains an option, though it's lower on the list. With Jahdae Barron drafted and Patrick Surtain II still being a top-tier corner, Denver has the freedom to wait here.

OLB

The same holds for the next two positions. The Broncos could look for depth, but the starters are locked up, and the primary backups, specifically at the edge, are still on a cost-controlled time frame through 2027.

Safety

Safety is a little different: Brandon Jones is a free agent after 2026, and the Broncos don't have depth, but it can still be treated as a lower-priority need, like corner.

Quarterback

The quarterback conversation can be had at another time. Denver is winning games, and while Bo Nix has struggled at times, the team will give him the rope he needs to continue developing. The Broncos probably aren't thinking about quarterback until 2027, at the soonest.

The Takeaway

There is a lot of time between now and the draft, with a lot that can change. Denver, right now, is projected to pick near the end of the first round, and that could open up a lot of doors.

We'll see how the rest of the season unfolds. If anything changes, we'll amend the positions the Broncos need to address.