Broncos Trade Up, Draft Another Offensive Weapon for Bo Nix

The Denver Broncos executed their second trade of the 2026 NFL Draft -- this time, up the board.

Striking a deal with the Cleveland Browns, the Broncos selected former North Carolina State tight end Justin Joly with the No. 152 overall pick on Day 3. Denver gave up picks Nos. 170 and 182 as part of the pact.

Welcome to #BroncosCountry, @jjoly_17! pic.twitter.com/d9sRwVdjV7
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 25, 2026

Joly is the fourth player and third offensive prospect the Broncos have drafted thus far, joining defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim, running back Jonah Coleman, and offensive lineman Kage Casey.

Scouting Report

After transferring from UConn, Joly finished out his collegiate career with the Wolfpack. He totaled 166 receptions for 1,978 yards (11.9 avg), and 15 touchdowns across 48 games.

The 6-foot-3, 241-pound pass-catcher ranked 14th among all eligible tight ends during February's Scouting Combine, according to his NFL Media scouting profile, which projects him to be a "good backup with the potential to develop into starter" at the professional level.

"Undersized pass-catcher with the ability to expand the route tree and challenge man coverage around the field," draft guru Lance Zierlein noted. "Joly still needs to polish his route-running but he has the footwork and athletic traits to uncover. He doesn’t catch with much hand extension and fights throws on occasion but he makes up for it with impressive body control/catch toughness. His effort and strain as a blocker need to improve. Joly has the ability to contribute as a moveable “F” tight end."

Joly was among several prospects whom Denver hosted on an official top-30 visit amid the pre-draft process, sitting down with head coach Sean Payton and new offensive coordinator Davis Webb.

“Swiss Army Knife. I feel like there’s a lot of things they think I can do, between the backfield, slot," Joly said of the conversation, via The Denver Post's Luca Evans.

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NC State tight end Justin Joly (TE09) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Fit with Broncos

Similar to Coleman, Joly is unlikely to supplant the incumbent veteran starter stationed ahead of him -- in his case, TE Evan Engram -- but he should at least carve out a situational role as a rookie, leapfrogging Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins on the offseason depth chart.

With Payton favorite Adam Trautman returning as the TE2, Joly could immediately round out the top three at the position and eventually provide some return-on-investment for his new signal-caller.

"I always feel like my hands work really well and I'm a security blanket for my quarterback," Joly told Broncos reporters, via The Athletic's Nick Kosmider. "When you have a great quarterback like Bo Nix, you live life a little easier. I'm just here to do whatever they need me to do."

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