Broncos NFL Draft Review: Immediate Starters, Sleepers, & Long-Term Bets

NFL draft weekend is in the books, and the aftershocks are still being felt around Denver Broncos headquarters. The Broncos made seven selections, striking a great balance between talent, make-up, and value.

Among the Broncos' seven selections, four were on the offensive side and three were on defense. It's about as balanced as you could expect.

The Broncos didn't have many pressing roster needs entering the draft, with most of their question marks regarding the future, and not the 2026 season. However, they filled those needs and put some intriguing pieces in place to potentially answer those future questions.

Today, we're breaking down which of the Broncos' 2026 draft picks fill some immediate needs, who the sleepers are, and which picks make for the surest long-term bets. Let's get into it.

Immediate Needs

Tyler Onyedim | DL | Round 3

The Broncos' first pick in this draft will be one of the rookies the team relies on the most immediately. The Broncos have a big hole to fill on the defensive line with John Franklin-Myers departing in free agency, and Onyedim will be in the mix.

The rookie will compete with Eyioma Uwazurkie (a close friend from their time together at Iowa State) and 2025 third-rounder Sai'vion Jones. Onyedim has plenty of room to grow, but he's NFL-ready, which, unlike Jones last year, means that Denver will likely feel confident relying on him to play more early, even if it's not as a starter out of the gates.

Onyedim will dress and see the field. He'll be part of the D-line rotation.

Jonah Coleman | RB | Round 4

The Broncos' top two running backs are a lock: J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. However, considering Dobbins's extensive injury history, Coleman gives the Broncos some insurance.

As a power back who thrives between the tackles, Coleman will see the field regardless of Dobbins's health status as a short-yardage back. As the early stretch of the season marches on, expect to see Coleman's touch share increase gradually.

Based on the skill sets of Dobbins and Harvey, Coleman is a natural fit in Sean Payton's running-back-by-committee approach.

Sleepers

Justin Joly | TE | Round 5

Joly's biggest impact might not come in Year 1, but he has the makings of a long-term contributor. He's a 'big slot' tight end who specializes as a receiver, which means that Payton will always have a place for him in the Broncos' offense.

Initially, though, that 'F' tight end spot will be held down by the veteran Evan Engram, who's entering a contract year. Expect the Broncos to find ways to get Joly on the field as a rookie, especially with certain red-zone and passing packages.

Red Murdock | LB | Round 7

Mr. Irrelevant is a very intriguing player. Murdock may have been the last player to hear their name called in the 2026 NFL draft, but he ranks first in forced fumbles in FBS history. That's right; no Division I college football player has forced more career fumbles than him.

Murdock is a downhill thumper with extremely well-honed instincts and a high motor. He's not the explosive athlete that some of his fellow 2026 linebacker prospects are, but he makes up for it by his preparation, football IQ, and want-to.

I could see Murdock breaking his way into the starting lineup over the next few years, and when this draft class is viewed in retrospect, he could be considered as one of the best draft steals of the George Paton front-office era. I don't want to heap too many expectations on a seventh-round pick too early, but he's got some unique attributes that I can't wait to see in full effect as a Bronco.

Long-Term Bets

I gave the Broncos' draft class an A grade for a few reasons, not the least of which was the value they found in one round after another. I can see a path for all seven of these draft picks to factor in long term, but especially five of them.

Onyedim, Coleman, Joly, and Murdock are among those five, but I would also include fourth-round offensive lineman Kage Casey. He was a left tackle at Boise State, but his lack of ideal length projects him as an interior player in Denver.

That's not to say that Casey won't be given any looks at left tackle as a Garett Bolles backup, but initially, he'll be inside. Following the 2026 season, starting left guard Ben Powers will become a free agent, and the Broncos now have three candidates to replace him: Alex Palczewski, Nick Gargiulo, and Casey.

Gargiulo is coming off a season-ending ACL injury, which clouds his future a bit. He projects better on the right side as a backup to the All-Pro Quinn Meinerz, anyway.

Palczewski is a former college free agent whom the Broncos just re-signed to a two-year deal back in March. He'll get a chance to compete post-Powers, but he might be best as a backup tier player, and a good one at that.

Casey could end up being Denver's first choice to succeed Powers in 2027 and beyond, so we could file him under the 'sleeper' category, too. He won't start right away, but when it comes to quality backups, it's better to have and not need than to need and not have.

The Broncos have mostly had good injury luck on the offensive line, especially at tackle, but last year, Powers and center Luke Wattenberg missed serious time, so fans could see Casey in action much sooner than you might think.

I don't want to leave safety Miles Scott and tight end Dallen Bentley out of this conversation just because they're seventh-round picks. Scott's path to making the roster as a rookie will be through the special teams unit, but with Brandon Jones entering a contract year, there could be some shake-ups to the safety depth chart within the next 18 months, so if he acquits himself well this year, anything is possible.

As for Bentley, the Broncos view him as an in-line tight end with some down-the-field receiving upside. The Broncos currently have a couple of guys ahead of him on the Y tight end depth chart in Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins, both of whom are beloved by the coaching staff, so unless Bentley turns in an undeniable summer performance, he might spend his rookie year on the practice squad and live to fight for a real role in training camp 2027.

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