Denver Broncos

Projected Cap Space: $24.8 million

Draft Picks: 9

• 1st (No. 30)
• 2nd (No. 62)
• 3rd (No. 94)
• 4th (No. 108, NO)
• 4th (No. 130)
• 5th (No. 168)
• 7th (No. 246)
• 7th (No. 251, comp)
• 7th (No. 255, comp)

Notable Free Agents: 

• LB Alex Singleton
• RB J.K. Dobbins
• DL John Franklin-Myers
• CB Ja’Quan McMillian (RFA)
• LB Justin Strnad
• OL Alex Palczewski (RFA) 
• S P.J. Locke
• TE Adam Trautman
• FB Adam Prentice
• TE Nate Adkins (RFA)
• RB Jaleel McLaughlin (RFA)

Top Three Needs

1 – Pass Catcher

We’ll take our cue from Broncos HC Sean Payton here, as he identified receiver as one of the contributing factors in Denver coming up short of a Super Bowl this year. Payton bemoaned the drops from his group, including in the divisional round loss to the Patriots, and the numbers back him up. The Broncos had the second-most drops in the league with 43, per Pro Football Reference. 

Payton also talked about a desire to add more dynamic playmakers to dictate matchups and beat man coverage, something he felt the Broncos struggled to do at times. The desire for flexible playmakers is a throughline in Payton’s entire coaching career but the focus on the receiver position is new. Last offseason, Payton defended Denver’s group of Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin, and the only big addition was third-round WR Pat Bryant.

Instead, the Broncos signed TE Evan Engram and RB RJ Harvey, guys who were more in the “joker” mold Payton looks for. Like the rest of the offense, they were inconsistent in 2025. Harvey had the chance to be the feature back after Dobbins went down in Week 10 and wasn’t up to the task, though he did score 12 touchdowns in his rookie year. Engram was third on the team in targets, catches and yards but is a potential cut candidate if the Broncos find a chance to upgrade. 

Denver’s offense wasn’t bad in 2025 but there’s definitely a sense that they left a lot of meat on the bone. The drops are one example; another is ranking just 20th in success rate (percentage of offensive drives ending in a score). It feels like Payton is thinking about how to get the most out of QB Bo Nix while he’s still on his rookie contract and concluding he needs players who can do a better job of taking the pressure off his quarterback. 

2 – Linebacker

The Broncos’ defense was outstanding in 2025. But if it had a weak point, it was probably linebacker. Teams had the most success against Denver when they were able to stress that group, either with play action over the middle of the field or stretching them to the edges. Singleton’s story of catching testicular cancer and missing just one game this year is a remarkable one but his lack of range became a bigger and bigger issue the deeper into the season the Broncos got. 

Both Singleton and Strnad are pending free agents, with Strnad likely seeking a path to more playing time, either in Denver or elsewhere. The Broncos have veteran LB Dre Greenlaw under contract but he missed nine games due to soft tissue injuries and had to be carefully managed all year. Former third-round pick Drew Sanders missed the whole season with a torn foot ligament, and he’s a promising athlete who could develop into a factor. 

Regardless, it’s a strong year in free agency and the draft for linebackers, so it would be surprising to see the Broncos forego addressing one of their few weaknesses. 

3 – Offensive Line

On paper, the Broncos probably have one of the most solid rosters in the league with no glaring needs outside of what’s been mentioned. That should allow them to build out their depth with an eye toward getting ahead of needs in the future. Cornerback is one of those areas, with starting nickel McMillian a restricted free agent and No. 2 CB Riley Moss entering a contract year. They used a first-round pick on CB Jahdae Barron last year, though. If Dobbins leaves, running back moves up the list of needs. 

But Payton is good about practicing what he preaches with building through the line of scrimmage (every coach and GM says this, not as many back it up). The Broncos’ starting five offensive linemen are all under contract for 2026 after starting C Luke Wattenberg inked a four-year, $48 million pact during the season. Starting LG Ben Powers is up in 2027, RT Mike McGlinchey in 2028. There’s not a pressing need up front. 

However, all five are hovering around 30 years old or have already passed that benchmark. It would not be surprising to see the Broncos start the process of bringing in replacements they can groom to step in without a beat, or to upgrade the depth behind the starting five. Denver has had good offensive line health by and large the last two seasons but injuries have a way of finding teams eventually. 

One Big Question

Can the Broncos capitalize on this championship window? 

The Broncos’ luck, which lasted through an 11-game winning streak in one-score games, finally ran out in their final win, a 33-30 overtime victory over the Bills in the divisional round. At the very end of the game, Nix broke a bone in his ankle that ended his season and ultimately proved to be the doom of the Broncos, too. It became painfully obvious in a 10-7, snowswept home loss to the Patriots in the AFC title game that backup QB Jarrett Stidham wasn’t capable of making the play or two that might have pushed Denver over the top. 

Logic says the Broncos should be back. Nix will be healthy and he avoided the sophomore slump that has claimed some of his peers. Payton is a proven coach with a burning competitive fire still. The Broncos have cash and picks to improve a roster that already looks pretty strong on paper. 

That’s not how the NFL works, though. Nothing is guaranteed. Many players and coaches can go their whole careers without getting as close to the Super Bowl as the Broncos did this year. It’s a chance they can’t get back and redemption is not promised. 

The Broncos should still be in the mix, of course. But they had a lot break right for them, like a great record in one-score games. Over time, those tend to be more of 50-50 outlooks. The AFC West sagged hard, with injuries nerfing the Chiefs and the Chargers while the Raiders earned the No. 1 pick. The AFC as a whole was weaker than it’s been. That probably won’t last. 

The Broncos will not only need to be better than they were this past season when they earned the No. 1 seed with a 14-3 record, or they’ll need to be at least as lucky — especially at the end.