— 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.

Nobody, by his own admission, loves draft picks more than Broncos general manager George Paton. And yet, in the pursuit of all-in roster-building, this Denver organization has actually only held a first-round pick in two of the previous five draft cycles.

“I’ve probably traded too many, God darn it,” Paton joked, at league meetings in March. “But I think it’s worked out.”

After trading for Jaylen Waddle in March, the Broncos will pick later in this upcoming NFL Draft (spanning Thursday to Saturday) than any other team in the NFL, sitting with their first selection at No. 62. And it would be nearly impossible for Denver to drum up the capital to trade back into the first round come Thursday — the team is only opening their facility to media for draft coverage come Day 2 on Friday, clearly indicating no plans to leap into Day 1.

But the Broncos could “certainly” move up a few slots from that No. 62 selection, as Paton said point-blank in his pre-draft presser last week.

With that in mind, The Denver Post explored scenarios in which Paton and staff could move a few picks up to snag a key offensive piece for head coach Sean Payton. Spoiler alert: it’s Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers, who has quickly become a darling of the Broncos’ pre-draft media cycle.

Here’s The Post’s final full seven-round Broncos mock draft before the real thing kicks off on Thursday, in which the organization will inevitably take several prospects who nobody on Planet Earth predicted would land in Denver.

Round 2, pick No. 54 (from Philadelphia): TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

�հ������:��Broncos receive Nos. 54 and 197; Eagles receive Nos. 62 and 108

The idea of Stowers-to-Denver couldn’t be any more obvious, as he’d give Payton and quarterback Bo Nix a hybrid WR/TE with a record-setting 45.5-inch vertical. The reality is plenty more complicated. Stowers is highly unlikely to fall all the way to No. 62, and could start receiving interest as early as the late first round. With that being said, here’s a scenario that’d make sense from multiple angles.

In this spin through Pro Football Focus’s mock-draft simulator, The Post explored trying to move up to both pick No. 46 (Buccaneers) and No. 51 (Panthers) to leap in front of two tight-end-needy franchises. The price, however, wound up too steep on the Jimmy Johnson draft-pick valuation chart — but not for the Eagles. There are ties, too, between Denver and Philadelphia’s front offices, as former Eagles national scout Jordon Dizon became the Broncos’ director of pro personnel in 2025.

Ultimately, here, the Broncos give up a fourth-rounder for a sixth-rounder and the chance to take Stowers, a 2025 All-American who’d become a tantalizing prospect for Payton. This move would likely mean Denver moves on from Evan Engram; quietly, the organization explored alternatives at tight end through free agency, but the price crept too high. Here, the price is just right.

Also considered:��Notre Dame RB Jadarian Price was somehow still sitting available here, at No. 54. There’s a very finite chance of that actually playing out Thursday and Friday, as some RB-needy team will likely stump earlier for Price’s abilities as a runner.

Round 4, pick No. 125 (from New England): LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU

�հ������:��Broncos receive Nos. 125, 171 and 247; Patriots receive No. 111

Bonanza! Payton loves trading up, and Paton loves trading back; here, the latter winds up happy. It’s highly unlikely the Broncos would jump up twice within the first three rounds with limited capital to begin with, and instead they sit and wait for a high-upside linebacker late in the fourth round.

Elarms-Orr could wind up flying higher than this if a team takes a swing on his traits, because they are a-plenty: 4.47 40-yard-dash and a 40-inch vertical. He had a low percentage of missed tackles last year at TCU, and added 25 pressures and four sacks. Vance Joseph would have a true weapon here, and let Elarms-Orr develop for a year behind Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. Denver, of course, likes Elarms-Orr, having completed a top-30 visit with him.

Round 5, pick No. 170: S Michael Taaffe, Texas

Taaffe has told The Post he’d love to play in Denver to reunite with old Texas teammate Jahdae Barron, and had a strong first initial meeting with new Broncos defensive passing-game coordinator Robert Livingston. His leadership skills would be a direct fit in the Broncos’ locker room, as a former walk-on who grew into a star at Texas. Plus, the familiarity would likely help Barron’s development, too.

Taaffe doesn’t have a standout frame or athleticism, at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds with a 4.5-second 40-yard-dash. He’s racked up a combined seven picks across three seasons, though, and would bring instant special-teams value.

Also considered:��We thought about trading up again from this slot to select a running back like Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton or Kaytron Allen, but ultimately decided to stay put. Both fell off the board, leaving us with…

Round 5, pick No. 171 (from New England): RB Kaelon Black, Indiana

The Post has mocked Black to the Broncos before, and lands here again. The Hoosiers back will need to show and develop more third-down value, as he caught just eight passes over two seasons at Indiana and fluctuated in pass protection. But he was considerably more productive as a receiver back at James Madison, and Black’s steadiness as a runner — 1,034 yards, 5.6 yards per carry in 2025 — makes him one of the best late-round RB fits for Denver in this draft.

Round 6, pick No. 197 (from Philadelphia): OLB Caden Curry, Ohio State

The Broncos could look to add another depth edge rusher if they shift Jonah Elliss full-time to inside linebacker, and Curry would be an excellent late-round option. The 6-foot-2, 257-pound rusher grew from a reserve into a breakout star last season for the Buckeyes, racking up 11 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss. He’s also quick enough to drop into coverage, and could compete during camp with last year’s fourth-round pick Que Robinson for snaps.

Round 7, pick No. 246: CB Latrell McCutchin Sr., Houston

This kicks off a run of four seventh-round selections for the Broncos, which Paton has used aggressively for years to keep desired prospects from hitting the open undrafted market. Despite a glut of cornerbacks, Denver is exploring late-round options, and has been in frequent contact with McCutchin through the pre-draft process. He’s a big corner with good athleticism — nearly 6-foot-2, 4.43-second 40-yard-dash, 38.5-inch vertical — and would give Denver another developmental option at boundary corner during training camp. He could become a special-teams player, too.

Round 7, pick No. 247 (from New England): OT Enrique Cruz Jr., Kansas

Classic high-upside, low-risk swing here on an offensive lineman. Cruz could certainly go earlier due to his sheer athleticism — a 4.94-second 40-yard-dash and 1.74-second 10-yard-split — but his tape needs work, as he allowed six pressures and received a PFF pass-blocking grade of 0.0 in a game against high-octane Texas Tech this year. He’d be a perfect project for Broncos offensive-line coach Zach Strief, as Denver’s tackles Mike McGlinchey and Garett Bolles continue aging quite gracefully.

Round 7, pick No. 256: QB Haynes King, Georgia Tech

Just a fun one here. King’s athleticism is off the charts, with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and a 1.55-second 10-yard-split. Payton had immense success with Taysom Hill in New Orleans in converting an athletic quarterback to a skill-position weapon, and a source has told The Post that the Broncos see King the same way. He ran for 953 yards and 15 touchdowns last season at Georgia Tech.

Round 7, pick No. 257: WR Donaven McCulley, Michigan

Another upside swing, McCulley would become the draft’s Mr. Irrelevant. His profile is entirely relevant to Payton, though, measuring at 6-foot-4 despite poor athleticism. A converted quarterback who played four seasons at Indiana, McCulley should have some untapped upside. Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb was on McCulley’s pre-draft Zoom call with Denver, which should raise eyebrows.

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 Alex Singleton to a two-year, $15.5 million deal; re-signed Justin Strnad to a three-year, $18 million deal; re-signed Levelle Bailey to a futures contract.

Under contract:��Singleton, Strnad, Jonah Elliss (if he’s a full-time ILB), Drew Sanders, Jordan Turner, Karene Reid, Bailey

Need scale (1-10): 8.��Doesn’t have to be a top-of-the-line piece, but it’s time for the Broncos to invest actual draft capital at the ILB spot. Strnad will be a member of the room long-term, but Singleton will turn 33 this December, and it’d make plenty of sense for Denver to add another off-ball ‘backer who can develop behind the two — regardless if Denver shifts Elliss to ILB full-time. General manager George Paton has said multiple times that this is a good ILB class, too.

The Top Five

Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Already a first-round lock, the 6-foot-5 Styles blew the doors off at the combine back in February — a 4.46-second 40-yard-dash, a 43.5-inch vertical — and could rise all the way into the top five this coming week in Pittsburgh. His 2024 season for the Buckeyes was a marvel: 100 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks. He’ll make a linebacker-needy franchise quite happy.

Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

Initially considered a mid-round prospect, Rodriguez now looks poised to land squarely in the second round. In a perfect world, the 2025 Bronko Nagurski winner — college football’s top defensive award — would fall to Denver at No. 62. But Rodriguez’s combination of leadership and coverage skills will make that highly unlikely.

CJ Allen, Georgia

Allen was one of the hotter early names for Denver at No. 30 back when the franchise still had its first-round pick, but the Georgia product has fallen a smidge down draft boards the past couple months. The 2025 All-American will likely still be gone by the back of the second round, as he’s a textbook green-dot fit in the heart of an NFL defense.

Anthony Hill Jr., Texas

If you flipped Hill’s 2024 and 2025 seasons, he’d be an easy first-round pick: the tape looked much better a year ago, when the linebacker led the SEC with 16.5 tackles for loss and racked up eight sacks and four forced fumbles. The athleticism popped at the combine, though, and Hill is a versatile fit who can play mike or will and thrive in pass-rush situations. The Rodriguez-Allen-Hill tier, and where they land in the second round, will be one of the more interesting developments for Denver to monitor.

Jake Golday, Cincinnati

Here’s a guy that could be sitting pretty for Denver at No. 62. Golday graded as excellent against the run in a 105-tackle season in 2025, added 3.5 sacks, and posted decent numbers in coverage. It’s easy to imagine Vance Joseph utilizing Golday as a blitzer similar to how he creates pressure with Singleton and Strnad.

More Broncos fits

Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh

A linebacker-safety hybrid, the Broncos should have their eyes all over Louis. The versatile 22-year-old has totaled six interceptions across the last two seasons, and has the speed and agility to both pursue sideline-to-sideline and cover in space. The only concern here is his durability playing ILB — Louis is a shade under six feet, and weighing at 220 pounds.

Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU

Paton said Thursday that Denver likes to draft “high-trait players” that “maybe lack a little polish.” Meet Elarms-Orr, who ranked second among all ILBs at the combine in the 40-yard-dash, fifth in 10-yard-split, and second in vertical leap — all at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds. He racked up 11 tackles for loss and four sacks in 13 games in 2025; if the Broncos are confident he can grow into an adequate coverage linebacker, he could be a mid-round steal. He’s taken a top-30 visit in Denver.

Jimmy Rolder, Michigan

Rolder grew from a reserve into a key starter across four years at Michigan, and racked up 73 tackles and seven tackles for loss in 2025. In a deep draft, he could be a solid Day 3 option for Denver. He’s graded as one of the best tacklers in this class at his position.

Bryce Boettcher, Oregon

Boettcher said at the combine that he felt a “like-minded mentality when it comes to the physicality of the game,” in an initial conversation with Denver. That physicality, indeed, should endear Boettcher to the Broncos: he racked up 136 tackles in 15 games for the Ducks last season. He’s a ready-made Singleton-type who also will provide plenty of special-teams value.

Dom DeLuca, Penn State

A Day 3-to-PFA-type, DeLuca grew from a walk-on special-teamer to a key contributor at inside linebacker across five years at Penn State. He struggled at times to both wrap up and cover in space for the Nittany Lions, but the Broncos love versatile pieces who can offer special-teams value, and DeLuca fits squarely into that mold. Denver’s reached out on him.

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: Moving Jonah Elliss to inside linebacker

Under contract: Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Que Robinson, Dondrea Tillman, Johnny Walker.

Need scale (1-10): 4. This number is influenced a bit upward in the wake of head coach Sean Payton saying last month that Elliss will get a look inside. Still, Denver’s got an enviable situation at outside linebacker thanks to Bonitto’s continued ascension into one of the NFL’s finest rushers, Cooper’s stalwart presence and the emergence of Robinson as a prime breakout candidate for 2026. Tillman has a knack for finishing and logged a pair of interceptions in 2025, though the Broncos are probably wise to keep him in his current role and not bank on getting a ton more out of him than they already are. He’s one of the best under-the-radar signings of the past handful of years. The Broncos don’t have to draft an edge this year, but it����ap a premium position and Payton and GM George Paton are always on the lookout. It would be foolish to rule out drafting a player at the position.

The Top Five

Arvell Reese, Ohio State

The first big question of the 2026 Draft arrives at No. 2 after the Las Vegas Raiders select QB Fernando Mendoza with the top pick. Does New York Jets GM Darren Mougey — Paton’s former top lieutenant in Denver — like Reese or Texas Tech’s David Bailey better?

They’re each premier talents. Bailey is a more fully formed edge rusher right now, while Reese draws Micah Parsons comparisons for his versatility and ability to make an impact from anywhere. Reese checked into the NFL Combine a shade over 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds and ran 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He won’t turn 21 until the end of training camp. He’s got all the tools.

David Bailey, Texas Tech

Bailey started his career at Stanford and then exploded in 2025 as part of the Red Raiders’ super-talented and highly compensated defensive front. He racked up 14.5 tackles and 19.5 TFLs. He’s exactly what NFL teams look for on the edge. Long, strong, fast and powerful. He checked into the combine at 6-4 and 251 pounds and ran 4.5 in the 40. He should make an impact right from the jump wherever he gets drafted, whether that����ap No. 2 overall to the Jets or elsewhere in the top 10.

Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

No conversation about Bain over the course of the fall and winter would last long before his arm length — or lack thereof — came up. But, man, just watch him play. He can contort his body, he’s powerful and he just finds a way to make life miserable for tackles. He helped power Miami’s terrific season. In recent months, he’s been one of several top draft prospects to train with former Broncos pass-rush consultant B.T. Jordan. Bain shouldn’t have to wait more than 10 picks or so to hear his name called.

T.J. Parker, Clemson

After the top three, there are a number of edge rushers who could populate the first round and the order will depend on what specific teams are looking for. Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell brings pure speed. Mizzou’s Zion Young is powerful. Miami’s bookend to Bain, Akheem Mesidor, is already 25 but is a well-rounded player. Parker is young — he won’t turn 22 until early in the season — and has ideal measurables (6-4 and 263 at the combine). He had just five sacks and 9.5 TFLs as a junior after 11 and 19.5, respectively, in 2024, but the ceiling is high.

Keldrick Faulk, Auburn

Faulk is another young player and he’s got a massive frame at 6-6 and 276. The counting stats took a step back in 2025 when he logged just two sacks and five TFLs in 12 games (he had seven and 11, respectively, the year prior), but Faulk’s got huge upside if he gets in a program where he can develop pass-rush refinement.

Broncos options

R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma

A somewhat undersized but fast and explosive edge rusher from Oklahoma who projects to get drafted somewhere in the second-round neighborhood? That might be a little on the nose for the Broncos at No. 62 four years after they selected Nik Bonitto out of OU at No. 64 overall.

Jaishawn Barham, Michigan

Played two years at Maryland and then two at Michigan and finished with a career-best 10 tackles for loss to go along with four sacks in 2025. He’s not a finished product by any means, but the athletic ability at 6-4 and 240 pounds might be worth stashing and developing. He’s not the same as Que Robinson because he played a lot more defensive snaps than Robinson, but similar in the sense that he’d be interesting as a toolsy project in the fourth or fifth round, depending on how or if Denver moves some of its picks around.

Logan Fano, Utah

The Broncos love Utes. They’ve drafted several, from since-traded WR Devaughn Vele and Elliss in 2024 to tight end Caleb Lohner last year. Fano is likely a Day 3 guy and is just the type of player Denver is usually attracted to late. He’s big at 6-5 and 257. He’s powerful but hasn’t put up huge sack numbers. The Broncos have been good at developing pass rush. Fano has most of the rest.

Mason Reiger, Wisconsin

Reiger spent five seasons at Louisville (he missed 2024 with an injury) before transferring to Wisconsin for his final season. He tied his career-high with five sacks last fall and added six tackles for loss. He’s a good athlete and jumped 40 inches vertical and 10-5 broad at the Combine at 6-5 and 251.

Josh Weru, IPP

The Kenyan rusher is a freak athlete. At the HBCU showcase this spring, Weru ran 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and logged a 41-inch vertical at 6-4 and 244 pounds. If you’re talking seventh round, maybe with one of the last two picks of the draft, why not see what you can get out of an athlete like that?

He has already come further than anyone could’ve reasonably expected, a walk-on safety at Texas who molded himself into an All-American and legitimate NFL Draft prospect this spring. And Taaffe has existed, for two months, in the carefree limbo that comes with the utter lack of choice over his future. He’s done pre-draft training in Austin, Texas. He’s played golf. He’s hopped on countless calls with NFL teams. And his mind has wandered, naturally, to old teammates who could become new again.

Recently, after a pre-draft Zoom with new Broncos defensive passing-game coordinator Robert Livingston, Taaffe told Broncos cornerback and former Longhorns buddy Jahdae Barron that it’d be “awesome” to play with him again.

Barron, however, has learned such dreams are not so simple.

“He was like, ‘You don’t even know,'” Taaffe said, describing Barron’s advice. “Don’t even fixate on a team. Don’t even fixate on a round.”

Such is life, in particular, as a Denver draft target, as such targets are usually fairly unaware they’re actually targets. Numerous agents across the NFL landscape share similar stories of minimal pre-draft communication with this Broncos regime before their client suddenly received a call from Sean Payton. Take Barron, who told reporters on a post-draft conference call last year — shortly after Denver swooped on him at pick No. 20 in the first round — that he “truly didn’t know it was coming.”

Between Payton and general manager George Paton, the Broncos have built a particular reputation for holding pre-draft cards close to their vests. Their top-30 visits, where NFL clubs host prospects at their facilities to gather further intel, are often smokescreens. Predicting their draft leanings is often a fruitless endeavor, for the media and for players themselves.

Let’s try anyway.

Across the last two months, The Denver Post has spoken to hundreds of league sources to collect information on the Broncos’ draft process — visits, calls, needs, general leanings — and the countless flavors of prospects they’re coveting.��Welcome to “The Horse” — a Broncos-specific 2026 NFL Draft guide (and a play on ).

Coming off a 14-3 regular season and a blockbuster move for receiver Jaylen Waddle, Payton, Paton and company enter this cycle with no first-round pick and just seven choices in total. The Broncos still have plenty of flexibility to add key contributors; they’ll likely flip some capital to move up or back at some point once the festivities kick off this coming Thursday.

Here’s the breakdown.

The picks

Day 2, Friday:��No. 62 (second round)

Day 3, Saturday: Nos. 108, 111 (fourth round); No. 170 (fifth round); Nos. 246, 256, 257 (seventh round)

Fun fact: The Broncos can become the first NFL team to draft both Mr. Irrelevant and Mr. Slightly-More-Relevant since the seven-round modern era began in 1994. For the last three decades, no team has ever selected the last two picks of the draft back-to-back.

The needs, in order of importance

1.��Tight end.��Broken record here. The Broncos still view 2025 signee Evan Engram as a “key piece” and want to “add to his workload,” as Payton said in his pre-draft presser Thursday. But Denver explored potential upgrades or alternatives in free agency before the price got too high, and the 31-year-old Engram’s contract is up one way or another after this year. Denver desperately needs a young, athletic target for Bo Nix who can be a factor both as a blocker and as a receiver. There are quite a few such types in this draft.

2. Inside linebacker. Denver brought back captain Alex Singleton and ascending reserve-turned-starter Justin Strnad on multi-year deals this offseason, but cut Dre Greenlaw after an injury-plagued 2025. The Broncos are planning to deploy edge rusher Jonah Elliss inside, but that shouldn’t preclude Denver from dipping into a pretty solid ILB class. It’d make sense to take a high-upside ‘backer who can play behind and alongside Denver’s starting duo in 2026 while developing for the future.

3. Running back. On paper, the Broncos’ one-two punch of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey is solid. The thing about paper is that it tears. Quite easy. Denver’s rushing attack cratered after Dobbins’ season-ending injury last year, and the Broncos can’t count on the veteran to play 17 games. They’ll be looking to add a third RB as either a change-of-pace upgrade from veteran Jaleel McLaughlin or a third-down upgrade from Tyler Badie.

4. Offensive line. As presently constructed, Denver will roll the same starting front out for the third straight year. That’s great for continuity. But the Broncos haven’t once pursued high-end draft talent on their offensive front in the Payton era, instead preferring to develop seventh-round picks and undrafted free agents. Starting left guard Ben Powers is entering the final year of his deal, and tackles Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey have both cleared 30.

5. Safety.��Here’s a sneaky one. Veteran Brandon Jones is entering the final year of his contract, and starter Talanoa Hufanga had been frequently bitten by the injury bug before playing in every game last year for Denver. Offseason signee Tycen Anderson profiles as more of a special-teams ace, and a young piece here would make a lot of sense.

The sinister six

At Thursday’s pre-draft conference, Paton offered an unusually forthcoming tidbit: Denver has “six players,” the general manager said, that it favors should they be available at No. 62. The Broncos have honed in on the crop available between roughly Nos. 40 to 75 on their board, Paton also said, to arrive at that determination.

Here’s a guess at those potential six, informed by learned intel and positional needs, that Denver could be favoring.

DT Caleb Banks, Florida

If Banks weren’t facing some very real injury concerns, he’d be a first-round pick. Possibly top-15. The��if��could drop Banks into the Broncos’ lap. He played just three games in 2025 with a foot injury, and . He also stands 6-foot-6, weighs 327 pounds, racked up 4.5 sacks from the interior in 2024, and . Risk. Reward.

OT Travis Burke, Memphis

A massive pre-draft riser. Literally massive. Burke measured 6-foot-8 and three-quarters at the combine, had an excellent season at Memphis in 2025, and has played at both right and left tackle in a five-year collegiate career. Denver’s done plenty of work here: meeting with Burke at his Pro Day and conducting a Zoom call with him. A source told The Post that multiple Broncos area scouts had a third-to-fourth-round grade on Burke, which could make this a slight reach at No. 62, but Burke would be off the board by the time the fourth round rolled in.

LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh

It’s wholly rare to find a linebacker who can capably hold their own in man coverage against tight ends or running backs. Louis, a safety-LB hybrid, can be that guy. He ranked in the top four at his position in every single speed and agility drill at the combine, and has proven ball production (six INTs combined between 2024 and 2025). The size — weighing at 220 pounds — is a slight concern against the run, but Louis could be an excellent, versatile piece in Vance Joseph’s defense.

G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon

There’s no way Pregnon slides to Denver. Right? Probably not. The Oregon product has visited with a handful of teams who sit in the late-first-round to early-second-round range, and will likely fly off the board shortly after consensus top guard Olaivavega Ioane gets snapped up. If Pregnon — a Denver native — slides a bit into Day 2, though, the Broncos could look to move up. Denver did a top-30 visit with him, which raises the antenna on a prospect they seem to have little shot at with their current slot.

TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

Stowers set the modern combine record for all tight ends with a 45.5-inch vertical, so let’s start there. He ran a faster 40-yard dash than first-round WR prospects Makai Lemon and Carnell Tate, and profiles more as a hybrid receiving weapon rather than a true tight end. Drafting Stowers could bring an end to Engram’s time in Denver, as Stowers doesn’t profile as a piece that Payton would trust to stay on the field in blocking situations.

RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas

One NFL assistant coach who spoke with The Post on this year’s running-back class described Washington’s 2025 season as a “tale of two halves,” but noted his size and speed — a 4.33-second 40-yard-dash at 223 pounds — “might fit” what Denver’s looking for in a third back. The traits are all there, and the consistency isn’t.

The top-30 visits

Here’s a run-through of every Post-confirmed prospect who’s taken a top-30 visit with the Broncos.

DT Caleb Banks, Florida:��As much potential as an interior pass-rusher as anybody at his position, but the foot injuries are tough to swallow.

DT Uar Bernard, International Player Pathway: Literally the most athletic defensive tackle in the history of the NFL pre-draft cycle. The issue: he’s never played a snap of professional football.

TE Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M:��Classic blocking Y-type tight end who could have a tinge more receiving upside than he showed in college, with a career-best 19 catches last year.

RB Kaelon Black, Indiana:��A combine snub after a 1,060-yard rushing season for the national-champion Hoosiers. He’ll be 25 in October. A possible Day 3 fit.

OT Jude Bowry, Boston College:��High-ceiling, developmental, mid-round prospect who jumped 34.5 inches at the combine.

RB Jonah Coleman, Washington:��Steady, solid back who doesn’t wow but doesn’t make many mistakes. Denver might have to move into the third round to get him.

WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana:��This visit happened before the Waddle trade. Cooper will go somewhere in the first round.

ILB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, TCU:��4.47-second 40-yard dash, 40-inch vertical jump at 234 pounds. Phew. A potential fourth-round difference-maker.

G Josh Gesky, Illinois:��Underrated, productive left guard in college who ran a 4.94-second 40-yard dash and had a 33-inch vertical at Illinois’s Pro Day. Would be a seventh-round or PFA target.

TE Justin Joly, NC State:��Only 6-foot-3, but a productive receiver who had 49 catches and seven touchdowns in 2025. Could be right there in the fourth round.

DT Chris McClellan, Mizzou: Draft riser who racked up six sacks last year.

LB Dasan McCullough, Nebraska: Hybrid-type linebacker who never quite found a consistent role in collegiate football but has intriguing size (6-foot-5, 235 pounds).

DT Christen Miller, Georgia:��321-pound nose tackle who can be a consistent presence in the middle of an NFL defensive line. Might not be there at 62.

OT Gavin Ortega, Weber State:��Sleeper! A late visit this cycle, Ortega was terrific in pass protection at Weber State and should have some versatility at several spots at the NFL level.

G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon:��24-year-old strongman who could be an instant starter, but probably won’t land in Denver.

OT Paul Rubelt, UCF:��Another skyscraper. Rubelt stands 6-foot-10, and the Broncos will have a good read on him from watching Harvey’s tape last year.

TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt:��Athletic marvel who could be gone well before Denver could grab him at the back of the second.

OLB Josh Weru, International Player Pathway:��A converted rugby player who’s studied tape of Nik Bonitto for a year and has been timed at a 4.45-second 40-yard dash. Obvious PFA target.

The larger-scale takeaways from all this: the Broncos are pretty intent on evaluating both top-end and sleeper talent across the defensive line, and are exploring high-upside offensive linemen.

The runners

Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love might just be the best outright player in this draft, regardless of position. After him, though, there’s an unusually steep drop to the next tier of running-back options, a glut that stretches anywhere from the back of the first round to the back of Day 3.

Payton said at league meetings in late March that running back was a position that “could get addressed, if the opportunity presents itself.” It will present itself next week, no matter how the chips fall. Washington, Coleman and Black have already been covered here; for more options, The Post spoke with an NFL assistant coach who’s done extensive work on this RB class for thoughts on the post-Love crop.

Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

Likely draft slot:��Late-1st, early-2nd round

Love’s complementary option for the Fighting Irish, Price carries lead-back NFL potential in his own right. His per-touch production over the last two years at Notre Dame has been ridiculous. Price, though, caught just 15 passes across three seasons and will need to develop three-down value.

Coach’s comments: “If you want to hand the ball off to somebody, I think Jadarian Price is just as good, if not better (than Love). So it wouldn’t surprise me at all if someone took him late-first.”

Emmett Johnson, Nebraska

Likely draft slot:��3rd-to-4th round

The testing wasn’t inspiring, as the 202-pound Johnson ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash. The tape and the production, though, tell a different story. Johnson led the Big Ten in rushing last year (1,451 yards), and caught 46 passes in 12 games.

Coach’s comments:��“The more you watch that kid, the more he looks like LeSean McCoy at Pittsburgh.”

Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest

Likely draft slot:��Day 3

Huge pop here, as Claiborne ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash and has standout agility. He increased his yards-per-carry average every season of his collegiate career, but has less-than-ideal size at 5-foot-9 and 188 pounds.

Coach’s comments:��“Best speed-and-space back in the draft … can score from anywhere at any time.”

Kaytron Allen, Penn State

Likely draft slot:��Day 3

Allen, rather quietly, became Penn State’s all-time leading rusher this past fall, and ran for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns in a rough overall season for the program. The athleticism doesn’t stand out, but the motor does.

Coach’s comments:��“He was the most cerebral back I evaluated. He’s extremely smart. Football IQ is very high … that’s a guy that won’t get you beat, that you’d love to have on your team.”

The nuts and bolts

A young Joker? Clemson’s Adam Randall could be an incredibly intriguing fit in Payton’s offense. A receiver-turned-running back, the 232-pound Randall ran for 10 touchdowns last year and caught 36 passes in his first year playing full-time RB. In a best-case scenario, Randall could become a matchup-threat TE/RB hybrid from the backfield; Denver has enough interest in him that a coach flew out this past week to visit him, a source said.

QB options. Denver is set to roll its same quarterback room from last season into 2026, with Nix, backup Jarrett Stidham and QB3 Sam Ehlinger all under contract. But the Broncos have been active in evaluating young depth in this class. Quarterbacks coach Logan Kilgore has hopped on Zoom calls with Rutgers’ Athan Kaliakmanis, Illinois’s Luke Altmyer and Minnesota-Morehead (DII)’s Jack Strand. Denver also sees Georgia Tech’s Haynes King — a 6-foot-3 athlete who ran for 953 yards and 15 touchdowns last season — as a potential Taysom Hill-type, a source said.

Big-bodied targets. No matter how much WR depth the Broncos accumulate, Payton will always love big receivers. A few notable prospects Denver has called about or hosted Zooms with: Baylor’s Josh Cameron (6-foot-2, 872 yards, nine TDs in 2025); Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas (6-foot-3, 846 yards, 7 TDs); SMU’s Jordan Hudson (6-foot-1, 766 yards, six TDs); TCU’s Joseph Manjack IV (6-foot-3, 579 yards, three TDs); St. Thomas’s David Hayes (6-foot-4, 790 yards, 10 TDs); and Michigan’s Donaven McCulley (6-foot-4, 588 yards, three TDs). Keep an eye on McCulley in particular, as a source said newly-crowned Broncos OC Davis Webb was on a Zoom with him — notably different from normal pre-draft calls with position coaches or scouts.

Local day? Denver hosted Wyoming QB-turned-TE Evan Svoboda and OL Jack Walsh at their facility earlier this week, among others, for what sources termed a “local day.” This, however, wasn’t open to anyone, as multiple prospects from Colorado and CSU weren’t in attendance. Svoboda is an interesting project who caught 11 passes for the Cowboys this past year.

Every year, there are playoff teams that fall and bottom dwellers that make a surprising run to the postseason.

Sometimes the malaise lasts — it did in Denver for nearly a decade after winning Super Bowl 50. Sometimes it doesn’t — would it surprise anybody if Kansas City and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes were back in contention this fall?

Even in a sport where the wide-open on-field product is a feature rather than a bug, there are still power players and power centers.

As the NFL spring owners meetings in Phoenix wrapped up a couple of weeks ago with black SUVs idling to whisk multimillionaires and billionaires from the Arizona Biltmore to waiting jets, the Broncos had provided plenty of material to fill reporters’ notebooks.

On the field, Sean Payton and George Paton discussed the acquisition of Jaylen Waddle, the decision to move Jonah Elliss to inside linebacker, the upcoming draft and more.

Away from it, owner and ����apEO Greg Penner and president Damani Leech turned up the pressure on the club’s Burnham Yard stadium project, talked about their new, $175 million team headquarters nearing completion, the impact of hosting an AFC Championship Game and coming within four points of the Super Bowl and more.

Tangible stuff. Quite a bit of it.

Less obvious in some ways but just as palpable: The reality that, as they approach five years owning the Broncos, Greg Penner and Carrie Walton Penner are a growing power center in the NFL. Their stature is growing similarly in Denver and the state of Colorado, too.

Those points were driven home further on Friday when the couple, through their family entity Penner Sports Group, finalized the purchase of a 40% stake in the Colorado Rockies.

The Penners are not going anywhere with the Broncos and the NFL. They will not have day-to-day roles with the Rockies, sources told The Post, and they are plenty busy with football.

Not only are they waist-deep in the myriad, complex processes and business dealings that come with trying to build a new stadium and entertainment district — a project that, if everything progresses roughly along the team’s preferred timeline, will last another five-plus years — but they are set to move into their new HQ in June. They’ll be in the team’s draft room all three days, as they always are, later this month. They are overseeing projects like the team’s $8 million “All In. All Covered.” high school helmet program and other community initiatives. They’ll likely work out a contract extension with general manager George Paton in the coming months. On and on and on.

That����ap just the team. Between the pair, they also now serve on seven NFL ownership committees.

Carrie Walton-Penner: Health and safety, diversity and the NFL foundation.

Greg Penner: The powerful labor committee, compensation, ownership policy and finance.

Those committee assignments put Penner in the middle of the league figuring out whether and now how to invite private equity money into team ownership groups, determining compensation for commissioner Roger Goodell and, in the coming months and years, negotiating��first��with the NFL Referees Association on a new collective bargaining agreement and then with the NFL Players Association on the same. The biggest story at this year’s league meetings was about whether replacement referees will be needed this fall. As soon as next year, conversations about extending the NFL season to 18 games, growing the international slate, negotiations about player revenue shares and more will likely dominate the conversation.

Essentially, the Penners are in some way, shape or form involved in virtually every core issue the league will tackle in the short and intermediate future and probably the longer-range future as well.

Friday’s announcement about the Rockies stake changes nothing. It remains to be seen just how much their investment in Dick Monfort����ap team will be felt or seen immediately, though it very clearly puts the club in a much better cash position than it previously was.

It remains to be seen, too, to what degree the Rockies become part of the Penners’ overall influence and impact on Denver and Colorado sports. Perhaps it will be in the background for years and decades to come. Perhaps not.

What is clear this spring, though, is that they’ve gone from the new owners on the NFL block to among the league’s foremost figures in less than a half-decade. Ownership groups around the NFL have most certainly taken notice.

Along the way, the club has returned to prominence on the field and has planned a major facelift for part of central Denver.

In Phoenix recently and in the aftermath of Friday’s announcement, though, this all feels like it����ap still closer to the beginning than the pinnacle of the Penners’ influence in football and on the Front Range.

Take a spin around the football internet these days and you will find yourself soaked by a deluge of mock drafts.

Make no mistake, though, NFL front offices do them, too.

Now, they are working with full scouting staffs, extensive visibility into injury and character questions, thousands of human hours of work put into setting the stage for the real thing later this month.

A year ago, perhaps not a single mock draft paired the Broncos and Jahdae Barron at No. 20. That led head coach Sean Payton to describe the wait as Barron fell through the teens toward them and, well, to mock the mocks.

“The mocks that you guys read for the last month, what do you want me to say?” Payton said then. “It����ap embarrassing sometimes, but it����ap entertaining.”

General manager George Paton last week said the Broncos had narrowed their list to seven or eight players they felt would be available at No. 30 before they traded that pick to Miami for star receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Projecting who will be there at No. 62, where Denver’s first pick now sits, is even more wide open.

That won’t stop us. And no apologies for any embarrassment caused, either.

Round 2, Pick No. 62: Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge

In the Post����ap last mock draft, we slid back a few spots from No. 62 and selected RB Jonah Coleman.

This time around, we decided to stick and pick.

The result is decidedly not flashy but also feels like a realistic outcome for the Broncos.

Rutledge is widely considered a Day 2 player and is one of the better interior offensive linemen in this class. He played right guard in college — the Broncos are set there long-term with All-Pro Quinn Meinerz — but should have the versatility to play left or even center. Essentially, if he didn’t win a job over Ben Powers or make Denver reconsider going into the season with Powers on the roster, he’d be in position to slide in in 2027 or potentially back up multiple spots along the interior.

Offensive line,��in general, is a sneaky need for the Broncos. They’ve got all five starters back from one of the best fronts in football, but general manager George Paton acknowledged at the combine that the team is wary of aging out too many players at the same time. Plus, all five players at the moment are on premium contracts.

Also considered: The dream was for tight end Eli Stowers to fall, but he went in the middle of the second round. Another tight end option and the pick at No. 62 in our first Post mock draft, Ohio State’s Max Klare, was still on the board. We passed to avoid too much repetition, but he looks like a potential fit in the second round. Also still on the board, among others: Arkansas RB Mike Washington and Mizzou linebacker Josiah Trotter.

Round 4, Pick No. 114: Oregon inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher

Trade: Broncos receive Nos. 114 and 197. Philadelphia receives No. 111.

The fourth rolled around and the Paton, sans ‘Y’, in the Post����ap drafting team emerged. We were hoping to move back from No. 108 to get an extra pick or two and, sure enough, found enough suitors to land a deal we liked. That trade with Green Bay involved moving back to No. 120 and the details are below.

Then the surprise popped up. Philadelphia wanted to move up and we felt good about sliding back just a handful of spots and still getting our guy. What was Howie Roseman thinking?

At No. 114, the pick is Boettcher from a school Denver is quite familiar with. He’s a physical player and a good leader who had 136 tackles for the Ducks in 2025 and contributed each of the past three seasons to one of college football’s stoutest defenses.

Denver’s had an active offseason at ILB, retaining Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, releasing Dre Greenlaw and now moving Jonah Elliss inside. Still, here’s a young player who can be a special teamer early and a potential Singleton replacement down the line.

Round 4, Pick No. 120: Boston College offensive tackle Jude Bowry

Trade: Broncos receive Nos. 120 and 160, Green Bay receives No. 108

Is this draft scintillating enough yet? The Broncos have only drafted one offensive lineman on Day 2 in Paton’s five drafts so far — Meinerz in the 2021 third round — but now are up to two in this draft alone. Again, it����ap not an immediate need, but Bowry checks boxes the Broncos like.

Offensive line coach Zach Strief told The Post last fall, “We love guys that can anchor. If you don’t get bull-rushed in this league, you’re 80% of the way there.”

Bowry’s got good strength and he’s a good athlete. He’s got experience at both left and right tackle in college. Ideally, he doesn’t have to play right away.

In this scenario, though, Denver rolls into the summer with a pipeline that includes Rutledge and Bowry out of this draft, plus Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, and Alex Forsyth. That����ap building to withstand the rigors of an NFL season and also preparing for a future in which the quarterback is no longer on a rookie deal and the front line must be cheaper — but not without some incubation time in one of the league’s best offensive line development programs.

Round 5, Pick No. 160: Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon

Now things are heating up at the offensive skill positions. Teams across football have found ways to identify tight ends on Day 3 that end up making a real impact. Not everybody can land George Kittle, of course, but there are going to be quality tight ends from this draft class that don’t hear their name called until Saturday.

Raridon’s got a chance to be one of them. He’s enormous at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds. He’s got a good blocking foundation to his game — though like most young players, he’s not a finished product — and he’s athletic enough to believe he’s going to be a good receiver, too.

Like it or not, Denver’s going to play Adam Trautman and Evan Engram a ton this fall. The Broncos trust Trautman and they’re hoping to get more from Engram as a receiver in his second season in the offense. Could a rookie tight end blow up that plan? In an outlier scenario, perhaps. More likely, a young player gets a chance to carve out a role as a rookie with the hopes that he blossoms late in the year, if injuries arise or in 2027 and beyond.

Round 5, Pick No. 170: Indiana running back Kaelon Black

Black fits the Payton running back threshold of “short but not small” at 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds. He’s a physical runner who was second on the national champs’ offense in carries at 180 behind Roman Hemby (230). Black averaged 5.6 per carry and, though he wasn’t used at IU in the passing game, he did have 44 catches and six receiving touchdowns his last two years at James Madison.

At Indiana’s pro day, Black reportedly ran 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and jumped 37.5 inches vertical. He’s taken a top-30 visit with the Broncos. Black isn’t a prototypical third-down back, but he could carry some of that load and would be an intriguing fit with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.

Round 6, Pick No. 197: USC safety Bishop Fitzgerald

In looking for safety depth, the Broncos here lean on the connection to USC in new defensive backs coach Doug Belk. Belk had Fitzgerald, an undersized safety, in his room for one year after Fitzgerald transferred from NC State.

Checked into the combine at 5-11 and 201 pounds and ran 4.55 in the 40-yard dash. He produced takeaways throughout his college career, with five interceptions in 2025 for USC and five combined in two seasons at NC State before that.

Denver’s got special teamers galore in its safety room behind starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones. Fitzgerald could add to that and perhaps push toward more.

Round 7, Pick No. 246: North Carolina cornerback Marcus Allen

Round 7, Pick No. 256: Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson

Round 7, Pick No. 257: IPP outside linebacker Josh Weru

In the seventh round, as Paton said last week, teams are often trying to get a jump on post-draft free agency. If you don’t think you’re going to win a battle for a player or don’t want to risk a bidding war in the post-draft chaos, this is the time.

Denver’s had success recently in the seventh round, finding contributors in WR Devaughn Vele and OL Alex Forsyth, plus players with still-interesting development arcs in OL Nick Gargiulo and TE Caleb Lohner.

In this rendition, a trio of seventh-rounders begins with Allen, who is 6-2, ran 4.5 in the 40, and comes from a program now led by a coach Payton really respects: Bill Belichick.

Denver’s receiver room looks pretty darn full, but Henderson is a receiver plus a special teams asset. He’s a good returner — even if Marvin Mims Jr. doesn’t see an uptick in playing time, NFL teams have realized you need two good ones given the kickoff rule’s evolution — and can handle other duties, too.

Mr. Irrelevant? Try Mr. Freak. Weru hasn’t gone mega-viral like IPP classmate and defensive lineman Uar Bernard, but make no mistake, he’s a ridiculous athlete. The 6-4, 244-pounder reportedly ran 4.45 in the 40 and jumped 41.5 inches vertical at the HBCU showcase. He’s training with Javon Gopie, who also works with Nik Bonitto and trained Que Robinson last spring. Gopie told The Post recently, “I think he’d be a no-brainer fit in (the Broncos’ scheme).”

The Broncos head coach and general manager are set to spend most of the first four weeks of April sequestered in front of a big screen in Denver’s team room, clickers in hand, watching tape of draft prospects.

Tape, tape and more tape.

“(Wednesday) morning at 7:30 a.m., we enter that team meeting room and we’re in there for the next 26 days,” Payton said Tuesday.

Last spring, they spent so much time sitting in chairs next to each other that Payton copped to accidentally drinking out of his general manager’s water bottle instead of his own.

“You break for lunch and you break for dinner,” Payton said a week before Denver selected Jahdae Barron at No. 20 overall last spring. “You go through the rounds and others will come back in with (information) — maybe we hand two scouts and two coaches a clump of outside linebackers or a clump of nose tackles.”

There are layers to the strong relationship that has grown between Payton and Paton over the past three-plus years, but their shared love of evaluating players is at the center.

Spring weather on the Front Range can be invigorating, but for Paton and Payton, April beauty is identifying a mid-round pick who becomes an impact player.

“You are dying to fall in love with guys,” Payton said last year.

This spring, of course, the Broncos will be waiting quite a while to make their first pick. After trading their first-round pick and more for star receiver Jaylen Waddle, Denver is not currently on the board until No.�� 62 overall, the 30th pick of the second round, which arrives on the draft����ap second day.

That����ap familiar territory for Paton, though, who will be operating without a first-rounder for the third time in six drafts as Denver’s general manager.

“Obviously, we’re focused on 30 in the second (round),” Paton said Monday at the NFL’s spring meetings. “We’ve fortunately been there before — I think two different times. We have a good feel for that. We can hone in.”

Paton was careful not to rule out trading up from No. 62, but Denver has depleted draft capital after the trade. Packaging No. 62 and one of its fourth-round picks (Nos. 108 and 111) might allow the team to slide up a few spots and dealing both could potentially get the Broncos to the middle of the second round. Denver could dip into its haul of 2027 picks and is in line for potentially two compensatory selections, too.

Overall, though, Payton and Paton are in for a long wait.

“We have a pretty good feel for that realm,” Paton said.

When they finally do arrive on the clock, here are the positions the Broncos find themselves most in need of adding to.

The Broncos still need a mismatch tight end

Maybe the term “Joker” has finally fallen out of vogue in ����apountry, but the value of that player — a mismatch in the middle part of the field — most certainly has not. Not to Payton.

“Every year,” Payton said earlier this year at the NFL Combine. “We’re always looking for the tight end or running back that has those traits. They’re hard to find, though.”

Particularly so for the Broncos and particularly so at tight end.

Denver thought it might have found one in veteran Evan Engram last year. The results? More OK than wow. Even if Engram fares better in his second season with the Broncos, the club needs a young playmaker at the position. Noah Fant flashed at times, but this has been a sore spot more or less since the days of Julius Thomas more than a decade ago.

Payton and Paton will be dying to fall in love with a tight end from a 2026 group that doesn’t have the same star power as last year, but that is deep and diverse from a skill-set and body type perspective. Is there a big guy with blocking chops that they see untapped receiving potential in? An undersized pass-catcher who can be a stout blocker with a bit of fine-tuning?

“There are some really good prospects, but I’m anxious to see who they are because right now I just know the names,” Payton said. … “Hopefully we can get to know them and possibly have a target in there.”

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has only Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq (No. 14 overall) , so perhaps Denver will have its pick of any tight end after Sadiq at No. 62, but Vanderbilt����ap Eli Stowers and Ohio State’s Max Klare are among a group of others who could come off the board around the Broncos’ first pick. Denver is doing its diligence on tight ends, including hosting NC State’s Justin Joly on a visit this week.

Sean Payton likes Denver’s running backs, but…

The Broncos are no strangers to taking a running back late in the second round. They did it just last year when they grabbed RJ Harvey at No. 60 overall.

Harvey had a productive rookie season, accumulating 12 total touchdowns and 896 offensive yards. He struggled to consistently produce as a rusher when called upon to be Denver’s lead back in the wake of J.K. Dobbins’ Lisfranc injury in November, but he undoubtedly has explosive ability.

Denver re-signed Dobbins and believes Harvey, a dynamic pass-catcher, will only trend upward in Year 2.

“We love the way RJ played,” Payton said Tuesday.

The day before, Paton called Harvey, “an explosive player and an explosive receiver out of the backfield. A matchup problem. He is going to get better as a runner. He got better as the year went on.”

Both men called the position one Denver could address in the draft or over the summer and pointed out that, this time a year ago, neither Harvey nor Dobbins (a June signing) were on the roster.

Whether it����ap in the second round or later, though, the Broncos could use more youth and overall dynamic ability in their room.

Offensive line isn’t a need right now, but could become one quickly

There’s an argument to be made for inside linebacker or safety as Denver’s next priority, but the Broncos have addressed each of those positions in some way over recent weeks. The Broncos signed safety and special teamer Tycen Anderson to a one-year deal. That����ap not a long-term defensive solution, which Denver could certainly still use and may look to the draft to address. Payton said this week that edge Jonah Elliss would get a look playing inside linebacker, too. Now the Broncos have Elliss, Jordan Turner, Drew Sanders, Levelle Bailey and Karene Reid behind their starting duo inside. Not much proven production defensively, but several options to sort through.

Meanwhile, the offensive line is one of the more fascinating groups on the roster.

Denver’s is one of the best in the business, and is poised, if healthy, to continue that run in 2026 and perhaps beyond.

The group has a back-to-back first-team All-Pro right guard in Quinn Meinerz and a newly extended center in Luke Wattenberg. Both tackles, Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey, played at a high level in 2025, with Bolles being named a first-team All-Pro.

Left guard Ben Powers is entering the final year of his deal in 2026 and, with the caveat that things can always change, looks likely headed into his final season with the Broncos.

Denver��retained Alex Palczewski with a two-year deal, and he could end up being the primary backup at three positions — LG, RG, and RT — in 2026 and then slide into Powers’ spot beyond that.��Easy, right?

Well, yeah, as long as everybody else stays healthy. McGlinchey has had injury issues in the past, though he was mostly healthy in 2025. Bolles’ longevity is impressive and he’s shown not even a hint of decline from his perch as one of the premier athletes at left tackle.

And yet, Bolles and�� McGlinchey will be 34 and 32, respectively, when Week 1 rolls around.

They could each play multiple more years at a high level or age could start to catch up with either or both quickly.

The Broncos, then, are in an enviable position but also one that carries perhaps more risk than first glance might suggest.

They have developmental options in the pipeline in Palczewski, tackle Frank Crum, center Alex Forsyth and a wild card in Nick Gargiulo and they have built that depth using only seventh-round picks and undrafted free agency signings.

In fact, seventh-rounders Gargiulo (No. 256 in 2024) and Forsyth (No. 257 in 2023) are the only linemen Denver has drafted since Payton arrived as the coach.

Before them, Paton selected Wattenberg in the fifth round in 2022 and Meinerz in the third round in 2021.

That����ap four straight draft classes since 2021 in which only linemen were taken on Day 3. The Broncos currently have only one Day 2 pick this year, so that run could well continue. But offensive line — guard or tackle — feels like a real possibility, be it at No. 62, early in the fourth round, or somewhere in between, depending on how Paton and Payton maneuver with their picks.

A guard could push ‘Palcho’ and Crum further toward being the heirs apparent at each tackle spot. A tackle could line Palcho up as the left guard of the future. Either way, a young, talented player in the room would be a welcome addition, regardless of exactly where he plays or how good the Broncos’ room still looks on paper.

Most of all, though, his ex-Utah coaches believe he will succeed at inside linebacker in the NFL because of his DNA.

“I would never count any of Luther Elliss’ sons out,” said Freddie Whittingham, once Utah’s recruiting coordinator and now Michigan’s tight ends coach. “I would always bet on his sons.”

Indeed, the Elliss family is to tweener linebackers as the Manning family is to pocket-passing quarterbacks. Luther Elliss, the former Broncos defensive tackle and chaplain who’s helped raise a litter of 12 children, will swear he didn’t do anything special. But four Elliss brothers have reached the NFL, with one more, Elijah, in college. And most remarkably, fit the same profile: 30-year-old Kaden Elliss is an outside-turned-inside linebacker who just signed a $33 million contract with the Saints, and 27-year-old Christian Elliss is a larger ILB who just signed a $13.5 million contract with the Patriots.

23-year-old Jonah Elliss, now, will be the latest Elliss to try to make his money at inside linebacker. With a glut of edge options and further depth needed at ILB, Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters at league meetings earlier this week that Jonah Elliss will “take some snaps inside.” Privately, the move has been discussed inside the Broncos’ building since the 2025 season ended, multiple sources told The Denver Post at the February NFL Combine.

“Sometimes, that inside ‘backer position — one of the best in our league in San Francisco, Fred Warner, you saw him play more out in space, outside ‘backer,” Payton said in Arizona. “So, sometimes, you have to look at the skillset and then project where you think it can go.”

It’s a drastic shift. Jonah Elliss played just 3% of his snaps in three seasons at Utah (2021-2023) from the box, according to Pro Football Focus.

Quietly, though, the potential for this move has always lingered in his background, from his very bloodline to his maturation as a prospect.

“I’m excited to see how he functions there,” former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, now Michigan’s head coach, told The Post. “Because, like I said, he’s fully capable of it.”

A skill set that translates inside

Back in 2021, a then-210-pound Jonah Elliss committed to Utah out of Idaho, . At the time, the Utes weren’t sure if he’d step in immediately as an inside linebacker or grow into a defensive end, Kyle Whittingham said. Utah ended up moving him outside, where he racked up 12 sacks as a junior All-American, because of the scheme fit — not because “oh, he can’t play inside linebacker,” as Kyle Whittingham put it.

As Jonah Elliss went through the pre-draft process in 2023, there were “some teams” who were looking at him as an ILB, Kyle Whittingham said. Evaluators asked the former Utah coach how he thought Jonah Elliss could profile as an inside ‘backer, and he told them he simply played OLB at Utah because it was more valuable given their personnel.

“He’s certainly got the physicality to destroy blocks — block destruction is something he’s really good at,” Kyle Whittingham told The Post. “He’s also got very good just, flat-out speed … I think he’s got what it takes to be a very good all-around (inside) linebacker.”

Jonah Elliss has landed in a near-impossible path to starting edge snaps in Denver, as Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper have become one of the best OLB duos in the league. In two seasons since the Broncos drafted him in the third round in 2023, Jonah Elliss has shown plenty of flashes as a rotational edge rusher, but rarely played in any alignment except at OLB: 96% of his snaps came there in 2025, according to Next Gen Stats.

It’s easy to see his frame and downhill speed transitioning to ILB in Denver, if he makes a full-time switch. Bonitto has said previously that Jonah Elliss is a frequent winner of get-off timing drills in practice, and he’s missed just three tackles in two seasons, according to PFF.

The key to any success at ILB, now, will be his ability to cover in open space and read the middle of the field. The Post watched�� all 31 of Jonah Elliss’ regular-season snaps when dropping back into coverage last season; he struggled at times in the first half of the year with his assignment in match-coverage situations, but improved dramatically over the course of 2025 in blanketing multiple opposing tight ends in one-on-one situations.

Jonah Elliss improved a *ton* in coverage throughout '25. Can see ' ILB vision for him.

Clip 1: 3rd-down stop vs. GB TE John FitzPatrick in space.
Clip 2: Blows up screen to Travis Etienne.
Clip 3: Blankets TE Brenton Strange, takes away 3rd-down Trevor Lawrence's read.

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans)

Jonah Elliss also played substantial reps early in his Utah career on the Utes’ punt-coverage teams, and has done the same in two years in Denver. His stickiness there, as Freddie Whittingham told The Post, is a “pretty good indication” that Jonah Elliss can cover.

“As far as football intellect and also the discipline to get in the film room and watch tape and learn and understand assignments and adjustments, and everything that the linebackers need to be able to understand,” Freddie Whittingham said, “I think they’re going to be able to count on that guy.”

A hole to plug at ILB

The question: how much Denver wants to count on Jonah Elliss at ILB. He is a legitimate asset even in a rotational edge role, with 7.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits across his last two seasons. But Payton’s voluntary admission at league meetings suggests this won’t be just a specialty-situation role, which could influence the Broncos’ plans come April.

After the Broncos cut Dre Greenlaw, Denver has a clear hole at LB3 entering the draft. There will be a glut of options available at No. 62: Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, Cincinnati’s Jake Golday, and Mizzou’s Josiah Trotter are all potential young targets who could eventually grow into starters in Denver.

If defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and the staff like Jonah Elliss as a legitimate LB3 option who can also take some outside snaps, though, the Broncos could opt to go offense at the back of the second round — tight end, running back, offensive line — and sit on a linebacker like TCU’s Kaleb Elarms-Orr in the fourth round.

The move could also be a way to preserve Jonah Elliss’ body, as the 246-pound linebacker has an undersized frame for banging against opposing offensive tackles. He missed four games in 2025 with a variety of ailments, and Luther Elliss told The Post during the playoffs that Jonah is “really looking at how he trains” and could add “a little more finesse” to work on staying healthy.

It’s not the most lucrative option for his career, as the market for pass-rushers has exploded in recent years. But older brother Kaden Elliss just earned himself $11 million a season back in New Orleans — where Broncos head coach Sean Payton originally drafted him. And Jonah Elliss’ old college coaches believe he has the pedigree and profile to pull off the move.

“Athletically and mentally, if anybody can make that switch, it����ap a kid like him,” Freddie Whittingham said.

Can you guys give an update on Bo Nix’s current status as it relates to his broken ankle and subsequent surgery? Like, a photo of him doing stuff or even in a boot or whatever?

— David Southall, North Charleston, S.C.

Fortunately, what I do have are words from the Broncos’ brass earlier this week at the NFL’s spring ownership meetings in Phoenix. One of many updates from the happenings in the desert: Nix is champing at the bit and his recovery from ankle surgery in January has been, by all accounts, smooth and quicker than expected.

Owner and CEO Greg Penner said of Nix’s recovery, “It����ap really, really good. He’s attacked his recovery in the same way that he attacks preparing for games. He’s done a terrific job. He’s ahead of schedule. No concerns at all for OTAs and going forward from there. We’re really pleased with his progress and the support from (VP of player health and performance) Beau Lowery and everyone.”

Head coach Sean Payton echoed that Nix was “ahead of schedule with his rehab,” and when asked if Nix would be fully cleared for Denver’s offseason program, he simply said, “Yes.”

Nix has already ramped up his activity level this offseason as he recovers and now he’s to the point where he’s doing running and jumping work. He’s not only on track to be fully cleared for OTAs in June, but sources say he’ll be at full go when Denver begins its offseason program on May 4.

OTAs and minicamp always feature more rep-splitting than the regular season does, especially at quarterback. Once September rolls around, Nix gets nearly all the practice work as the starter. So June is the time, along with training camp, to get plenty of work for Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger. Perhaps Payton and the Broncos will be ever so slightly cautious with Nix during OTAs and minicamp, but the way they talked this week, they don’t think they’ll have to be.

All of that makes a Wednesday report about all the more far-fetched. It suggested some level of doubt about Nix’s status for the early part of the regular season and, really, looks like an April Fool’s Day gag, though it was not originally intended to be so. Regardless, a source told The Post that there’s a “less than zero percent” chance Rodgers visits Denver and that the mere thought of him being an option was “preposterous.”

So, Nix’s Year 3 begins in earnest with the offseason program a month from now, followed by OTAs and minicamp in June. Payton was asked about what he expects from his quarterback in Year 3 and said, “I think look, his job — and we say this all the time — is lead your team into the end zone. Lead your team to wins. We see him every day at the facility. He’s ahead of schedule with his rehab.

“He likes being around football.”

Hi Parker, I heard that Jonah Elliss may be taking snaps on the inside of the line. Does that hurt our rotation of edge rushers or will we just be seeing him more on the field?

— Mike, Denver

Hey Mike, yes indeed. Payton mentioned this on Tuesday morning at the owners’ meetings. He didn’t exactly say that Elliss is switching permanently, but said he’s going to get work there going forward. Typically, these types of changes aren’t partial or just a dip of the toe. It����ap hard enough to play one position, let alone learn two. Still, we’ll wait and see exactly if there’s any OLB in Elliss’ workload this offseason or if it����ap all inside.

Wrote about this some the other day, so won’t go super long on it here, but just briefly, this move is as much about Denver’s depth at outside linebacker as it is about believing Elliss can play in the middle of the field. The Broncos are looking for ways to get Que Robinson on the field after a tantalizing rookie season and this would be one. If Elliss can play in the middle, he’d be nice depth along with Jordan Turner behind starters Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.

What����ap left for the Broncos to address with the roster?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Obviously, with the draft coming up, Denver will add to its roster at several positions over the final two days of the draft, plus through undrafted free-agent signings.

Taking that out of the picture for a moment, Payton and general manager George Paton combined to leave the door open for veteran free agent additions on both lines and at running back, among other spots.

Just me, but I think the interior defensive line has perhaps the most interesting set of veteran players still available on the market. There are still players out there like Calais Campbell, a Denver native, along with DJ Reader, Denico Autry, DaQuan Jones, Shelby Harris, Khalen Saunders and others.

Paton on Monday noted the depth Denver has on the defensive line, but added, “you’re always looking for big guys on the offensive and defensive lines.”

You can’t rule out an addition at another spot or two as well, whether that����ap in the secondary, at running back, another special teams guy to go with the addition of Tycen Anderson or wherever else.

Hey Parker, I’ve noticed that Christian Wilkins is still a free agent. I’m not sure if he would fit in Denver or not, but I’m more curious about why his tenure in Las Vegas ended so suddenly and mysteriously. It feels like some part of that story isn’t being shared. Do you have any insights, or have you heard any plausible explanations?

— George P., Seattle (not a “12”)

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wilkins was still recovering from that foot injury. Schefter said March 20 that most teams in the NFL had checked on him and that he’s planning on playing this fall.

Free-agent DT Christian Wilkins fully intends to play this season, but still is rehabbing his foot injury, per his agent David Mulugheta. So far 26 teams have reached out and are waiting for Wilkins to be ready, and Wilkins is expected to have a new home as soon as he wants.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)

He’s a talented player, obviously, but missing most of two seasons with a foot injury is no joke for a guy his size.

What do you see the Broncos doing in the draft?

— Ben, Grand Junction

The natural inclination would be to say that they’re likely to trade back from either No. 62 or one of their early fourth-round picks in order to generate more selections after losing two in the trade for Jaylen Waddle, but you can never count Payton out from moving up from one of those spots either.

The board always has to line up, but to me, tight end, running back, offensive line, and linebacker are on the shortlist. If you told me their first two or three picks would come in some order from that set of positions, I’d believe it. At the same time, given where their roster is generally speaking, they’re in a position where they can truly take the best player available if there’s somebody at a different position that they have graded substantially higher than the rest of the field.

The Broncos were set to start their stretch run of in-depth draft meetings bright and early on Wednesday morning. Paton and Payton will spend much of the next four weeks together watching tape, sorting through players and positions and identifying targets. They’ll dish out clumped players by position or projected draft range to assistant coaches and scouts to dig deep into in order to try to find separation. They’ll work through mock drafts, projections, background information and all the rest.