They drafted Washington RB Jonah Coleman at No. 108 overall Saturday morning.

Coleman is a clean fit and took a 30-visit to the Broncos earlier in the spring. He is a powerful early down runner, is adept at catching the ball out of the backfield and is considered one of the better pass protecting running backs in the class.

Coleman said at the NFL Combine in February that he spent his formal visit with Denver there talking about pass protection.

“We talked about the run game, but it was more so my plays, because we run similar offenses,” he said then. “So just being able to recite the plays.”

Coleman scored 25 touchdowns over the past two seasons at Washington and in that span also also caught 51 passes. Coleman averaged 5.2 yards per carry over two seasons at UW and before that 6.1 yards in two years at Arizona.

They barely had to wait after selecting Coleman before coming up on the clock again at No. 111 overall and selecting Boise State offensive lineman Kage Casey.

Casey becomes the highest-drafted offensive lineman of the Sean Payton era in Denver and the first to go in the opening four rounds under GM George Paton since Quinn Meinerz was selected No. 98 overall in 2021.

Casey is listed at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds and played left tackle at Boise State.

Casey was asked about his future position in Denver and he said, simply, “wherever they want me. As of now, I don’t know for sure.”

“In the pre-draft process, me bumping into guard and playing a little bit of center, even, at my pro day, was something that helped me out a lot,” Casey added.

One source told The Post that the Broncos believe he can play any spot on the offensive line. Given Denver’s got a highly paid starting quintet in place in LT Garett Bolles, LG Ben Powers, C Luke Wattenberg, RG Quinn Meinerz and RT Mike McGlinchey, Casey will at least begin his career as part of a reserve group that includes Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, Alex Forsyth and others.

“Especially Garett Bolles, he’s a guy I try to model my own game after,” Casey said. “I’m excited to actually meet him in person and be part of the o-line with him. Just the whole o-line in general is going to be an awesome environment to be a part of.”

Broncos enter Day 3 armed with seven picks (9:30 a.m.)

The Broncos’ offseason has been one gigantic trade and otherwise a whole lot of nothing.

Denver enters Saturday morning having added a grand total of three external players to its roster since the AFC Championship Game in January.

Acquiring star receiver Jaylen Waddle via trade was a major move. Signing safety Tycen Anderson was not. And drafting defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim early in the third round of the draft Friday night was key, if not exactly flashy.

Saturday may not be chock full of big names, but it����ap a big day nonetheless.

The Broncos enter the final four rounds of the draft armed with seven picks. Even if they trade up a couple times, they will almost undoubtedly more than double their total of offseason additions.

“These two fourth-round picks will define this draft,” general manager George Paton said Friday night.

There are a bunch of players left at positions like running back, while tight ends flew off the board Friday. There are linebackers and receivers and offensive linemen to sort through and, who knows, maybe a developmental quarterback out there, too.
The Broncos have also swung multiple Day 3 player trades in head coach Sean Payton’s tenure here, from Adam Trautman in 2023 to John Franklin-Myers in 2024.

Denver won’t wait long to get going when the proceedings begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. Their first two picks are the eighth and 11th of the day.

Their total set of selections as action begins:

Round 4, 108 overall

Round 4, 111 overall

Round 5, 170 overall

Round 6, 182 overall

Round 7, 246 overall

Round 7, 256 overall

Round 7, 257 overall

Behind the scenes, general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton have discussed that this year’s draft will hinge on Day 3.

“These two fourth-round picks,” Paton said in a presser Friday night, “will define this draft.”

Indeed, after filling a John Franklin-Myers-sized hole at defensive line with Texas A&M’s versatile Tyler Onyedim on Friday, Denver has a few more positional needs to fill out at picks No. 108 and No. 111 — and beyond. After just one pick through the first three rounds of this year’s NFL Draft, the Broncos are set up for a whopping seven overall selections across Saturday afternoon. That’s not even to mention a class of undrafted free agents, where Denver has found key contributors like Ja’Quan McMillian and offensive lineman Alex Palczewski in recent years under Paton.

Paton said Denver explicitly avoided trading back up into the third round Friday night because the organization liked the glut of talent available on Day 3.

“We’re looking for young, developmental backups with some traits that we can develop, and you can find those all across Day 3,” Paton said. “We’re not going to reach to go up and get a guy. We feel good about where we are at, and we feel really good about the day … we got (Jaylen) Waddle, and then we got this kid who we really like, and then tomorrow we’re going to have a good day.”

Many impact linebackers and tight ends flew off the board in rounds two and three on Friday night. But if the Broncos still intend to add a new face to their running-back room, they should be able to find a difference-maker in the fourth round and beyond. A slew of defensive backs and offensive linemen, too, still sit on the board.

Here are The Denver Post’s 20 best fits remaining for the Broncos through rounds four, five, six, seven and beyond, if Denver indeed wants to have a good day Saturday.

Offense

RB Jonah Coleman, Washington: One of the cleanest fits to Denver from a skill-set standpoint, Coleman is productive on early downs, had 54 catches in two seasons at UW and is a quality pass protector.

RB Mike Washington, Arkansas: There are still a number of intriguing running backs on the board as Day 3 begins. Washington, a big, fast, physical back who has produced in the SEC, is near the top of the list.

RB Adam Randall, Clemson: If you’re looking for a fascinating roll of the dice, Randall is a converted receiver who goes 6-3 and 235 pounds. The Broncos flew out to work him out shortly before the draft.

TE Justin Joly, NC State: Just one tight end went in the first 53 picks of the draft. Then eight went in the final 47 on Friday night. That cleaned out the upper ranks pretty thoroughly, though Joly is an accomplished pass-catcher. He’d be an interesting ‘F’ who has a chance to be a decent blocker.

TE Jack Endries, Texas: Perhaps not super exciting, but Endries has a chance to be the kind of do-it-all ‘Y’ tight end. He’s had 91 catches for 1,030 over 2023-24 at Cal, then 33 catches last year at Texas.

TE Tanner Koziol, Houston: The opposite, in some ways, to Endries, Koziol is a roll of the dice on traits. He’s 6-7 and 247 pounds. He had 74 catches last year alone at Houston and 94 in 2024 at Ball State. He fits the Payton mold like seventh-rounder Caleb Lohner a year ago.

OL Travis Burke, Memphis: A massive tackle prospect, Burke would be an interesting player to add to Zach Strief’s developmental program. He’s listed at 6-9 and 325 pounds and has played both tackle spots in college.

OL Jude Bowry, Boston College: A versatile, experienced offensive lineman who can provide depth at multiple spots and has the athleticism to be a potential long-term option at a tackle spot. Friday showed that Denver is always looking to add in the trenches.

WR/RB Eli Heidenreich, Navy: Heidenreich is widely listed as a running back, but what will he actually be in the NFL?��Carried the ball 169 times and caught 109 passes in college. He had 51 catches for 941 yards in 2025. Could be a multidimensional offensive player and a return man.

WR Elijah Sarratt, Indiana: The Broncos would have to take him at No. 108 or 111 if they want him — if he even makes it that far into Saturday. They don’t have a need at receiver. And yet… he just feels like a Sean Payton kind of pass-catcher.

Defense

ILB Jimmy Rolder, Michigan:��A former reserve who seized a starting role in 2025, Rolder is a draft riser who could rise all the way to Denver in the fourth round. The size is good at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, and the agility is even better. He had 73 tackles and seven tackles for loss in 2025.

ILB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU:��One of The Post’s favorite fits throughout this process. Elarms-Orr would be a great fourth-round value after a season with 130 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and four sacks in 2025.

ILB Kyle Louis, Pitt:��A safety-linebacker hybrid who could excel in sideline-to-sideline and coverage situations, but will have natural durability questions because of his frame — 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds. Still, one of the best LBs left on the board.

OLB Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State:��The Broncos don’t need another edge rusher. They’re moving Jonah Elliss to ILB in large part to open up snaps for the ascending Que Robinson. But the 6-foot-5 Dennis-Sutton’s potential and sheer agility are off the charts, at his size. It could be the best available situation.

OLB Dasan McCollough, Nebraska:��What kind of linebacker is McCollough? Unclear. The potential, however, is quite apparent. He’s 6-foot-5, with good speed and explosiveness. A potentially fun project.

DL Uar Bernard, International Player Pathway Program:��Literally the most athletic player in this draft. Literally the most athletic defensive lineman ever. The only issue? He’s never played a snap of football. Sounds like an excellent seventh-round or undrafted project.

CB Latrell McCutchin, Houston:��Good size, good experience, and a ton of connections to the Broncos’ current defensive staff. The lack of ball production is a concern, but McCutchin had 10 passes defensed in 2025.

S Keionte Scott, Miami:��One of the consensus best defensive backs left on the board. The problem with the 5-foot-10 Scott: Is he a nickel? Is he an undersized safety? The traits — a 44-inch vertical and 4.33-second 40-yard dash — are well worth taking a Day 3 swing.

S Kamari Ramsey, USC:��The attributes don’t leap off the page, and might turn Denver away in their search for tool-laden prospects. But Ramsey’s IQ is off the charts, and he has plenty of familiarity with new Broncos defensive-backs coach Doug Belk after two years together at USC.

S Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina:��4.40 40-yard dash and 37-inch vertical screams promise. Had 10 pass deflections in 2025 and five interceptions in 2024, and could be a developmental ball-hawk behind Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones (the latter of which is on an expiring deal).

General manager George Payton and Sean Payton love their roster. They could pretend that jobs are open, that vacancy lights are flashing. But in reality, there is roughly one starting position up for grabs: defensive end.

John Franklin-Myers, who loved talking, sacking and eating Uncrustables, left as a free agent to the Titans. The Broncos wanted to keep him. But after they signed players to in-house contract extensions for more than $400 million over the last 18 months, JFM had to leave to cash in.

So when the Broncos finally got around to picking in the NFL draft — they had no selection in the first or second round for the first time since 1995 — they plucked Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim.

He might not be a dancing bear. But he can play anywhere up front. Just ask him.

“Man, I feel like I am a versatile player. I can play anywhere on the line,” Onyedim, voice still excited after realizing his dream of reaching the NFL as the 66th selection overall. “I have a good first step. I feel like I am a true defensive lineman.”

The numbers add up for him to push for playing time. He is 6-foot-3, 292 pounds with go-go Gadget arms and a thirst for stopping the run. He provides depth and youth, the type of athlete capable of competing for snaps with Sai’vion Jones, who was taken in the third round last season.

He is also familiar with the Broncos Orange Rush. Before transferring to Texas A&M, Onyedim was a teammate of Denver’s Eyioma Uwazurike at Iowa State. The two have remained close, with Onyedim saying they would be in each other’s weddings.

“That’s my big bro. That’s my dog,” Onyedim said. “I have studied all of those boys, you feel me. I can’t wait to learn from the best.”

It is sure not like it used to be, back in the days of desperation, when the Broncos’ draft felt like an expensive game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. In previous seasons, we would start talking about positioning for picks in October.

This spring, we have groused about the free agent yawnfest — they brought in special teams safety Tycen Anderson — and their desire to keep the band together. This could be a bad thing. But there’s no denying that it is a byproduct of a team that has become really, really good.

The Broncos went 15-4 last year, testing the expiration dates on miracle finishes, while suffocating opponents with a relentless defense.

The loss to the New England Patriots remains burned into memory because there are so many scenarios in which they should have won. Had Bo Nix not broken his ankle, had Jarrett “It ain’t pretty, it’s Stiddy” Stidham not turned the ball over inside the 20, had the Broncos run more successfully than a democrat in Wyoming, had Mother Nature not flexed its muscle with the only snow storm that would appear in months, Denver would have advanced to its ninth Super Bowl.

Instead, the Broncos were left with their noses against the windowpane, two wins shy of the most improbable season in franchise history.

They are banking on players improving, believing success through this path is more likely and preferable to adding outside influences to the locker room. Onyedim is, by all accounts, a good teammate who will fit in their culture.

What happened to Thursday and Friday? Jaylen Waddle. And the AFC Championship Game.

The Broncos chose to be strategic, their offseason a laser, not a crabbing net.

They sent away their first-rounder, 30th overall, to the Dolphins in exchange for an explosive, proven receiver. Waddle is everything the Broncos needed, a receiver capable of stopping and starting more effectively than a New York cabbie.

Indiana wideout Omar Cooper ultimately went to the Jets in that spot. No matter how much you like the Hoosier, there is zero chance he would have had Waddle’s impact this season.

In a Super Bowl window, the Broncos have very specific needs.

Now, this does not make them immune to second-guessing. Could they have packaged picks — there is no way seven new players make their roster — to move up in the second round for Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers (Philadelphia traded up and took him at 54), Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (61st to Titans) or Ohio State’s Max Klare.

With the Rams taking Klare, they now have seven or eight tight ends — lost count — better than anyone on the Broncos. Denver traded back last year and bit them when R.J. Harvey fizzled as J.K. Dobbins’ replacement, making it clear they would have been better off with TreVeyon Henderson.

Listen, I would have preferred they take an offensive player. Payton likes the unit more than the rest of us. And clearly, the Broncos did not think enough of the tight ends to be aggressive. It puts pressure on them, however, to land a running back on Day 3, somebody like Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson or Washington’s Jonah Coleman.

The reality is that the Broncos are now smart and have earned trust. Now that they are a legitimate contender, ����apountry is willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

They are counting on the Broncos to win a Super Bowl in the next few years. With a roster as stacked as it has been since 2015, these are the expectations.

It also means that Paton and Paton don’t see many open competitions.

So, on Friday, after a nearly hour wait, you get Tyler Onyedim.

It is boring. It is also a byproduct of winning.

It doesn’t always come with a Jaylen Waddle-sized splash or the exhilaration of taking Bo Nix at No. 12 overall in the 2024 draft.

Sometimes, it����ap meat and potatoes.

Sometimes, it����ap patience — or something like it.

Sometimes it����ap waiting 61 picks, trading back four more and then taking a player at what was arguably your deepest position the past two years.

That����ap where the Broncos found themselves Friday night when they used their first pick of the draft at No. 66 on Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim.

Everybody else in the NFL made a selection in the first 56 picks. Denver waited 10 more.

Of course, the Broncos’ big offseason fireworks came more than five weeks ago when they traded their first and third-round picks for Waddle, the explosive wide receiver.

That, combined with their late selections in each round, put them among the teams with the least overall capital in the league.

They committed to waiting it out for No. 62 to roll around. General manager George Paton said last week that Denver had six players it was targeting for its first selection.

That alone took patience.

The Broncos watched all of Thursday night — “that was a boring day,” Paton said — and then saw players at other positions of need come ripping off the board in the middle of the second round. Between picks 43 and 59 alone, four inside linebackers and three tight ends heard their names called.

Then the two picks preceding Denver: Inside linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. to Tennessee, which traded up, and tight end Max Klare to the Los Angeles Rams.

“It’s a typical draft — there’s a run at different positions, which we figured there would be,” Paton said. “It fell like we thought it would. I think I mentioned we had six players and they all started going. Tyler was one of those six, but it fell kind of like we thought it would.”

The Broncos were aware the Rams loved Klare, a source told The Post on Friday, so they either did not like him enough to jump in front of L.A. or thought the Rams would look elsewhere. Tennessee general manager Mike Borgonzi, a former Kansas City executive, explained trading up to No. 60 for Hill by talking about pro scouting and understanding the needs and potential interest of the teams in your part of the draft board.

When Denver’s pick arrived, Paton and head coach Sean Payton��decided to move back, trading No. 62 to Buffalo for Nos. 66 and 182.

In Onyedim, they leaned into a roster belief they often espouse.

“He plays a position that’s always hard to find at defensive tackle,” Payton said Friday night. “His strike, his shed, the athlete, makeup, those are traits.”

At 6-4 and 292 pounds, Onyedim played four years at Iowa State and then in 2025 for the Aggies. In Denver, he joins All-Pro Zach Allen, veteran D.J. Jones and a room that also features Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Jordan Jackson and 2025 third-round pick Sai’Vion Jones.

Roach and Uwazurike each are expected to help fill the gap left by John Franklin-Myers, Denver’s lone high-profile free agency departure, but Sai’Vion Jones and Onyedim are the kinds of pieces the Broncos are betting play key roles at some point in the future.

“We typically like to draft high-trait players,” Paton said earlier this month. “Maybe they lack a little bit of polish and it����ap going to take some development. We’ve done a great job with the coaches in developing these types of players. … Sure, we’d like somebody to come in and start right away, but that����ap not always realistic no matter where they’re picked. It����ap just hard.

“With the way our team is built now, it����ap going to be hard to come in and start Day 1.”

That is true of Onyedim, too. His versatility — he called himself “a true d-lineman” capable of playing every spot — is a virtue and in the Broncos’ mind maximizes the chance he’ll find a home somewhere along the front at some point, whether it����ap in 2026 or beyond.

One source said the club believes Onyedim can play, “across the board.”

They have two players like that, now, that they’ve picked in the third round each of the past two years. They moved up for Jones and back for Onyedim. Each has versatility and traits the Broncos like. Either could be a key for Vance Joseph and defensive line coach Jamar Cain as soon as this fall or either could be insurance while veteran players chew up almost all of the snaps in Denver’s regular rotation.

Either way, the Broncos set themselves up for a draft weekend like this. They may well find flashier help at tight end, running back or linebacker with their now seven slated selections on Saturday. There are starters to be found every year — though clearly at a lower hit rate — in rounds four through seven. Particularly so at the positions that Denver still needs to fortify.

Regardless of what happens over the course of Saturday, Payton, Paton and the players in Denver’s locker room believe the roster is already in a place where it can compete for a Super Bowl.

They made their big splash earlier in the spring. The brass knew it’d be tough to find a player on Day 2 who would step right in and start.

That, Paton said, is particularly true on the defensive line.

“Just going into it, we feel pretty good,” he said a month ago. “We have Sai’Vion and we have our four guys coming back. Our starters and then Eni really came on. Then Sai’vion and Jordan Jackson.”

In the NFL, though, the reality is there is almost no such thing as too much depth on the line of scrimmage.

“We’re looking closely at the grade and at the stack,” Payton said. “We’re never trying to worry about the splash.”

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Hey Ed, thanks for writing in and getting us going in a draft-a-palooza version of the Broncos mailbag.

Denver is almost certain to move some of its picks around. Will they go up from No. 62? Back from their fourth-rounders? Vice versa? That, of course, all depends and the most likely outcome is we won’t know until Friday evening as the second round unfolds.

Teams move picks, though, and the Broncos have moved them at a high volume recently under general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton. Last year alone they made their own selection at No. 20 in the first round — through Paton said they considered trading back from there — and then got busy. They didn’t actually pick at any of their original spots from then on and engineered four trades that included a total of 20 draft picks. They went back from 51 to 57 and then to 60. They went up from No. 111 to No. 101 to draft Sai’Vion Jones and in the process also moved back four spots from No. 130.

Generally speaking, it’d be a surprise if Denver wasn’t similarly active this year. Especially with just one pick on Day 2, it would make sense for Paton and Payton to try to move around. That could mean trying to pick up capital by moving back from their first pick at No. 62. They could get into the third round by moving up from No. 108 or No. 111. It could mean some combination of that or something else entirely.

Paton’s reputation is that of a pick collector, while Payton is more gung-ho about trading up. Paton said last week that their styles have melded together well.

A natural inclination going into the draft with seven picks would be wanting to preserve somewhere around that number, but there’s a pretty good argument for being aggressive and moving up. It����ap basically the same they used when explaining their trade for Jaylen Waddle. Essentially: This is a deep roster as is. It����ap not going to be easy to make. If they take six Day 3 players as their current cache lines them up for, are all of them going to be on the 53-man roster?

The counter: Do you have to move up to get the players you really want? Payton talked last week about the “spray” of evaluations across the league and how it widens as the draft progresses. The Broncos traded back twice in the second round last year and got the guy they wanted in Harvey. They won’t be needlessly aggressive, but their roster is in such a place where they can go get a particular player, even without the benefit of a first-round pick.

What are the top three things you have learned about the NFL draft?

— David Brown, Silverthorne

Hey David, thanks for writing in and great question. I’m going to take this as this upcoming draft particularly.

1. Many of the best players and deepest position groups in this draft are at what the league generally considers non-premium spots. This is a great draft for inside linebackers and safeties. It����ap not teeming with top-end tight ends, but there are a boatload of solid options to work through. Similar at running back after the one true blue-chipper in Jeremiyah Love. It����ap another good year for edge rushers and receivers, so those groups will go fast in the first round — and offensive line will, too — but there’s hay to be made at some of those other spots.

2. Related to that point, a team is always better off draft-wise if it����ap armed with a first-round pick or extra capital, but this weekend actually looks like it sets up fairly well for the Broncos. Their needs — call it tight end, linebacker, running back, safety and offensive line — line up well overall with the deeper parts of this draft class. That doesn’t mean there are going to be Week 1 starters sitting there waiting for them on Day 3, of course, but the Broncos should be looking at their board and seeing realistic options at some positions of need despite having traded away their first- and third-rounders.

3. The 2026 draft is already being colored, to some degree, by next year’s proceedings. You saw it in Denver’s willingness to give up multiple picks this year for Waddle while hanging on to all of its 2027 capital. Teams around the league widely view next year’s class as shaping up to be substantially better than this year’s.

“I think everyone feels like next year is going to be a strong draft and I think that����ap based on the quarterbacks and it feels like it����ap going to be a strong quarterback draft,” Paton said. “We definitely look at that when we’re making trades.”

Paton earlier in the offseason said the Broncos pay attention to the fact that they’re in line for a fourth-round comp pick for next year due to John Franklin-Myers’ departure and perhaps a seventh-rounder, too, but that it doesn’t dictate how Denver operates. Expect a similar approach when it comes to deciding whether to part with 2027 draft capital during the 2026 proceedings.

Extra picks can benefit the Broncos next year in a strong class, but it could also benefit them this week.

“We have 10 picks, we think, next year, including the compensatories,” Paton said. “So it gives us more flexibility if we need to use one of those to help ourselves now.”

Do you think the Broncos will make a splash at the draft?

— Roger, Aurora

Hey Roger, guess it depends on what you mean by splash. Two years ago Bo Nix’s selection got all of the attention, and rightfully so. The Saturday trade they swung with the New York Jets for John Franklin-Myers and subsequent two-year, $15 million extension flew much more under the radar, but obviously ended up being quite consequential.

It would probably be bigger news if Denver acquired a veteran player during the draft —��especially if that player were at a clear position of need like tight end ��—��or if they traded a player off their existing roster to acquire more draft capital.

Not saying one or the other is a guarantee, but certainly you can’t count out the possibility of a trade involving an active player one way or the other.

Any chance we move back into the first round? We need a tight end and if Kenyon Sadiq slips, I could see us making some moves to grab him in the late 20s. What say you?

— Tim, Denver

Hey Tim, thanks for writing in. That would be spicy, but it just doesn’t seem feasible without making a dramatic sacrifice either from the existing roster or from the club’s stash of 2027 draft picks. Even then, the math is tough to square. Let����ap use the Jimmy Johnson trade chart as a guide. There are other ways of valuing picks and every team does so slightly differently, but Payton’s draft trades generally follow the Johnson chart.

Denver’s pick at No. 62 is worth 284 points. San Francisco’s pick at No. 27 is worth 680. So even if Sadiq made it that far and the 49ers were willing to deal the pick rather than take him, the gap is 396 points. Denver’s pair of fourth-rounders (Nos. 108 and 111) are worth 150. Not even close, so now you’re talking 2027 capital. Maybe 108, 111 and a 2027 second-rounder gets you there. Given the way teams generally value future year picks and the fact that Denver is likely to be good this fall, the 49ers wouldn’t be out of line asking for No. 62 and next year’s first-rounder. Maybe with a later-round pick this year coming back in return.

That just seems like an awfully steep price, which Paton said himself last week.

“You never say never, but it����ap unlikely,” Paton said about getting to the first round. “It would cost quite a haul for us to get up there. Most of our draft we would have to trade and then something next year.”

Do you think we’ll find our answer at tight end in the draft? Kenyon Sadiq is expected to go in the first round, so I know it’s not him. How about someone like Eli Stowers or someone else who’s under the radar in the middle of the draft?

— Mike, Denver

Hey Mike, it����ap possible. Sadiq will definitely be off the board and Vanderbilt����ap Eli Stowers may well be, too, by the time Denver’s pick rolls around. There will be options, though.

The terrific draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has an interesting clump of tight ends graded right in Denver’s range. His top 150 includes this run: No. 66 Stowers, No. 71 Oscar Delp (Georgia), No. 81 Max Klare (Ohio State), No. 83 Sam Roush (Stanford), No. 84 Marlin Klein (Michigan).

Stowers and Klare are pass-catchers first. Roush and Klein are more accomplished blockers than receivers in college. Delp is tantalizing as an all-around player but never had more than 24 catches in a collegiate season. There are others that could go in the Day 2 range, among them NC State’s Justin Joly. It’ll be fascinating to see if Denver is set on one of them or if they take the view that the group’s depth will present a quality option somewhere along the way.

Parker, what do you think about the Broncos picking up Washington RB Jonah Coleman? He’s got a little shake-and-bake. I’m not sold on RJ Harvey being our back of the future and J.K. Dobbins is a liability with his injury history.

— Mike, Denver

Hey Mike, I like Coleman and my beat partner, Luca Evans, is even higher on him. The 5-foot-8, 220-pounder — Coleman, not Luca —��certainly looks like he fits what the Broncos like and what they need in that room. He visited the Broncos last week, too.

Coleman’s not the only option, of course. Does Denver feel the need to use an early pick on a running back after taking Harvey in the second round last year? Or are they looking more for a late-round add or even a post-draft veteran? One of many questions we’ll soon learn the answer to for certain.

I still don’t understand why they let John Franklin-Myers walk in free agency. I think he was a very good defensive end, an important spot next to Zach Allen, and they re-signed everybody else on the defensive line, why not him? Another thing I don’t get, if Adam Trautman is such a good blocker, how come RJ Harvey couldn’t get more than 2 or 3 yards? And if he is in the game instead of Engram, aren’t you telegraphing a running play?

— Anthony, Venice, Fla.

Hey Anthony, thanks for writing in and for the questions.

First question: Franklin-Myers got as much per year from Tennessee as the Broncos gave D.J. Jones and Malcolm Roach combined, so that����ap part of the equation. They could have paid him, but they knew he was going to make a ton of money and they’re planning around having already paid a bunch of other players while knowing that they may well be looking at a massive Bo Nix extension a year from now. Plus, they like their depth on the defensive line. And they get a fourth-round comp pick in next year’s draft. Doesn’t guarantee that letting him go was the right move, of course, but they didn’t wake up one day in early March and say, oh, dang, we can’t pay JFM. It����ap been part of the plan.

Second question: Easy to point at Harvey’s numbers, but if Trautman is such a bad blocker, then how did Dobbins go through 10 weeks as one of the most effective and efficient rushers in football?

And last: Yeah, that����ap got to be part of Denver’s calculus as it goes through the offseason and puts together its plan in Davis Webb’s first year as the team’s primary playcaller. They have to find ways to play one, the other or both TEs without being too predictable.

Hey Parker, I’ve been hearing rumors about the Broncos being in the mix to sign De’Von Achane. How serious are these talks and do we have the money to sign him?

— Raj P., Centennial

Hey Raj, thanks for writing in. Achane sure is fun, but reporting out of Miami recently is that he showed up for their offseason program in part because extension talks have progressed. Seems like he’s going to be staying in Miami a while.

Who’s making the biggest jump in 2026? My money’s on Jonah Elliss. I think he’s due for a breakout year.

— Adam Miller, Fort Collins

Hey Adam, thanks for writing in and interesting question. If Elliss broke out while making the switch to inside linebacker, that would have present-day and future ramifications for the Broncos. They’d undoubtedly welcome that.

With the caveat that it����ap very early, I’ll put some early breakout chips in for the guy who currently stands to benefit the most from Elliss’ move inside: Second-year outside linebacker Que Robinson. Paton said after the season that Robinson has as much upside as anybody Denver drafted last year. That combined with the flashes on the field are enough to pique substantial interest.

What are the odds that we would bring back some Broncos favorites in Justin Simmons and Von Miller that are available in free agency?�� We are very deep at outside edge, so probably a harder sell for Von.�� Safety seems to be a point of some need.�� Is the price just too high for both of them?

— Michael Horn, Westminster

Hey Michael, thanks for writing. I guess you never say never never, but neither seems at all likely at this point. Miller, of course, would be a tremendous story, but if the Broncos end up adding a veteran edge rusher after the draft I wonder if longtime New Orleans star Cam Jordan is a more likely option.

Broncos draft previews
Offense: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line
Defense: Defensive line | Outside linebackers | Inside linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties

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.

They’re moving forward with Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad atop the room after signing both to extensions at the outset of free agency in early March.

They released Dre Greenlaw with a post-June 1 designation after one year, $11.5 million and a pair of injuries that limited him to eight games in the regular season.

Denver could have made a splash in free agency, but general manager George Paton offered a simple explanation Monday for why his team opted for retention.

“Singleton and Strnad are really good players,” Paton said. “Dre — we couldn’t keep the three of them. Dre helped us win a bunch of games, he helped our culture. We wish him the best, but we’re really happy to have Strnad and Singleton.”

Paton, a month ago at the NFL Combine, said he hoped the Broncos could keep both, and ultimately they did,��signing Strnad to a three-year, $18 million deal��and��Singleton to a two-year, $15 million deal.

Greenlaw, meanwhile, re-signed with San Francisco a year after the Broncos won a heated battle between the clubs for his services.

“Just how much we love Dre as a person and as a player,” San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday when asked about the rationale for bringing Greenlaw back. “He’s one of the best linebackers I’ve ever coached and I’ve been around some good ones. What he’s meant to the Niners organization.

“We hated being away from him for a year and we’re pumped he’s back.”

Singleton and Strnad are part of a broader pattern of retention in Denver this spring. The Broncos signed or tendered 13 of their 17 restricted and unrestricted free agents, plus all four of their exclusive rights players.

“We like our players,” Paton said. “We compare all our players to what����ap there in free agency and our guys were up there pretty high.

“We’ve won a lot of games with these guys. They fit the culture and not everyone does.”

Paton extension a ‘when,’ not if

The Broncos general manager is entering the final year of his original six-year contract he signed when he was hired in January 2021.

CEO and owner Greg Penner reiterated Monday that finalizing an agreement to keep Paton in Denver is a matter of when, not if.

“We want to have George here long-term,” Penner said. “He’s been a terrific partner for Sean and how they work together. I’m sure we’ll get that sorted out.”

Broncos ‘haven’t heard’ on international game in ’26

Broncos president Damani Leech said the club has not heard anything about playing an international game in 2026.

That doesn’t categorically rule out Denver landing a game as a visiting team, but typically teams are at least aware of the possibility by this point a little more than a month before the schedule is released. By this time a year ago, the Broncos knew they were in the mix to play either in Berlin, Germany or London. They ended up playing the New York Jets at Tottenham Stadium in London.

One potential this year would be playing San Francisco in Mexico City, but so far, there has been no indication that Denver will be placed in that game.

“Technically, we are (in the mix), but we haven’t heard anything yet,” Leech said.

Before joining the Broncos as team president in 2022, Leech was the COO of NFL International in the league office.

“Selfishly, I personally love the international ambitions of the league, Greg and Carrie support it, Sean’s a big fan of it,” Leech said. “So anything we can do to support the overall league initiative, we’re on board.”

Training camp update

The Broncos are set to move into their new team headquarters in June.

That project is on time and on budget, Penner said. Fans, however, will not be back on a grass berm for training camp come July. Instead, the club will once again use temporary bleachers for fans attending camp practices.

Leech said he expects capacity to be about double what it was last summer, so somewhere in the 1,500 neighborhood.

“And then shortly after camp ends, we’ll start to build the berm back up and it will be more similar to what fans are used to,” Leech said. The new berm will go where the Broncos’ current building is, to the East of Denver’s practice fields.

DL a free agent possibility

Paton and the Broncos think they are well-situated to make up for the loss of defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers.

Franklin-Myers, of course, signed a massive three-year, $63 million deal with Tennessee when free agency opened.

Even though Denver is confident in its depth beyond the starting trio, thanks to Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Jordan Jackson, and second-year man Sai’Vion Jones, Paton left the door open to adding from the outside still in the coming weeks or months.

“We have pretty good depth, but you are always looking for big guys on the offensive and defensive lines,” he said.

How rare is this retention?

Paton said he hadn’t exactly crunched the numbers on just how many of their own the Broncos have brought back this offseason — but admitted the front office’s approach was “pretty unique.”

“It’s not for everyone, what we’re doing,” Paton said.

Indeed, in recent history, it really hasn’t been for anyone. According to some numbers crunched by The Denver Post, the Broncos currently have 94% of their 2025 snaps under contract heading into their 2026 offseason program. Denver has added only one external free agent, safety and special-teams player Tycen Anderson, and Paton made clear Monday that this was an intentional approach centered on preserving what’s already in the building.

“The culture — and the guys we have really fit it,” Paton said. “It just, it����ap kinda worked out that way.”

After months bandying about the term joker to describe his team’s need for a matchup-threat pass-catcher, Sean Payton sat with the media at the NFL owners’ meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, last year and confirmed Denver had gotten its guy. The Evan Engram signing was the Broncos’ chips-in move, and Payton told reporters that the Broncos had successfully convinced the tight end to sign in part because of that vision of his role: a chaos agent that could be shifted at will to take advantage of opposing defenses.

“Having had players like him,” Payton said then in Florida, “I’m excited.”

Engram’s potential supervillainy for opposing defenses, however, never quite reached its full potential. A year later, the Broncos have swung on another piece who can be a ceiling-raiser for Payton’s offense: receiver Jaylen Waddle, whose arrival has evidently excited Denver’s head coach so much that . After Engram played just 42% of Denver’s snaps last year, though, Payton will face months of questions on how he plans to utilize the speedy Waddle. Particularly considering the Broncos’ haul to trade for him and a fourth-rounder (sending their 2026 first-round and third-round pick to Miami).

That process will begin on Monday in Phoenix at this year’s league meetings, where the Broncos’ brass will gather for their most extensive media availability since the end-of-year press conferences in late January. General manager George Paton, owner Greg Penner and president Damani Leech are all slated to speak to reporters Monday, while Payton will talk at a coaches’ roundtable Tuesday morning.

It’ll be a chance to gather broad insights into how Denver’s decision-makers view the decisions that have shaped their offseason, as well as a host of key topics that’ll shape 2026 training camp and beyond. Here are 10 questions that bear answering in Arizona this coming week.

How do the Broncos plan to get the most out of Waddle?

Denver, again, does not have a first-round pick in 2026. The Waddle trade, by simple math, is contingent on the fact that he can provide more value across the next few seasons than a theoretical draftee at pick No. 30 could provide. That’s significant. Particularly since Payton organizations haven’t traded for a wide receiver since Bethel Johnson in 2006.

Waddle played 60% of his snaps from the slot as a rookie in 2021 for the Dolphins, but saw his usage there hover around 25% for the last four seasons under Mike McDaniel. It’ll be fascinating to see if Payton views Waddle more as an inside or outside threat, and how he can open defenses up for Courtland Sutton and the rest of Denver’s current WR corps.

So, uh, what did ‘opportunistically aggressive’ mean to you guys?

This Penner term, said in his postseason presser, . It was ridiculed as the Broncos sat pretty in free agency and signed back most of the pieces of their 2025 corps to short-term deals. It was then praised as the Broncos swung the blockbuster Waddle deal.

Denver’s free-agency approach, though, was interesting by all accounts — set strict market caps at running back and tight end, test the waters on a variety of pieces but never actually make an offer, and let John Franklin-Myers walk for a likely fourth-round compensation pick in 2027. Were the Broncos trying to preserve cap space in the years before an eventual Bo Nix extension? Is that fourth-round pick really��that��valuable? Was Payton really so focused on that he declined to gather any free-agency intel (mostly kidding)?

“Free agency was tough,” Payton told Kay Adams in that video.

Hmm.

Where does the timeline stand for the new stadium at Burnham Yard?

The Colorado Department of Transportation has officially set a price on the Burnham Yard sale to the Broncos — $45.8 million, a deal scheduled to be finalized May 15. The Broncos’ public messaging, however, is adamant that the area remains a “preferred site,” as the franchise has a variety of factors to iron out that are quietly making the planned 2031 stadium opening a bit tricky.

The Broncos are still working through negotiations with public utility Denver Water, which is eyeing Lot M of the current Empower Field site for part of its facility relocation — a move that could bring some city-planning issues. Broncos officials are also still working through negotiations with SRM Concrete, which owns a concrete plant and several pieces of land smack-dab in the middle of the proposed Burnham stadium area that total an appraised property value . And negotiations with the La Alma Lincoln Park neighborhood on a community-benefits agreement have yet to begin.

How’s Bo Nix?

Duh. Any news��about Nix’s ankle rehab has been quiet��since the Broncos quarterback took to the media to��quell concerns about a preexisting ankle issue following some strange post-season messaging from Payton.

The only Nix update since then has come in early March, when he and wife Izzy announced the birth of their first child (and Izzy also took a picture of Nix walking out of the hospital without a boot). In the grand scheme of things, much more important than Nix’s ankle. But Nix also made clear that he’d be back for OTAs in May, an important step in his rehab. It’ll be important for the Broncos’ brass to note if he’s still on track there.

How do Payton and Paton view their needs now, after free agency?

This encompasses several key sub-questions. Are the Broncos comfortable with running back their J.K. Dobbins-RJ Harvey-Tyler Badie-Jaleel McLaughlin quadrant at running back? (Probably not, if pre-draft activity is any indication). Are they looking to move on from Engram, or trying to unlock him at tight end under new play-caller Davis Webb? Are they set with Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad as their starting ILB duo for 2026, and why did they cut Dre Greenlaw? Do they want to replace Franklin-Myers through the draft, the external market, or internal development?

Make no mistake, as healthy top-to-bottom as Denver is, there are still a few notable holes on this roster. This week should provide some strong hints at how the Broncos see their roster now.

Yes, the move for Jaylen Waddle cost Denver its first-round pick. Yes, the team absorbed the three years and $50.4 million left in base salary on Waddle’s deal. But in sheer cap-value terms, it’s pennies on the dollar. After restructuring Waddle’s deal post-trade to convert his 2026 salary to a signing bonus, Waddle will cost just $4.9 million against Denver’s cap room in 2026. And if it all goes horribly wrong, . Presto.

As it stands, then, Denver managed to land one of the highest-impact additions of the 2026 offseason without making a massive impact on its financial future. Factoring in the Waddle add, the Broncos now stand at a workable $19 million in available cap room. Plus, they’ll get an $8.2 million bump once Dre Greenlaw’s release processes after June 1.

The franchise now heads into April’s NFL Draft with several remaining roster needs, but just one pick (No. 62) in the first two days of selections. The Broncos’ main avenue for further immediate roster improvement, then, might just come via the buyout or mid-offseason trade market — waters they’ve splashed into before.

Take 2024, for example. After trading for pass-rusher Haason Reddick from the Eagles that April, the Jets knew it would be “next to impossible” to keep starting defensive end John Franklin-Myers on his salary, . Denver had been studying Franklin-Myers’ film since free agency began that March, and swooped two days after the draft to send a mere sixth-round pick for a defensive lineman who racked up 14.5 sacks the last two seasons.

“We saw a guy that could rush, get off the ball, and cause disruption,” Broncos defensive-line coach Jamar Cain told The Post this winter, reflecting on the deal. “I was like, ‘Check, check, check.'”

Two years later, with Franklin-Myers now gone to Tennessee, Denver could elect to pull off the same kind of move to replace him. Across the NFL, there’s a fleet of starting-quality names at positions of interest for Denver — tight end, defensive line, and more — sitting on bloated contracts. If any team chooses to tighten the purse strings and cut bait, the Broncos will have the necessary cap flexibility to pounce. At the right price, of course.

With that in mind, The Post reviewed contract data across the NFL to identify a handful of potential salary-cap casualties that could be fits for Denver. Here’s a breakdown.

TE Cole Kmet, Bears

Cap savings for Chicago:��$8.4 million if cut pre-June 1, $10 million if cut post-June 1

2025 stats: 16 games, 30 catches, 347 yards, two touchdowns

Here’s the do-everything, in-line tight end that the Broncos have been looking for. Kmet’s usage as a pass-catcher cratered in 2025 as Bears rookie Colston Loveland emerged, and Kmet is an obvious cut candidate for a franchise that currently has all of $243,078 in available cap space, according to Over The Cap. He’d likely have a strong market, and the Broncos already committed three years and $17 million to Adam Trautman. But it remains a definite possibility that Denver could offload Evan Engram (saving $8.8 million in a pre-June 1 trade), creating room for Kmet or another veteran option.

The 27-year-old Kmet primarily played in-line (62%) in 2025, but has demonstrated slot production in three straight years of 50-plus catches from 2021 to 2023. He’s a red-zone option at 6-foot-6, and is an able blocker. He’d fit well into a Sean Payton building, too.

DL Arik Armstead, Jaguars

Cap savings for Jacksonville:��$14.49 million if cut post-June 1

2025 stats:��16 games, 5.5 sacks, 28 tackles, eight quarterback hits

If Jacksonville chose to save some coin and offload Armstead with a post-June 1 designation, the 33-year-old defensive lineman would likely be a cost-efficient Franklin-Myers replacement for Denver. The similarities are striking, as interior pass-rushers who have versatility across the line. Armstead was less productive snap-for-snap than Franklin-Myers in 2025, but could also come cheaper than the $7.5 million Franklin-Myers made last season.

Armstead would fit right into the Broncos’ collection of former San Francisco 49ers, from Talanoa Hufanga to D.J. Jones and Mike McGlinchey. Plus, he’s a culture guy, winning the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2024.

LB Christian Elliss, Patriots

Cap savings for New England:��$5.06 million if cut pre-June 1, $7.31 million if traded pre-June 1

2025 stats:��15 games, 94 tackles, three passes defensed, three quarterback hits

The Patriots probably wouldn’t trade Elliss to the AFC foe that came four points from putting them out of a Super Bowl in 2025, making this a much more likely addition if New England cuts Elliss. The Colorado native and Valor Christian alumnus emerged as a starting-level inside linebacker in 2025, and Denver is in need of more linebacker depth after cutting Greenlaw. Elliss could reasonably push Justin Strnad for a starting job or serve as depth and an impact special-teamer, where he’s contributed for a few years between Philadelphia and New England. His brother Jonah also just so happens to be a Bronco.

TE Colby Parkinson, Rams

Cap savings for Los Angeles:��$7 million if cut pre-June 1

2025 stats: 15 games, 43 catches, 408 yards, eight touchdowns

Back to the tight-end market. Los Angeles has four capable tight ends on its roster and needs more snaps for 2025 second-round pick Terrance Ferguson, making a Parkinson move obvious here.

The 26-year-old 2020 fourth-round pick would be another strong in-line option for Denver, playing 80% of his snaps there in 2025. Parkinson stands 6-foot-7 and had monster red-zone production in 2025, which would offer a dimension that the Broncos haven’t had at tight end since the days of Julius Thomas. He could be a snug fit in two-tight-end sets with Trautman, too.

RB Breece Hall, Jets

Cap savings for New York:��$14.29 million if traded pre-June 1

2025 stats:��16 games, 243 carries, 1,065 rushing yards, five total touchdowns

Okay, maybe this narrative needs to die. The Broncos have their top-two-RB tandem for 2026 set, with J.K. Dobbins re-signed and RJ Harvey back But Hall-to-Denver will never quite��go away as long as he remains without an extension from New York, and as long as former Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey remains the Jets’ GM, and as long as Hall’s former college RBs coach Lou Ayeni remains Denver’s running-backs coach.

Denver would’ve gone after Hall had he hit free agency, too. There’s mutual interest here. But there’s no real reason for the Broncos to give up more trade capital to swing on Hall unless there’s a dramatic shift or injury in their backfield.

“We’ve got another guy that just came in — Jaylen Waddle, you know what I’m saying?” Dobbins said. “Pick your poison, because we’ve got Courtland Sutton, we’ve got the young Pat Bryant, we’ve got a great O-line, we’ve got everything.

“We’ve got an embarrassment of riches, on this team of talent.”

It could soon become a full-fledged humiliation of riches if Denver’s recent offseason moves are any indication. After re-upping with several names during free agency, the Broncos are currently set to run back the same backfield they deployed in 2025: Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Tyler Badie, Jaleel McLaughlin. But they have a clear interest in further upgrading that room.

Before ultimately turning back to Dobbins, the Broncos checked on 25-year-old RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. in free agency, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Denver Post. Even after Denver re-signed Dobbins, they still expressed interest in adding Rodriguez. The former Commander , seeing a greater path to touches after former Jaguars star Travis Etienne Jr. left in free agency.

Now, Denver has clearly turned its attention to evaluating April’s draft for upgrades at RB3, needing another reliable piece in the room behind the oft-injured Dobbins and second-year back Harvey. Sources told The Post that the Broncos are set to host Washington running back Jonah Coleman and Indiana running back Kaelon Black on top-30 draft visits (meeetings in which NFL teams can bring prospects at their facilities to gain more intel for their evaluations).

Either would present interesting options for Denver, at slightly different points in April’s draft. The 5-foot-8, 220-pound Coleman would likely be a target at Denver’s No. 62 second-round selection or its pair of fourth-round picks (Nos. 108 and 111). He’s a classic power back who can do a little bit of everything — 15 rushing touchdowns in 2025, with 31 catches for 354 yards.

Even more tantalizing, Coleman has as safe a profile as any running back in this class. He fumbled twice in 157 rushing attempts last year, allowed one sack, and didn’t drop a pass, according to Pro Football Focus data. Sounds like a Sean Payton guy, particularly considering his glee in talking pass-protection.

“The way they run protections, they described it to me — is pretty much the same thing that we ran in college,” Coleman told The Post at the combine, of an initial meeting with Denver. “Slightly adjusted, just depending on the game plan and stuff. So coming in and learning fast, being able to play fast, is ultimately the goal.”

Black, meanwhile, was a combine snub despite rushing for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns for the national-champion Hoosiers in 2025. He’s less of a sure thing, with fewer pass-blocking reps than Coleman and just eight combined receptions across two years in Indiana. If Denver wants a change-of-pace back who can break off chunk gains both inside and outside the tackles, though, .

From Denver’s assortment of known draft visits thus far, too, it’s clear the Broncos are eyeing help at the line of scrimmage and tight end. The organization clearly needs a youth infusion in the wings behind a stable starting offensive front, and Denver won’t be content to bring back the exact same middle-of-the-road TE room — Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull — to Week 1 in 2026.

Including Coleman and Black, The Post has confirmed nine of the Broncos’ permissible 30 top-30 draft visits. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of some of Denver’s activity, with a month to go before commissioner Roger Goodell takes the stage at the draft in Pittsburgh.

Quarterback

Confirmed top-30 visits:��None

Intel:��Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis had a Zoom call with��new Broncos QBs coach Logan Kilgore on Wednesday, according to Kaliakmanis’s agency, Grady Sports. Take most pre-draft calls with a slight grain of salt, as Denver would be operating in malpractice if they didn’t meet with prospects regardless of positional need. Still, it’s entirely possible that Payton could look to bring in a developmental quarterback to compete for a No. 2 or No. 3 job — particularly as Denver has a prime asset in backup Jarrett Stidham.

Kaliakmanis has ideal size at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, and threw for 3,124 yards and 20 touchdowns last year for Rutgers. He could be a seventh-round target.

Running back

Confirmed top-30 visits:��Coleman, Black

Intel: Interestingly, if Denver’s trying to keep any potential interest in Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr. close to the vest, it’s doing a good job. has had several top-30 visits — but none with the Broncos, a source said.

Wide receiver

Confirmed top-30 visits: Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

Intel: Well, the Cooper visit was pretty much moot. His camp, naturally, no longer expects Denver to be in play for him in April after the Broncos sent their 2026 first-round pick to the Dolphins in the Jaylen Waddle trade. And a previously-scheduled Denver visit with possible first-rounder KC Concepcion (of Texas A&M) was cancelled after the Waddle deal, a source told The Post.

So, highly unlikely the Broncos target a receiver unless it’s a seventh-round flier. In that case, keep an eye on Michigan’s Donaven McCulley, who has ridiculous size at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. He’s had a Zoom call with new Denver receivers coach Ronald Curry and a few other staffers, a source said. Mississippi State’s Brenen Thompson, Cincinnati’s Cyrus Allen and Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas have also had calls with Denver.

Tight end

Confirmed top-30 visits: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt; Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M

Intel: All-American Stowers has rocketed up boards after an earth-shattering combine, setting an . Not a typo! The red-zone potential in Payton’s offense is massive. But Stowers might not make it to Denver’s first pick at No. 62. Boerkircher is one of several intriguing Day 2 or Day 3 options for the Broncos; he’s caught just 38 passes in his collegiate career, but is a heavy and capable blocker at in-line tight end.

Offensive line

Confirmed top-30 visits: Jude Bowry, Boston College; Josh Gesky, Illinois

Intel: Expect Denver to find some help here. Bowry is a raw, developmental tackle who recorded the fourth-highest vertical jump (34.5 inches) of any lineman at the combine. Gesky is a sleeper who ran a 4.94-second 40-yard-dash at Illinois’s Pro Day in mid-March, and has been trained in the offseason by former nine-year NFL starter Tony Pashos.

Denver has also had a pro-day meeting and has an upcoming Zoom scheduled with gigantic Memphis tackle Travis Burke, who measures at 6-foot-9 and 325 pounds. Burke had a strong season at Memphis in 2025 and could be another later-round option.

Defensive line

Confirmed top-30 visits:��Chris McClellan, Mizzou

Intel: Denver could look to toss in another body into the room to compete for John Franklin-Myers’ old job. Hence, the McClellan visit. Navy’s Landon Robinson, a defensive tackle who racked up 14.5 sacks across three seasons of college ball, also had a post-pro day phone call with Denver, he told The Post.

Linebacker

Confirmed top-30 visits:��Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU

Intel:��Athletically, there are few more intriguing linebacker prospects in 2026 than Elarms-Orr. He ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and jumped 40 inches at the combine, while measuring at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds. That’s nuts. He made plays all over the field last year for TCU, with 130 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks; he could step right in and compete for LB3 in Denver after the Broncos cut Dre Greenlaw.

Secondary

Confirmed top-30 visits:��None

Intel:��Don’t expect Denver to be especially active here. One agent who spoke with a Broncos representative recently told The Post that the Broncos aren’t looking to draft a cornerback in 2026, with a stacked room and other needs. Denver has done calls with Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings and Washington cornerback Ephesians Prysock, though.