In his latest three-round NFL mock draft for The Athletic, Nick Baumgardner has the Denver Broncos using their first pick (in the second round) to add a tight end to coach Sean Payton's offense. Denver does not hold picks in the first or third rounds following the trade for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle last month.

The Jaylen Waddle trade leaves the Broncos in a familiar position, but the past two drafts without a Round 1 pick didn't go so bad.

The Broncos own the 20th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and they think that in this draft, that's as good as owning the 10th pick.

Ben Solak projects landing spots for the nine QBs he considers draftable in the 2026 class (and one trade) and sizes up each team fit.

Under GM George Paton, the Broncos have had success finding starters and even All-Pros in the second round. This time around should be no different, although the stakes are a bit lower. With a balanced and deep roster,