Latest 2027 NFL Mock Draft Pins Broncos With Potent Offensive Weapon

The Denver Broncos still haven't seen what their 2026 draft class has to offer just yet.

We still stand a little over a month away before their preseason slate even gets underway. Between seeing how top rookies like Tyler Onyedim, Jonah Coleman, Kage Casey, and other late-round picks pan out, there's a lot that still has to unravel for Denver's incoming group of first-year talents.

However, it still might not be too early to break down what the incoming 2027 NFL Draft might have in store once next April rolls around, how the Broncos might tend to attack the board based on how the top prospects are currently projected to fall, and what their roster needs might be at the time.

How the Broncos' 2027 First Rounder Could Pan Out

Draft expert Justin Melo of NFL Draft on SI recently went through a brand-new 2027 NFL mock draft for how the entire first round could shake out based on what we know now, where the Broncos would end up at the back-end of the first round at pick 26.

And at that slot, the Broncos would end up targeting a new weapon on the offensive end for Bo Nix–– opting to pick up Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson.

Here's what Melo said about the pick:

"The Denver Broncos have multiple pending free agents at tight end, including veteran Noah Fant. With Kenyon Sadiq now in the NFL, Jamari Johnson possesses a pathway to a huge season at Oregon. Johnson is an athletic pass catcher with the speed and burst that makes him an extremely difficult assignment for linebackers and safeties."

The Broncos did just bring in a couple of new rookie tight ends into the mix in this most recent draft. Both Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley could bring a nice spark to the position that Sean Payton's offense could use behind the likes of Evan Engram and Adam Trautman.

Even with the vast assortment of names in the Broncos’ current tight end room, it's hard to imagine someone like Johnson couldn't immediately enter as an impactful and potent piece to Bo Nix's group of weapons–– perhaps even entering the mix as the top tight end on the depth chart depending on how he develops this season at Oregon.

Jamari Johnson's Stock Is on the Rise–– And the Broncos Could Strike

This past season with the Ducks, Johnson wasn't quite as productive as he could've been considering the presence of eventual first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq would claim a vast share of his opportunities–– leaving him as second fiddle in the tight end room.

Johnson finished the year with 32 receptions, 510 yards, and three touchdowns. Solid numbers, but don’t quite scream bona fide first-round pick just yet.

Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson hauls in a touchdown reception as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Those numbers should be trending up in a big way for 2026, though. Between Sadiq's departure, the return of Dante Moore quarterbacking this Oregon offense, and another year of development on behalf of Johnson, the stars could be aligning for a true breakout season from the 6-foot-5, 257-pound vertical threat.

He's got the combination of size, physical traits, technical skills, and could have an immense amount of opportunity heading his way for the coming season that puts him squarely on the radar of NFL GMs.

In Melo's mock, he falls right into the Broncos' lap as the first and only tight end taken off the board in the first round, and in the final few projected picks of day one at that.

There's a good chance that if he capitalizes on his opportunities this next season, he could rise even higher than that No. 26 projection. So if Denver were to get lucky enough to snag him with their pick likely to sit in the final few slots of the first round, he'd be an awesome piece to throw into Nix's already-solid arsenal of weapons.

Bottom Line

Sure, there's a long way to go before the draft arrives. And there's a lot of football to be played––both in the NFL and college ranks between now and then that can shake up how the board is currently expected to fall now.

But if some of these current projections in place hold true over the next 10 months, for a talent like Johnson to end up in the Mile High, things could end up turning out pretty nicely for the Broncos.

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