These 4 Broncos Are Suddenly on Notice After Free Agency & the Draft

The roster-building portion of the 2026 offseason is in the books. The Denver Broncos have injected some new blood into the roster through free agency and the NFL draft.

Counting the 14 college free-agent signings, the Broncos have added 23 new players to the roster. As is the case each year, these new additions put pressure on their incumbent teammates.

In some instances, a veteran has officially been put on notice. The Broncos sent that message to four prominent players. Let's analyze.

Evan Engram | TE

The Broncos drafted two tight ends — Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley. Bentley's future, if the Broncos can help him reach his ceiling, is as an in-line Y tight end who can block and catch passes downfield.

However, Joly was drafted to give the Broncos a younger version of Engram, the team's F tight end. It's also called a 'big slot' or a 'move' tight end, but that is Engram's clearly defined role within the offense, and Joly's arrival will challenge it.

With Engram entering a contract year, the question is whether Joly will be able to eat into the veteran's snap share. It'll happen; Joly will see the field, but Engram isn't headed to the bench.

The Broncos are paying Engram almost $11 million this year, and they're going to want to get a return on that investment. Joly will get some opportunities, but it will be here and there in certain situations and packages, like in the red zone.

Joly's arrival puts Engram on notice, no doubt, but the implications are more about 2027.

Ben Powers | LG

The Broncos' starting left guard had been an iron man up until Week 5 of last season, when he suffered a biceps injury that kept him out of action until Week 16. Powers is now entering a contract year, and the Broncos are preparing for life without him by drafting Kage Casey in the fourth round.

Casey was the lead blocker for famous Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, before he was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders. Casey was a career left tackle at Boise State, but the Broncos will be moving him inside with an eye on replacing Powers in 2027.

If Powers suffers any injuries this season, it will be interesting to see what the Broncos do in relief of him, because Casey is now on the roster, and Alex Palczewski was brought back on a two-year deal. Hopefully, we don't find out the answer to that question, and Powers stays healthy for 2026.

And just because the Broncos drafted Casey doesn't mean that Powers is as good as gone in 2027. Powers could still garner an extension, but it certainly sent the message that, 'Hey, we're preparing for life without you," at the very least.

Troy Franklin & Marvin Mims Jr. | WR

The Broncos didn't draft any wide receivers, though they did sign four from the undrafted ranks. However, the Broncos' big blockbuster move of the offseason didn't happen during the draft; it occurred about a week into free agency, when they acquired Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins in a trade.

The Broncos paid a pretty penny to land Waddle, giving up first and third-round draft picks to Miami. He steps in immediately as the second starting receiver, pushing everyone not named Courtland Sutton down the depth chart.

The two incumbents put on notice were Franklin and Mims. As the starter opposite Sutton last season, Franklin bore the brunt of Waddle's arrival out of the gates, but as the No. 3 wideout, there's still a role to be had in this offense.

If the Broncos had to play a meaningful game tomorrow, the top three wideouts on the field are Sutton, Waddle, and probably Franklin. But the ball is going to be going to Sutton and Waddle at a much higher clip, just as it did last season for Franklin and Sutton.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) reacts after a play during overtime of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Mims is also part of this conversation because he enters a contract year and is a similar player, style-wise, to Waddle. Not long after the trade went down, Mims himself voiced some doubts about where he fits into things in the post-Waddle offense.

Fortunately for Mims, he brings an All-Pro returner impact to the table and a do-it-all, gadget-type ability to the offense. That makes it easier to find a role for him.

"It's just interesting to see how I'll fit into the offense," Mims said back in March. "But at the end of the day, for me, the past two years, I mean, the thing I've taken pride in is being able to play running back, be a returner, be a receiver, so any way I can affect the game, I'm happy to go out there and do it."

Based on how Mims has performed as a receiver when he's been given the opportunity, I'm not sure I'll ever understand why he hasn't been given a bigger seat at the table. But Waddle's arrival, combined with his expiring contract, puts Mims on notice entering the offseason training program.

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