Fan Favorite From Super Bowl 50 to Announce Broncos Picks

The Denver Broncos will have a big-time alumn on site next week in Pittsburgh for the NFL draft. Super Bowl 50 champion T.J. Ward will be at the draft to announce any selections the Broncos make on Day 2.

"I will be in Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL draft, announcing the Broncos' second-day picks," Ward said in a video announcement on X. "Let me tell you something: I cannot wait 'til this draft. I cannot wait to see the Broncos fans, and I cannot wait to see what players are joining Broncos Country. I will see you there. Go Broncos!"

.@BossWard43 is headed to Pittsburgh for Day 2️⃣ of the #NFLDraft! pic.twitter.com/NUwpZLNbrL
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 16, 2026

Seven Draft Picks in the War Chest

As it stands, the Broncos only have one Day 2 selection: the No. 62 overall pick in the second round. It's also the team's only top-100 pick, currently.

GM George Paton all but ruled out a trade-up into the first round (because the Broncos relinquished their first and third-round pick in the Jaylen Waddle trade), but he made it clear in his pre-draft presser alongside head coach Sean Payton that move up the second round could be possible.

Paton also emphasized that, with seven total selections in the draft, including two fourth-rounders, the Broncos have the ammunition to move around a bit, even if getting all the way back into Round 1 would be too costly.

“You never say never, but it’s unlikely. It would cost quite a haul for us to get up there," Paton said on Thursday. "Most of our draft we would have to trade, and then something next year. I would say that it’s unlikely, but we could certainly move up in the second [round].”

It wouldn't be a shock to see the Broncos package their pair of fourth-rounders to move into Round 3, if there's a prospect there they covet. But it would have to be a considerable player the team believes would be worth it, like cornerback Riley Moss, whom the Broncos traded up to acquire late-Round 3 back in 2023.

So, it's possible that Ward could end up announcing more than one Broncos draft pick. At the very least, though, he'll be at the podium to announce Denver's second-round pick.

Ward's Broncos Resume

Denver Broncos safety T.J. Ward (43) celebrates a play against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ward was a second-round pick himself back in 2010, drafted by the Cleveland Browns out of Oregon. After a successful four-year run in Cleveland, the Browns let him walk in 2014 free agency, and he signed with the Broncos as a member of that all-star free-agent class that also included DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and Emmanuel Sanders, all of whom contributed mightily to the team's Super Bowl 50 triumph.

As a player, Ward earned one All-Pro nod and three Pro Bowl selections, two of which were with the Broncos (2014 and '15). He was a high-impact player patrolling the Broncos' secondary.

When Darian Stewart arrived in free agency the following offseason, Ward launched further into the stratosphere. The Broncos would go on to field one the fiercest and most famous defenses of all time in 2015 — the No Fly Zone — which served as the tip of the spear in club's decimation of Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

Fast forward to 2017, and Vance Joseph had become the Broncos head coach, succeeding Gary Kubiak, who resigned after two years and a World Championship. On the doorstep of the 2017 regular-season opener, the Broncos released Ward, which came as a big shock to fans and media.

Ward signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played out the 2017 season. Injuries reduced him to just four starts that year.

That was Ward's last meaningful season as a pro, though he did attempt a comeback in 2020 with the Arizona Cardinals after spending the preceding two years out of football. He spent time on Arizona's practice squad that summer, but was released in October.

Ward announced his NFL retirement on April 21, 2017.

If Ward would have been able to play the 2017 season in Denver, he would have accrued four seasons with the Broncos, which would have given him the base qualification for the Ring of Fame. Alas, he only had three years with the Broncos, but his contributions were Ring-of-Fame caliber.

Ward not only earned multiple individual accolades as a Bronco, but he contributed as a starter to the team's third World Championship. He spent a lot of time as a Brown, but he prefers to be known as a Bronco.

Ward wasn't drafted to Denver, but the accomplishments he had here endeared him forever to Broncos Country. He's a Bronco for life.

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