Four Key Offseason Moves to Keep the Broncos Competitive in 2026

The Denver Broncos' season came to a bitter end after losing to the New England Patriots 10-7 in the AFC Championship game. Winning the AFC West and securing the top seed in the conferrence was no easy feat for this scrappy young team led by second-year quarterback Bo Nix, but he and the Broncos defied all expectations.

The 2025 season was a giant leap forward for a franchise poised to be competitive for the foreseeable future. Looking to the offseason, the Broncos have plenty of room to improve their roster and continue their ascent in 2026.

What are the big offseason priorities? Let's break down four moves to keep the Broncos competitive.

Add a Bell-Cow Running Back

The Broncos’ running game took a nosedive after veteran J.K. Dobbins went down with a Lisfranc injury in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, from which he wouldn’t return, finishing the season with 772 yards and four touchdowns on 153 carries.

In his place, rookie RJ Harvey only rushed for 383 yards and seven touchdowns on 115 carries since Week 11 through the AFC Championship for a measly 42 yards per game. Harvey’s nose for the end zone is a great asset, but down to down, he isn’t the consistent runner that Denver needs (3.7 YPC).

The Broncos should be aggressive in free agency, and even perhaps the trade market, to add a bell-cow back to take the bulk of the carries. Tyler Allgeier, Kenneth Walker III, and Breece Hall should be heavily considered.

Add Two Wide Receivers

Heading into the 2025 season, the Broncos’ receiving corps was full of question marks, and presently, there are still no real answers. I’ve been a massive advocate for Courtland Sutton, but it’s clear that he’s a No. 2 receiver at best, due to issues with drops, and he didn’t show up when needed in crucial games, as we’ve seen in past years.

Beyond Sutton, Troy Franklin took a step forward in Year 2, but struggled to track deep balls and dropped eight passes. Marvin Mims Jr. had only 37 receptions for 322 yards in his third season, and rookie Pat Bryant had flashes but failed to stay healthy, suffering multiple concussions and a hamstring injury.

It’s time Denver used its draft picks to trade for a proven commodity like Jaylen Waddle, Ceedee Lamb, Drake London, or Justin Jefferson. It’s likely most of these receivers will take several picks to acquire, or they may not even be available, but the Broncos have to at least work the phones to give Bo Nix a playmaker.

Free agents like Alec Pierce, Rashid Shaheed, and George Pickens are intriguing options, assuming they hit the market.

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Re-Tool the Tight End Room

Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram (1) practices before the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

0Evan Engram is the biggest free-agent miss from the Broncos’ front office this past year, as he only caught 50 passes for 461 yards and a lone touchdown, never seeming to mesh with Nix. Adam Trautman was non-existent in the passing game (20 catches for 195 yards) and was often blown up while attempting to block or called for holding, which killed several big plays this year.

The Broncos desperately need to bolster the room by adding a tight end who can play in-line and another who can be a red-zone threat. Impending free agents Dallas Goedert and David Njoku would be massive upgrades, with the former being a red-zone and touchdown monster with 11 scores and the latter bringing versatility as a blocker and pass catcher.

Charlie Kolar from Baltimore is another option look at solely for blocking purposes, and the Giants’ Daniel Bellinger is a sneaky-good option as well.

Re-Sign Key Defensive Players

Ja’Quan McMillian was easily the best Broncos cornerback in 2025, creating several memorable moments from sacking Patrick Mahomes to seal their Week 11 victory to picking off Josh Allen late in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

McMillian was instrumental in the Broncos’ secondary dominating this season with two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), two forced fumbles, and four sacks, making him a no-brainer to extend, even with Jahdae Barron being drafted with Devner’s first-round pick last offseason.

McMillian is a restricted free agent, so the Broncos should look to slap a second or even first-round tender on him to keep one of their best defensive playmakers in Denver. John Franklin-Myers is another defender who needs to be extended for his ability to pressure the quarterback and maintain the continuity on the defensive line.

Franklin-Myers had 7.5 sacks, 25 total tackles, and six tackles for a loss playing opposite Zach Allen on the Broncos' defensive line. Keeping the interior duo of Allen and Franklin-Myers together is paramount to maintaining the Broncos' defensive line as dangerous and disruptive as they’ve been the past two years.

Justin Strnad should also be re-signed, as he was easily the Broncos best off-ball linebacker even with the addition of Dre Greenlaw. Strnad had 4.5 sacks, 58 total tackles, five tackles for a loss, and three passes defended while only starting eight games in 2025. His age and leap forward this season make him an obvious choice for an extension.

The Takeaway

The Broncos had a successful 2025 season, falling one game short of securing their spot in the Super Bowl in the second year of their rebuild under Sean Payton. Nix has become the franchise quarterback, and adding weapons to support him, along with re-signing key defensive players to get him the ball back, will be essential to Denver’s efforts to compete not just next year, but from now on.

Add a Bell-Cow Running Back

Add Two Wide Receivers

Re-Tool the Tight End Room

Re-Sign Key Defensive Players

The Takeaway

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