Complete Broncos Offseason Guide: Draft Picks, Free Agents, and What Comes Next

With the 2026 NFL draft in the rearview mirror, the Denver Broncos are entering their next phase of the offseason. OTAs have already begun around the league, or are about to start for others, including the Broncos on May 4.

What exactly comes next for the Broncos? Consider this your 2026 offseason guide covering all the Broncos' moves thus far and what's to come.

Free Agency

Cincinnati Bengals safety Tycen Anderson (26) acknowledges the crowd after a play during the second half in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Broncos had an interesting start to the offseason, to say the least.

When the new league year began in March, with free agency up first, the Broncos were quiet. Despite reported interest in players like running backs Breece Hall, who ended up getting franchise-tagged by the New York Jets, and Travis Etienne, who signed with the New Orleans Saints, Denver didn’t make any big outside free-agent signings.

Instead, the Broncos opted to retain their own, re-signing 17 players. All but five of their free agents were brought back, and only three of the remaining five signed elsewhere.

Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers signed with the Tennessee Titans and safety P.J. Locke with the Dallas Cowboys in the first week of free agency, while fullback Michael Burton signed with the Cleveland Browns after the draft.

The Broncos also released linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who quickly rejoined the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, Denver did sign one free agent in safety Tycen Anderson from the Cincinnati Bengals, but he was its only outside signing. The Broncos seemed to be playing for compensatory picks, as Franklin-Myers is projected to get them a fourth-rounder and Locke a seventh-rounder in 2027. But that wasn’t the only move Denver made.

The Broncos have been linked with bringing in a receiving weapon for almost two years, and they were reportedly in on Jaylen Waddle before the 2025 trade deadline, but couldn’t get it done. Well, they finally closed the deal, acquiring Waddle from the Miami Dolphins for a first and third-round pick, with a pick swap in the fourth round.

With those picks, the Dolphins traded up to select cornerback Chris Johnson in the first round, then wide receiver Chris Bell in the third, and edge rusher Trey Moore with the fourth-round swap.

Re-signing 17 of their own players, adding Anderson, and trading for Waddle summed up Denver’s free-agent period.

The Broncos felt confident in the team that got them one win away from the Super Bowl, and may have gotten them to the big dance if it wasn’t for an unfortunate Bo Nix ankle injury. The Broncos felt they were one piece away from getting back to that point, and Waddle was that piece.

The Draft

From there, the Broncos shifted focus to the NFL draft, where they selected Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim after trading down from No. 62 to No. 66 overall.

The Broncos then selected Washington running back Jonah Coleman with the fourth-round pick they received from the New Orleans Saints in the Devaughn Vele trade, and Boise State offensive lineman Kage Casey with the fourth-rounder they had from the Waddle pick swap.

After that, the Broncos traded up to get N.C. State tight end Justin Joly, which was followed by taking Illinois safety Miles Scott in Round 7. Lastly, with their final two picks (and the final two picks in the draft), the Broncos selected Utah tight end Dallen Bentley and Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock.

The Broncos closed the draft period by also signed 14 college free agents. Here's a breakdown on each undrafted rookie.

Offseason Training Program

Sam Ehlinger and Jarrett Stidham — Denver Broncos quarterback Sam Ehlinger (4) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Next on the agenda, the Broncos will begin their offseason workouts on May 4 and will evaluate the team throughout that period. If the Broncos see something they need to improve, there are still free agents available. With the draft in the books, the Broncos could sign any free agent without it offsetting their 2027 comp picks they're projected to receive from Franklin-Myers and Locke.

Denver could still look for another veteran at a few positions, such as tight end, running back, defensive line, and linebacker, as these stand out. Defensive line seems less likely with Sai’vion Jones and Onyedim in the mix, but if they struggle early, the Broncos could look to a veteran to come in and compete.

Linebacker, running back, and tight end are three positions that still have a lot of question marks, even after adding players at these spots in the draft. Denver could look to add a veteran to upgrade the fourth running back spot over Tyler Badie and Jaleen McLaughlin, or at least someone to push them for the spot after the 2025 season they had.

Tight end has Evan Engram and Adam Trautman as the top guys, and a veteran could still help raise the floor. After those two tight ends, there is a logjam of young guys competing with Lucas Krull, Nate Adkins, Caleb Lohner, and the two picks: Joly and Bentley.

None of them are guaranteed to make the roster, though Joly is likely. There is an open fourth spot, at least, that Denver could look to fill with a veteran, which would land one or two of the other tight ends on the practice squad to keep developing.

As for linebacker, Jonah Elliss will help some, but the Broncos' depth consists of former undrafted free agents, a seventh-round rookie, and an undrafted rookie. The Broncos are seriously betting on development at the position.

Still, given how heavily linked the Broncos were to a linebacker in the second round, and with some reports that the Titans sniped them for Anthony Hill Jr., they could still add a veteran as insurance.

Also, with the latest on Nix undergoing a "clean-up procedure" on his surgically repaired ankle, the possibility of signing another quarterback is there. Nix is expected back by the start of training camp, so the Broncos could probably scrape by with Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger, but another arm can't be ruled out for the interim to ensure the third-team receivers get enough reps.

The Broncos will hold their rookie minicamp May 8-10. From there, Denver's first voluntary minicamp won't be until June (2-4 and 9-11). To close out the offseason, the Broncos will hold their mandatory minicamp June 16-18.

The Takeaway

The Broncos' offseason has been mostly quiet, with a couple of surprises like the Waddle trade and taking a defensive lineman with their first draft pick. However, that was only the roster-building portion of the offseason; now comes the evaluation phase, which could lead to another signing or even a trade.

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