10 Shrine Bowl Options to Bolster Broncos' Offense

Even though the Denver Broncos are set to host the AFC championship game, draft season waits for no team, and it's just begun. Although the playoffs roll on, the Broncos have their scouts scrutinizing the 2026 draft class and working on finding the next group of rookies.

The draft process is kicking off with events like the Hula Bowl, the Dream Bowl, and the College Gridiron Showdown, but the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl are the two major events ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Shrine Bowl is up first, with the game happening on January 27. The practices are more critical, and they start this week.

Before they begin, we can review the Shrine Bowl roster to highlight some prospects worthy of being on the Broncos' radar. First up, let’s look at 10 offensive players.

Chip Trayanum | RB | Toledo

The Broncos could use a more physical runner, and Trayanum, at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, is a physical downhill runner. He can contribute as a blocker with some solid technique and has been solid in limited opportunities as a receiver.

Fumbles are a slight concern, with six fumbles on 464 total touches in college, but only two came last year on 203 total touches. Trayanum picked up over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns for Toledo last season, with 35 rushes of 10-plus yards, suggesting more speed and burst than you might expect.

Jeff Caldwell | WR | Cincinnati

Caldwell is a capable blocker, and blocking is something Sean Payton looks for in his receivers. Payton has also talked about wanting bigger receivers because you can do more with them, and Caldwell is 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds.

There is concern about drops, with three last season on 58 targets, and contested catches, where he caught 5-of-13 despite his size. Caldwell can attack vertically as a long strider and can attack the middle of the field out of the slot.

De’Zhaun Stribling | WR | Ole Miss

Stribling is a threat after the catch, with nearly half his yards (400 of 811) coming after the catch last season. He is 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds and can be very difficult to bring down, as well as having good quickness to avoid tacklers.

What's more, Stribling is a solid enough blocker that you don’t have to worry about him outside. With Payton’s desire for blocking and the need for post-catch playmaking ability, Stribling could easily catch the eyes of the Broncos.

Kaden Wetjen | WR/R | Iowa

Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (21) runs against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Deshon Singleton (8). — Nov 28, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (21) runs against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Deshon Singleton (8) during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

It isn’t about what Wetjen does as a receiver; it's about giving the Broncos another returner weapon to pair with Marvin Mims, Jr., and potentially replace Mims, who enters the final year of his contract in 2026. Denver struggled with the return game outside of Mims in the 2025 season, and the new kickoff rules mean you need two.

Listed at 5-foot-9 and 198 pounds, Wetjen is short but thick for his size. He only has 25 catches in three years at Iowa, but again, it's about special teams.

Last year, he had four return touchdowns, with six in the previous two years. He averaged 28.5 yards per kick return and 26.8 in punt returns last year.

Max Bredeson | TE/FB | Michigan

Bredeson is a hybrid player because of his size, listed at 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds. That's more of a fullback's size, but he is such a capable blocker that you can use him in some in-line work. In the 2025 season, he wasn’t kept in to block on only 41 of the 310 snaps he played.

Denver has Adam Prentice and Nate Adkins, who can do what Bredeson does, but Adkins can’t stay healthy, and Prentice can’t be used in-line. In the draft, there will be better blocking tight end options, but at the Shrine Bowl, Bredeson is one of the best, despite the hybrid nature.

Riley Nowakowski | TE/FB | Indiana

Another tight end/fullback hybrid, but the difference is Nowakowski has more experience working as a receiver and can be a slightly undersized in-line tight end. In the season, Nowakowski had 30 catches for 370 yards while lining up all over the formation.

Not only did he have that experience, but it was a good showing as a receiver; he more than held up as an in-line blocker despite being 6-foot-2. Size isn’t everything, and while he isn’t a mismatch type player, he can be enough of an in-line threat that he forces the math to change for opposing defenses.

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Jack Endries | TE | Texas

Texas Longhorns tight end Jack Endries (88) is tackled by Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Ty Bryant (14). — Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Texas Longhorns tight end Jack Endries (88) is tackled by Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Ty Bryant (14) during the second quarter at Kroger Field. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Endries is more of a receiving tight end at 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds, but he is a better blocker than many will think because of his size. Not only can he work out in the slot, but he can handle some in-line work, especially if his blocking can develop. There were some bad plays as a blocker, but he held up well with good enough consistency and did a great job against Ohio State.

Even if Endries was limited to a receiving role as a tight end, the Broncos could still use help there, with Evan Engram being a disappointment in Year 1. Endries can create mismatches and be an effective receiver, and he already offers up more as a blocker in the slot than someone like Engram does.

Keagen Trost | OT | Missouri

Will the Broncos finally draft a tackle for the first time since Garett Bolles in 2017? Trost is a very intriguing prospect who could be moved inside to guard in the NFL. He is listed at 6-foot-4 and 316 pounds, but he has been almost exclusively a right tackle in college, with 2,077 snaps there.

In six years at three different schools, Trost is credited with giving up eight sacks and 48 pressures, though only one sack and seven pressures came last year in his lone year at Missouri. That's impressive, given some of the talent he went against, and his technique and play were even better as a run blocker than in pass protection.

Aamil Wagner | OT | Notre Dame

In three years at Notre Dame, Wagner was exclusively their right tackle, allowing three sacks and 39 pressures. Last year, Wagner was credited with one sack and seven pressures, with the sack and four of the pressures coming in the season opener against Miami.

There are some concerns with Wagner's run blocking: he has consistently struggled with leverage, which isn’t surprising given his pad level and 6-foot-6 height. He can also struggle to anchor, and he could use more meat and power to his game, as he is listed at only 300 pounds.

Micah Morris | IOL | Georgia

Morris is a massive guard at 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds. He has been at Georgia for his career and has seen the field a lot over the last three seasons. In his career, he hasn’t been credited with giving up a sack, only 11 pressures and five penalties.

During his time at Georgia, Morris has mostly played left guard, though he has also played right guard and left tackle. He is excellent in pass protection and does a great job creating lanes in the run game.

Given questions about Broncos left guard Ben Powers, Morris could be a great option as a potential replacement, either in 2026 or after.