Broncos Draft Watch: Day 1 Combine Risers to Know

The NFL Combine is underway, marking an already eventful week for the Denver Broncos. Not only have the Broncos added to their coaching staff, but Sean Payton also announced that he's giving up play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb.

But the NFL Combine is about scouting the next crop of draft prospects, and that's what we are going to do today.

On the first day of the Combine, the defensive front-seven players took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. That means interior defensive linemen, edge rushers, and linebackers, and we're going to look at those who stood out in a good way in each of the three phases, and what it means relative to the Broncos.

There will be three players per group for the measurements, athletic testing, and the on-field drills. Let's get into it.

Measurements

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Missouri defensive lineman Chris McClellan (DL20) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Caleb Banks | IDL | Florida

Banks is a massive human being, and you can't understand how massive until looking at his measurements. He is 6-foot-6 and 327 pounds, with nearly 11-inch hands and the end of 35-inch arms.

Darrell Jackson Jr. | Florida State

If you look at Jackson, he doesn’t look like he weighs 315 pounds. He's a lean 315 and still packs plenty of power. He also had 11-inch hands and came in a hair under 35-inch arms.

Chris McClellan | IDL | Missouri

The weight was what needed to be checked, and McClellan came in at a good 313 pounds on his frame. There were concerns about his weight and where he would wind up in the NFL, but if he can stay at 313 pounds, he could have positional versatility on the line.

Nyjalik Kelly | Edge | UCF

Kelly had the longest arms of the day, coming in over 35 inches on his 6-foot-5 frame, and his weight of 256 also checked a box.

David Bailey | Edge | Texas Tech

Bailey's size and frame were good to check the boxes and measure up against some recent draft picks who have gone on to be studs in the NFL, which is something teams look at as an avenue for success.

Dani Dennis-Sutton | Edge | Penn State

There weren’t concerns over Dennis-Sutton's size, but seeing him come in a little over expected is a good thing, especially with how he did in other elements of the day, including posting an elite 3-cone time. Since 2020, only two players posted a faster 3-cone from the edge position, and they were the first and second overall picks in the 2022 NFL draft.

Eric Gentry | LB | USC

Gentry has rare size for a linebacker at 6-foot-7, and 35-inch arms, but the 221-pound weight is a slight concern. Teams will have many conversations about the best way to use him.

Sonny Styles | LB | Ohio State

I had to limit players to one of the three groups, and Styles is the reason. He has rare size and athleticism for a linebacker, and each drill was textbook. It's a shame he won’t fall out of the top 10. Denver has no shot at him.

Anthony Hill Jr. | LB | Texas

In a linebacker class with long-length concerns, Hill checked those boxes with good height and the fourth-longest arms in the group. The measurements match for a downhill linebacker with coverage potential.

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Athletic Testing

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State defensive lineman Zane Durant (DL08) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Zane Durant | IDL | Penn State

Durant is a freakish athlete, and he showed why during the athletic tests. In three of the tests, he was practically off the charts.

Gracen Halton | IDL | Oklahoma

The same is true for Halton, who had the third-fastest 40-yard dash and the fourth-fastest 10-yard split, which matters more (Durant had the top times in both). Halton also posted a 36.5-inch vertical jump, which is the best since 2021 for a defensive lineman.

Kaleb Proctor | IDL | Southeastern Louisiana

Proctor needs to be discussed more after the Combine, after he did well in all three phases, but the athletic testing stood out the most. If it weren’t for Durant, Proctor would have been the top in the group.

Malachi Lawrence | Edge | UCF

Lawrence is a great athlete and had the best overall day of the edges in the athletic testing. For each test he ran, he posted rare or elite numbers for an edge defender.

Mason Reiger | Edge | Wisconsin

While it wasn’t an outstanding day athletically for Reiger compared to the group, there were questions about his overall athleticism, and he showed up better than expected across the board. He is building on a great Shrine Game week in January.

Trey Moore | Edge/LB | Texas

Moore has some off-ball skills, which can help him get moved around the formation, but the athletic testing needed to check those boxes, and it did that. If Denver is ready to replace Drew Sanders, Moore is an option.

Arvell Reese | LB | Ohio State

Speaking of replacing Sanders, Reese would be an elite option, but he cemented himself as a top 10 pick. It was an outstanding day for both of the Ohio State Buckeyes: Reese and Styles.

Kyle Louis | LB | Pittsburgh

Louis is a little on the smaller side, but he is a good athlete and flies around the field. He also stood out in the drills, but the athletic testing, particularly the explosion testing, was even more impressive.

Kaleb Elarms-Orr | LB | TCU

While he measured out well, Elarms-Orr stood out with the athletic testing, and combining the two, he makes for an intriguing prospect who fits the modern mold of linebackers.

On-Field Drills

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim (DL23) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Tyler Onyedim | IDL | Texas A&M

This is a prospect who was textbook through the on-field drills with everything clicking as it should. The footwork, the flexibility, the vision, everything checked the boxes for an interior defender.

Lee Hunter | IDL | Texas Tech

Hunter carries some bad weight and didn’t do well in the athletic testing, which was expected, but he stood out in the drills. The pass-rush drills flashed some traits to develop, which was a question surrounding him.

Albert Regis | IDL | Texas A&M

Regis wasn’t flashy by any means, but he was clean and consistent in all the drills. While it wasn’t as good as his teammate's, the two made it clear they are well-coached and well-trained.

Quintayvious Hutchins | Edge | Boston College

Hutchins had some issues in other parts, but the drills were good. He had some hiccups with the change in direction, but he did really well.

Zion Young | Edge | Missouri

Young is a competitor, and it showed on the field, as he was among the last to go and looked like he was trying to be the best in every drill. While he didn’t achieve it in every drill, he did in most of them.

Keyron Crawford | Edge | Auburn

The football side of things with Crawford is considered raw and underdeveloped, but you couldn’t tell if you were watching him go through the drills. He did a better job than some edges who are praised for their well-developed techniques.

Jack Kelly | LB | BYU

Kelly is smooth, clean, and consistent, with a great understanding of what he is being asked to do. Every drill came easily to Kelly, and he made it look easy. He was the guy you’d turn to to show everyone else how it is done.

Jacob Rodriguez | LB | Texas Tech

There are still concerns about Rodriguez's size and length, but he tested well athletically and did a great job in the drills. His change of direction stood out with how easy it was, but some of the backpedal coverage drills illustrated some of the concerns you see on tape.

Owen Heinecke | LB | Oklahoma

Heinecke is smooth and clean in his movements, and, like Kelly, he understands what is being asked of him. If Kelly weren’t there, Heinecke would’ve been the best linebacker in the drills, and the guy you’d use to demonstrate what you want.