This is the sixth in a series of NFL Draft previews assessing the Broncos’ positional needs.
Broncos’ in-house offseason moves: Re-signed Matt Henningsen to a one-year, vet-minimum deal; re-signed Jordan Jackson to a one-year exclusive-rights deal; re-signed Kristian Williams and Jordan Miller to futures contracts.
Under contract: Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Sai’vion Jones, Jackson, Henningsen, Williams, Miller
Need scale (1-10): 6. There is a 7.5-sack hole in the middle of Denver’s front, after John Franklin-Myers signed with the Titans in free agency. Replacing Franklin-Myers is a near-impossible task given his symbiotic effect on Allen and Denver’s No. 62 slot in this draft; that being said, it’d make a lot of sense for Denver to bring another body into the room. Uwazurike could reasonably compete for a starting job, and Denver needs to see what it has in Jones, last year’s third-round pick. But there are plenty of solid names available in this crop on Day 2 and Day 3, and George Paton and company will be looking.
The Top Five
Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
A nose tackle, through and through. The 6-foot-2, 326-pound McDonald is a force in the run game, with 65 tackles and nine tackles for loss in an All-American season last year for the Buckeyes. Will he be a truly impactful pass-rusher in the NFL? Unclear. But McDonald should grade out as an immediate starting-ready force in the trenches.
Peter Woods, Clemson
Woods’ production declined this fall after a monster 2024 season, but he still profiles as a versatile havoc-wreaker with plenty of NFL upside. He hasn’t run a 40-yard dash, but He’ll be a fun piece for a late-first-round defensive coordinator to shift around in their scheme.
Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
NFL insiders generally pinpoint a pretty clear gap between the McDonald-Woods tier and the next crop of interior defensive linemen in this class. Hunter’s profile is rather complicated, carrying plenty of power (6-foot-3, 318 pounds) but not much speed (a 5.18-second 40-yard-dash, second-to-last among all defensive linemen at the combine). He’s racked up more than 9.5 tackles for loss in each of his last three seasons between UCF and Texas Tech, though, and the Broncos should be able to piece together a strong evaluation on him after drafting UCF RB RJ Harvey last year.
Christen Miller, Georgia
Here’s a potential Broncos second-round target. Denver hosted the powerful Georgia defensive tackle on a top-30 visit. Miller has a great frame at 6-foot-4 and 321 pounds, and has graded out extremely well as a run defender the past two seasons. Again, though, this is a projected nose tackle in the NFL, and Denver already has two starting-caliber options there in Jones and Roach.
Caleb Banks, Florida
A potential upside play for Denver in the second round, if Banks falls that far. A year ago, it would’ve been a ludicrous proposition for Banks to land anywhere outside Day 1; he’s endured a rocky 2025, though, as he missed all but three games of his final season with a foot injury and then suffered a broken foot at the NFL Combine. If he’s healthy, though, the 6-foot-6 Banks has as much pass-rush upside as anyone in this interior defensive-line group. Denver hosted him on a top-30 visit, too.
More Broncos fits
Chris McClellan, Mizzou
A general pre-draft riser for good reason, McClellan racked up six sacks during his senior year at Mizzou and was one of Denver’s first top-30 visits this cycle. The Broncos scout Mizzou well, as 2023 All-American running back Cody Schrader and longtime Mizzou DT Williams are both on Denver’s roster on futures deals. McClellan would be a strong option to supplement Franklin-Myers’ loss — but he might not be around in the fourth if the Broncos pass on him at No. 62.
DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
A six-year alumnus of Clemson and Woods’ teammate on the line, Capehart didn’t have explosive production in college, with just 16 pressures combined in his last two seasons (according to Pro Football Focus). The raw athleticism here, though, is bonkers: a 4.85-second 40-yard-dash and 33.5-inch vertical, both in the top four at his position at the combine. Denver swung on Alabama’s Que Robinson as a developmental prospect in the fourth round last year on sheer upside, and Capehart could be a similar interior fit in this class.
Landon Robinson, Navy
Denver’s shown some interest here, meeting the 287-pound Robinson at Navy’s Pro Day. He stands 6-foot-0, which isn’t exactly ideal. But Robinson has jaw-dropping strength that stood out from even his military compatriots: squatting 665 pounds and benching 465, . He bulked up from an outside linebacker to a defensive lineman across his collegiate career, and could offer pass-rushing potential in the NFL.
Gary Smith III, UCLA
The Broncos have three seventh-round picks, and could spend one of them here. Broncos general manager Paton is a noted UCLA alumnus, and the 319-pound Smith III could be a run-stopping fit at the next level. He’s been a productive player for three seasons in a Bruins jersey, and his tackle production skyrocketed in 2025.
Uar Bernard, International Pathway Program
Here’s the most athletic player in this draft class. Period. Bernard, a 306-pound prospect discovered at a camp in Lagos, Nigeria, through the NFL’s International Pathway Program, rocketed onto the pre-draft scene thanks to a 4.63-second 40-yard dash and a 39-inch vertical. The only problem? He’s never played a snap of professional football in his life. The upside here, though, is too tantalizing for some team to not swing on Bernard.
