Broncos Draft Watch: Senior Bowl Game Standouts to Know

The Senior Bowl game launched several prospects onto the Broncos' radar.

Jan 28, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; American Team running back Kaelon Black (26) of Indiana runs the ball during American Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The Senior Bowl game is officially in the books, and the Denver Broncos had scouts on hand doing the work to find their next Bo Nix, Jeremy Crawshaw, or RJ Harvey. Over the years, the Broncos have drafted many players from the Senior Bowl, including their franchise quarterback.

While the week of practices is the focus, the game is the last chance for these prospects to impress in a live-game setting before the NFL draft. 

As the pre-draft focus now shifts to the NFL Scouting Combine, we can put a bow on the Senior Bowl game by identifying the prospects who stood out. Today, we're breaking down 10 players from the American and National Teams who stood out and should now be on the Broncos' roster.

National Team: Offense

Caullin Lacy | WR | Louisville

Jan 29, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; National wide receiver Caullin Lacy (1) of Louisville runs a route during National Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Again, not much offense for the National Team, but Lacy had a catch and run for 22 yards, where he caught a short pass, hit the angle, and turned it into a significant gain. His ability to handle the ball stood out, and it was an area he excelled at in college, where 482 of his 635 receiving yards came after the catch. 

J’mari Taylor | RB | Virginia

The National Team struggled to get things going offensively, especially early in the game, but Taylor did well running the ball. He had good quickness and agility to make defenders miss, and that was how he picked up his yards. 

Matthew Hibner | TE | SMU

The tight ends for both teams struggled to catch the ball and block, except for Hibner. Not only did he make a good catch to get the ball, but he also stood out as a blocker and teamed up with the next prospect while blocking to spring a big run for the National Team offense. 

Keylan Rutledge | IOL | Georgia Tech

Rutlegde is a potent blocker, and when he pulls, defenders need to watch out. He faced some tough matchups and was winning consistently, but his best play came when pulling to seal a lane for the ball carrier on a big run, where Hibner took out another defender. 

Delby Lemieux | IOL | Dartmouth

The small-school offensive lineman was playing center, even though he played tackle in college, and he looked great. He could be the next small-school offensive lineman to make a name for himself at the Senior Bowl. 

American Offense

Jaydn Ott | RB | Oklahoma

Jan 31, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; American running back Jaydn Ott (8) of Oklahoma runs the ball during the second half of the 2026 Senior Bowl at University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Ott never gave up on runs, and even though he is 208 pounds, he has more power than you would expect. He won consistently with his agility and quickness, but he always finished going forward. 

Kaelon Black | RB | Indiana

After 16 games, Black looked like he had the freshest legs of all the backs out there. He was quick and agile, finished his runs, and was not afraid to take on contact. This guy loves football, and coaches are going to love him. 

Joshua Cuevas | TE | Alabama

Cuevas had a catch, but he consistently stood out as a blocker throughout the game and showed more potential there than you saw on his season tape. That's part of what you want to see in the game: players showing growth and development, and Cuevas did. 

Max Iheanachor | OT | Arizona State

Big and physical, Iheanachor can move, and he has everything the NFL covets when it comes to offensive tackles. After the week he had in practice, he didn’t need to play the game, but the fact that he did will resonate with coaches and scouts. 

Jeremiah Wright | IOL | Auburn

There were a lot of issues for the offensive lines, but Wright was consistent throughout the game. While he didn’t have a game full of big plays, the consistency still stands out as teams look for reliability in an age where offensive line play is down. 

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National Defense

Jan 31, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; National defensive end Cian Slone (8) of North Carolina State works against American offensive lineman Markel Bell (70) of Miami during the fist half of the 2026 Senior Bowl at University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Cian Slone | Edge | Nebraska

One of the issues for the offensive lines was how many guys stepped up on the defensive lines. Slone was consistently in the backfield, both as a pass rusher and run defender. 

Vincent Anthony Jr. | Edge | Duke

Anthony recovered two fumbles, but he controlled the front as a run defender. He has some quickness to his game, but his power stood out. 

Nadame Tucker | Edge | Western Michigan

Despite constantly causing disruption, it took a while for Tucker to start making the big plays, but they finally came. There were three downs in a row where he made the needed play off the edge and made life hard for the opposing quarterback. 

Bryce Boettcher | LB | Oregon

The linebacker has the sideline-to-sideline speed and chased down a few plays working laterally, finishing with 10 tackles. He also did well in coverage, showing good instincts and a quick ability to diagnose plays. 

Chandler Rivers | CB | Duke

The nickel corner was tough in coverage and broke up a few passes. Rivers plays big and physical, and did well even when matched up against some of the bigger receivers, which stands out as a smaller corner. 

American Defense

Chris McClellan | IDL | Missouri

Jan 28, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; American Team defensive tackle Chris McClellan (97) of Missouri works against American Team offensive lineman Ethan Onianwa (60) of Ohio State during American Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The big nose tackle was clogging lanes in the run game, and there was almost no success running the ball when he was on the field. Additionally, he was able to generate some push in the pocket in the passing game. 

Rayshaun Benny | IDL | Michigan

It was a good week of practice for Benny, and he turned it into a great game. He was stout in the middle against the run and added a few pressures. There were multiple moves in his arsenal that he used to win.

Zion Young | Edge | Missouri

There wasn’t a more impactful defender on either side than Young, who was setting a hard edge and dislodging blockers to make a play against the run, and he put a lot of pressure on the quarterbacks. Young was also moved around the formation and made an impact wherever he lined up. 

Quintayvious Hutchins | Edge | Boston College

Hutchins is light for an edge player, under 230 pounds, but he is so quick and agile that he was able to get around tackles and cause disruption. His run defense wasn’t great, but his quickness helped him a few times by exploding through blockers. 

Ephesians Prysock | CB | Washington

It was a windy game, which made passing the ball difficult before looking at the pressure that was applied, but Prysock was tested a couple of times and was able to break up the pass. He was sticky in coverage, and his bigger build and physical nature helped him on the edge as a run defender.