Broncos Predicted to Land Tackling Machine in Round 1

The Denver Broncos are in an awkward position, with two of their three top linebackers set to hit free agency. Time will tell what becomes of the Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad situations, but the Broncos may need to go back to the draft well.

Drew Sanders can't stay on the field, and every other linebacker on the roster — besides Dre Greenlaw — is a former college free agent with little proven in the NFL. Even if the Broncos re-sign Singleton or Strnad (it won't be both), they'd be wise to use one of their first three draft picks on the position.

Justin Melo of NFL Draft On SI seems to be seeing it that way, mocking Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday to the Broncos at No. 30 overall.

"Linebacker may be the lone weakness of this Denver Broncos defense. They retained coordinator Vance Joseph, who entertained head coaching interest elsewhere," Melo wrote. "Joseph would develop Cincinnati's Jake Golday, a linebacker with outstanding size, athleticism, and length. Golday registered a career-high 104 tackles this past campaign despite it being just his second season at the position."

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Connecting the Golday Dots

Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jake Golday (11) attempts to tackle UCF Knights quarterback Cam Fancher (14). — Oct 11, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jake Golday (11) attempts to tackle UCF Knights quarterback Cam Fancher (14) in the second half at Nippert Stadium. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Since before draft season started, Mile High Huddle/Denver Broncos On SI has been very high on Golday, and for good reason. He's one of the most interesting linebackers in this class.

Is Golday a first-rounder? That's up for debate, but I wouldn't hate it at No. 30.

Our Erick Trickel has Golday ranked as his No. 4 linebacker going into the NFL Combine. Now, those rankings are expected to shift as we learn more about these prospects over the next week in Indianapolis. Trickel could see Golday battling his way into Round 1 with a good Combine showing.

"At the Combine, Golday should do the athletic testing, because if he does well, he could hear his name called in the first round as the third linebacker drafted after [Arvell] Reese and [Sonny] Styles," Trickel wrote.

Golday's 2025 season eased many concerns about his game, elevating him to the top of the 2026 linebacker class. He cut down on the mental miscues and showcased his versatility, though he could still use some development at the NFL level.

"Golday is such a fun player to watch because he was often tasked with working in the slot for the Cincinnati defense," Trickel wrote. "He has such good speed in his game that he can make plays anywhere on the field and hang with a good number of slot players at the collegiate level. Of course, the NFL game is faster, but it could build more trust in him if he is pulled into the slot."

I could see Golday thriving in Joseph's system. The Broncos are still in search of a bona fide three-down linebacker, and Golday would give them a puncher's chance at finally having one.

Will Golday end up hearing his name called in Round 1? Will he be on the Broncos' radar?

Only time will answer these questions. First things first: let's see how Golday performs this week at the Combine.