Perfect Picks 2026: Denver Broncos
By Julian Cordova
Fresh off an exciting – and to the non-BOlievers – surprising 14-3 campaign, George Paton and Sean Payton have opted to basically re-sign their entire roster.
Outside of the trade for star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, the entirety of their offseason transactions consisted of re-signings. I imagine they feel extremely confident in the team they just fielded, because if Bo Nix doesn’t break his ankle against the Bills, they’re very likely to be AFC Champions at the least.
Still, it seems that Denver’s main addition of outside talent will consist of the 2026 NFL Draft. The quick-moving UDFA period, which takes place in the hours immediately after day 3 finishes, has also been a key to success for the Broncos over the years.
Brandishing perhaps the richest history of UDFA success, the Broncos have a talent for finding once-unwanted players; Willie Brown, Rod Smith, Greg Kragen, Rich Karlis, plus many other (unfortunately) unknown Broncos legends. If you look more recently, Denver has an incredible streak of at least one UDFA making the 53-man roster in 21 of the past 22 seasons (2015). So, instead of four draft picks – and in part because of the Broncos’ lack of capital – we will delve into a few projected UDFAs I’d like for Denver.
Round 2 - Gracen Halton (IDL, Oklahoma)
Denver needs to replace John Franklin-Myers; maybe they’re confident in Uwazurike coming back from suspension, Sai’vion Jones, Matt Henningsen, and Jordan Jackson (who had some nice flashes during pre-season last year), but I’m not.
In this scenario I have the Broncos making a small trade back with Seattle to land the undersized but explosive defensive tackle from Oklahoma.
Halton’s pad level is an issue, but I think Vance Joseph will be intrigued by his strength and hand usage–perfect for quickly blowing up blocks. Nik Bonitto would also love playing alongside another Sooner on the defensive line.
Mid Round Gem - Oscar Delp (TE, Georgia)
Delp has been discussed as a natural fit in Sean Payton’s offense; he’s an athletic receiving tight end who can come down with contested balls. You’d definitely like to see him improve as a blocker and just show more physicality in general, but he isn’t incapable, especially on the move. This makes you wonder if he can provide more after the catch than he’s shown if he were to get in the weight room.
Regardless, he’d be a perfect TE3 with room to improve in the Broncos lackluster group. Delp saw his stock drop over the course of the season, when at one point he was a sure thing for Day 2 of the draft. Denver could get a steal near the start of Daym 3, like when they got Troy Franklin. It’s also now known that the Georgia Bulldog played the entire 2025 season with an undiagnosed hairline fracture in his foot.
Late Round Sleeper - Eli Heidenreich (WR, Navy)
Ben Allbright of KOA Radio in Denver has hinted at the Navy slotback being a very “Sean Payton-like player,” and I agree. This would fill multiple roles in the Denver offense and thus would be the Joker that the Broncos have been seeking.
Evan Engram simply did not fill that role out, and you’re selecting a player who had impressive stats at Navy (take that however you want). Heidenreich’s name has continuously risen in draft rankings over the course of this cycle through impressive combine and pro day performances, which surely have garnered attention from some teams. So will he even be at 182? It’s not unrealistic to think Denver could stick at 170 and take him there, but I opted for some capital while still landing him. The Navy Midshipman could be a consistent dumpoff option for Bo Nix from year 1 on.
UDFA spotlights
Josh Thompson (IOL, LSU) – As I mentioned earlier, UDFAs can be valuable additions to a team. Even if they’re not stars, they can definitely make a difference come gameday. Josh Thompson is a noticeable presence in the run game—yet struggles with upper body control/balance and lacks dominant strength or perseverance in pass protection. This will likely lead to him going undrafted, but Denver has a strong coaching unit that could maybe work some magic.
Karson Sharar (LB, Iowa) – Sharar is a really interesting prospect out of Iowa; his initial value will most likely be through special teams if anything. The Hawkeye has a slight build and does not possess the athleticism or IQ to get playing time right now. But down the road, his speed, physicality, and good coaching (as he fits nicely in a Vance Joseph defense) might blend well with any refined traits.
Collin Wright (CB, Stanford) – Lastly, Collin Wright is projected to go undrafted, but I really think a team could take him as early as the 5th round. He’s got nice size for the position, is an aggressive tackler, has fluid hips, and is well regarded in the Stanford locker room–there’s a lot to like. However, being an aggressive tackler does lead to mistakes; he also bites on fakes way too easily. The main reason he’s not an early day 3/day 2 prospect is that Wright’s recovery speed is poor; a very important trait for NFL cornerbacks, but there’s too much else I like.
Draft in full
2.64 – Gracen Halton, IDL, Oklahoma
4.108 – Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia
4.111 – Brian Parker II, IOL, Duke
6.182 – Eli Heidenreich, RB/WR, Navy
6.205 – Jaden Dugger, LB, Louisiana
7.246 – Gavin Ortega, T, Weber State
7.256 – William Wright, CB, Tennessee