Drafting Justin Joly Completely Reshapes the Broncos at TE

The Denver Broncos took some major steps over draft weekend to retool their tight end room. In Round 5, the Broncos traded up to select N.C. State's Justin Joly, while in Round 7, the Broncos drafted Utah's Dallen Bentley.

In each pick, the Broncos checked both tight end boxes, adding a 'F' tight end who can shine as a receiver in Joly and a future 'Y' tight end to provide in-line blocking to help the running game. Both Joly and Bentley will take time to develop, but the Broncos have a vision for them.

"With Bentley, there’s a more in-line wide, bigger. He does a great job down the field," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said after Day 3 of the draft. "With Joly, that would put him more in the ‘F’ category. Both are tight ends, and both have unique skill sets. They’re different.”

They are very different players, but it's Joly who reshapes the Broncos' tight end room.

How Joly Changes Things at TE

He's essentially a big wide receiver. Don't get me wrong, he can be physical and offer some blocking out of the slot, but watching him for three days during the Senior Bowl practices back in January, Joly looked like an athletic big-bodied wide receiver running drills with his more traditional-looking tight-end brethren.

Almost a little out of place. But Joly proved that he's got the physical want-to and the tenacity to learn the finer details of being an NFL tight end.

Joly's upside is tremendous, and the Broncos got great value landing him in Round 5, and that factors in the trade-up to get him, where they gave up No. 182 overall to move up. There was a reason the Broncos sacrificed an additional pick to ensure they got Joly.

Evan Engram on Notice

With Joly's arrival, the future of the Broncos' tight end room has also been rewritten. Engram enters his age-32 season on an expiring contract. He'll be a free agent again in 2027.

Joly gives the Broncos some Engram insurance in 2026 and a succession plan beyond this year. Now, there's always a chance that Engram could have a resurgent year in Denver, and the Broncos could look to bring him back, but he hasn't looked like the same player he was in Jacksonville.

Engram finished third on the team in receiving last year behind only Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin, which was what you'd expect from a pass-catching tight end, but he only scored once and was often cut out of the game plan for long stretches because of his inability to block.

Much like Julius Thomas during the Peyton Manning years, when Engram is on the field, it's a sure-fire tell that the Broncos are about to pass. Every once in a while, Payton would call a run with Engram on the field to create the ever-so-faint possibility in the defense's mind that it won't always be a pass, but the runs rarely went anywhere. It was window dressing.

That tell puts Bo Nix and the Broncos' offense at a disadvantage, which is why Engram was used relatively sparingly compared to Adam Trautman, who is this team's No. 1 Y tight end. Trautman isn't a great blocker, but he's a lot better than Engram, and bigger.

Now, it's possible Engram's usage and production could improve, not necessarily because he's suddenly going to find some blocking acumen in Year 10 of his NFL career, but because offensive coordinator Davis Webb is the new play-caller, and his unique vision could shake things up at tight end.

Time will tell, but as in life, the best predictor of future outcomes is past outcomes in the NFL, and as you can see by the Joly pick, the Broncos aren't counting on Engram to suddenly reprise his 2023 Pro Bowl form. That's not to say the Broncos don't hope for it, but they're giving themselves some insurance in the form of this year's draft haul.

The Takeaway

Joly will see some time on the field as a rookie. Payton and Webb will put their considerable wellspring of offensive knowledge and innovation to work with some creative multi-tight end sets, especially in the red zone.

However, 2026 isn't for Joly. 2027 and beyond is, and that's when it'll become clear that his selection in this year's draft reshaped the Broncos at tight end.

In the meantime, Joly needs to work hard to assimilate the playbook and work on his NFL body and blocking technique. The future is very bright for the Broncos' fifth-round pick.

“I feel like there are a lot of things that they feel like I can do, being used in the backfield, in the slot," Joly said after being drafted. "Obviously, I’m going to have to learn and get ready to just play. Overall, I look forward to it, and I know they do too. I’m just happy they believe in my skill set.”

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