One Veteran Free Agent the Broncos Must Sign Immediately After the NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL draft is in the books, and the Denver Broncos came away with seven selections. Denver filled many future needs and fleshed out the depth chart entering the summer.

The Broncos did not select or sign a quarterback from the undrafted ranks, but only a few days after the draft ended, they suddenly need one. We learned on Tuesday that franchise quarterback Bo Nix likely won't be available for the Broncos' voluntary workouts or their mandatory minicamp in June, as the team expected.

Nix recently underwent a "cleanup" procedure on the ankle he fractured in the Broncos' 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills back in January. The Broncos' public messaging in the months since Nix's injury had been that he'll be ready to go by OTAs, but it doesn't appear he'll be available until training camp in late July.

With Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger on the roster, the Broncos suddenly need a quarterback, and I'm not talking about a high-profile starter, like Aaron Rodgers; I'm talking about a third-stringer who can be a camp arm this spring.

An Old Payton Acolyte

Why not former New Orleans Saints quarterback-turned-tight-end Taysom Hill? True, Hill hasn't attempted more than 10 passes in a season as an NFL quarterback since 2023, spending the past two years as a tight end weapon in the Saints' offense, but he can still sling it.

The soon-to-be 36-year-old veteran isn't much longer for the NFL world, but he'd be a solid option to bring in on a one-year deal to serve as that extra arm while Nix heals up. Then, when Nix returns to his post with the first-team offense, Hill could be moved to tight end or used as an offensive weapon to move around the formation.

At this late stage of his career, Hill knows that he can't command top dollar, either as a tight end or a quarterback, and he might be willing to accept a team-friendly deal for the opportunity to reunite with Sean Payton in Denver, and chase a championship.

As an NFL quarterback, Hill has started nine games (7-2). For his career, he has connected on 195-of-308 passes for 2,426 yards and 12 touchdowns, with nine interceptions. The former BYU quarterback's career NFL completion percentage is 63.3%.

However, these stats don't really matter much to the Broncos, as he wouldn't be attempting any passes in a meaningful game. He'd be a third-string camp arm that transitions to tight end, if the Broncos didn't cut him.

Hill might be looking for greater assurances than what Payton's Broncos could offer him. But when you look at the field of quarterbacks out there, you've got the likes of former Broncos like Russell Wilson, Brett Rypien, and Jeff Driskel still available.

I could see the Broncos maybe bringing in Rypien for a short-term stint, but certainly not Wilson or Driskel. If the idea is to find a short-term arm, and that's it, Hill wouldn't make much sense.

But if Payton wanted to give Hill one more bite at the apple on one of his teams, that would be one way he could provide the Broncos with some value this summer. Denver could then reward him by keeping him on the roster as a weapon, which would push a Nate Adkins or Lucas Krull off the roster, especially after the Broncos drafted two tight ends last weekend in Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley.

The Takeaway

I wasn't huge on the idea of Denver pursuing Hill this offseason, but Nix's new timetable changed my mind. Depending on what kind of money Hill would be willing to accept, this could make a lot of sense for the Broncos.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google