Denver Broncos · 2026 Draft · (no R1 pick) · (14-3)

Traded Away: This slot now belongs to Buffalo Bills, who drafted Davison Igbinosun.

Actual Pick: Tyler Onyedim (, ) REACH Buy Jersey

Reach. Denver paid trade-up freight to leap onto an off-board name when the consensus had zero buzz on Onyedim inside the top-145, and that's a process failure regardless of how the player develops. Sean Payton and George Paton bypassed bigger boards at LB and safety — both glaring needs — to chase a private-grade darling, which is the kind of conviction pick that historically craters Day 2 hit rates around the league. Onyedim profiles as a developmental edge with length and burst but a thin pass-rush plan, which technically nicks the DL bucket on Denver's needs sheet but ignores that Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto, and Jonah Elliss already lock the front-line snaps. Meanwhile Cody Barton and the safety room behind Brandon Jones are screaming for reinforcements. Drafting a third-string rusher when LB and S are bleeding feels like a board-driven decision in a needs-driven part of the draft. The pick traveled Tennessee → Buffalo → Denver, meaning the Broncos almost certainly surrendered a Day 3 sweetener (likely a 2026 fourth or 2027 conditional) on top of their original third to leap the board for a name no one else was buzzing on. That's textbook leaving-value-on-the-table at the third-round hinge, where multiple top-100 LBs and safeties on every public board were still sitting one phone call away. Onyedim wasn't in our top-145, and he was outside Daniel Jeremiah's, PFF's, and Kiper's published top-100s as well — most outlets had him as a priority free agent or fifth-to-seventh-round flier. Going at 66 represents roughly an 80-pick reach on consensus, the kind of delta that demands either elite medicals or a pre-combine private workout that flipped the room. Denver better have an answer, because public grades say this is round-six value at minimum. This pick says Sean Payton trusts his own pro-day eyes more than any consensus board, which is fine when it produces Cooper Kupp and disastrous when it produces Jacob Harris. Denver still has zero added help at LB or safety with their Day 2 finished, and the Round 4 priority must now be a downhill thumper plus a free-safety body. The front office spent capital chasing a name — they have not earned trust tonight.

Actual Pick: Jonah Coleman (RB, Washington) STEAL Buy Jersey

Steal. Jonah Coleman (RB, Washington) was on our top-145 board in the R3 range — and the Denver Broncos got him in Round 4. The Denver Broncos acquired this pick via trade (From NO). On Day 3 that's how you build a roster: value compounds quietly across the back half of the draft, and this is the kind of selection that becomes a starter in two years because the team didn't reach for him in Round 2.

Actual Pick: Kage Casey (, ) SURPRISE Buy Jersey

Meh. Kage Casey (?, —) wasn't on our top-145 big board, which means the Denver Broncos are betting on something specific that didn't show up in the consensus film grades. The Denver Broncos acquired this pick via trade (From MIA). Day-3 picks are won and lost on traits-and-fit calls like this — if the team's scouting department saw a special-teams role, a developmental skill, or an injury-discount, that's defensible. We don't have a board grade to anchor a verdict so we're rating this neutral and waiting for training-camp tape.

Actual Pick: Justin Joly (TE, NC State) STEAL Buy Jersey

Steal. Justin Joly (TE, NC State) was on our top-145 board in the R3-R4 range — and the Denver Broncos got him in Round 5. The Denver Broncos acquired this pick via trade (From DAL via SF and CLE). On Day 3 that's how you build a roster: value compounds quietly across the back half of the draft, and this is the kind of selection that becomes a starter in two years because the team didn't reach for him in Round 2.

Actual Pick: Miles Scott (, ) SURPRISE Buy Jersey

Meh. Miles Scott (?, —) wasn't on our top-145 big board, which means the Denver Broncos are betting on something specific that didn't show up in the consensus film grades. Day-3 picks are won and lost on traits-and-fit calls like this — if the team's scouting department saw a special-teams role, a developmental skill, or an injury-discount, that's defensible. We don't have a board grade to anchor a verdict so we're rating this neutral and waiting for training-camp tape.

Actual Pick: Dallen Bentley (, ) SURPRISE Buy Jersey

Meh. Dallen Bentley (?, —) wasn't on our top-145 big board, which means the Denver Broncos are betting on something specific that didn't show up in the consensus film grades. Day-3 picks are won and lost on traits-and-fit calls like this — if the team's scouting department saw a special-teams role, a developmental skill, or an injury-discount, that's defensible. We don't have a board grade to anchor a verdict so we're rating this neutral and waiting for training-camp tape.

Actual Pick: Red Murdock (, ) SURPRISE Buy Jersey

Meh. Red Murdock (?, —) wasn't on our top-145 big board, which means the Denver Broncos are betting on something specific that didn't show up in the consensus film grades. Day-3 picks are won and lost on traits-and-fit calls like this — if the team's scouting department saw a special-teams role, a developmental skill, or an injury-discount, that's defensible. We don't have a board grade to anchor a verdict so we're rating this neutral and waiting for training-camp tape.