Despite the team signing just one outside free agent thus far, the Denver Broncos have managed to enter the next phase of the offseason with a much clearer outlook.
The headline move, of course, is the Jaylen Waddle trade, which significantly reshapes the offense and satisfies the team’s need for an impact playmaker in the draft. With a true difference-maker now in place at wide receiver, the urgency at certain positions has shifted, but the pressure to capitalize on this window remains as high as ever.
However, that opportunity comes with a catch. Following their offseason moves, the Broncos are working with just four picks in the first five rounds. Every selection must count, and navigating the board will require some serious savvy from George Paton.
In this mock, the Broncos focus on maximizing those limited assets by targeting impact players who can fill their remaining needs. With the Waddle addition, the focus shifts toward building depth, addressing eventual needs, and identifying players who are strong cultural and system fits.
Trade: Broncos send pick 62 to the Steelers for picks 76, 121, and 161.
With the Broncos lacking draft capital, pick 62 should be a prime spot to move down and acquire more dart throws.
It is the only premium pick remaining in team control, and could be a target for teams with excess draft capital in the middle rounds. This scenario would work out perfectly for both sides, as the Steelers have eight picks in the first five rounds and can afford to make aggressive moves across the board.
Round 3, Pick 76: Josiah Trotter, LB, Missouri
As it currently stands, the Broncos are one Alex Singleton or Justin Strnad injury away from giving starter-level snaps to Drew Sanders or potential EDGE-convert Jonah Elliss, which is far from ideal. With this in mind, linebacker should absolutely be a target with the team’s top pick.
Should he last to the third round, Trotter would warrant a sprint to the podium.
The 20-year-old redshirt sophomore is the son of Jeremiah Trotter Sr. – a member of the Eagles’ Hall of Fame – and reflects that same high-level pedigree with his energy and playmaking ability. He is an excellent run defender who uses his high-level instincts to sniff out running lanes, while also possessing good size, at 237 pounds, to stack and shed opposing blockers. He is a physical presence who makes highlight-reel-worthy hits downhill and rarely misses tackles.
However, the catch with Trotter is that he remains extremely underdeveloped in coverage. While he has the athleticism and click-and-close ability to be a three-down player, his awareness in zone and ability to stick in man are just not there yet. Plus, he is very susceptible to biting on play-action fakes. However, given his age, tools, instincts, and NFL bloodline, there is reason to believe he can grow in this area over time.
Ironically, Denver selecting Trotter would be very similar to when the team drafted Nik Bonitto with pick 64 of the 2022 NFL draft.
For starters, Trotter has had a strong link to the Broncos during the draft process, as he’s attended a pre-draft meeting with Denver, and has been regularly tied to the franchise in mock drafts and by national analysts, like Brian Baldinger.
Also, while they do not play the same position, both fit the “athletic playmaker” mold as prospects who could come in and contribute right away in one specific aspect, while developing a more well-rounded game. With Bonitto, it was his pure pass rush skills as a ‘designated pass rusher’, while Trotter can step in on day one and help defend the run. Both have had draft profiles with clear deficiencies, with Bonitto being a smaller edge who struggled against the run and Trotter being a very limited coverage player.
That said, despite the questions with Bonitto’s profile, it’s fair to say that the selection worked out, and he’s become an incredibly valuable contributor, despite still being subpar against the run. Sean Payton has built a staff capable of developing players of this caliber into stars, which is why the team shouldn’t be scared to target Trotter if he slips.
Round 4, pick 108 (via NO): Kage Casey, OL, Boise State
The Broncos have allocated just four draft picks to offensive linemen in the George Paton era, with only one coming in the first 150 picks and two in the first 250 picks, which needs to change immediately. Ben Powers is an impending free agent Mike McGlinchey is one of the most expensive contracts on the team and will turn 32 this season, and Garett Bolles will be 34 before training camp.
A prospect with positional versatility and potential to eventually start would be ideal.
Enter Casey, who has been criminally underrated thus far in the pre-draft process. Playing the majority of his career at tackle for Boise State, he possesses most of the traits to start there at the NFL level, with guard potential to fall back on as a safety net.
He is a solid athlete who is capable of running zone blocking schemes and climbing to reach defenders. He has a strong anchor and can sustain blocks while also possessing the power to drive defenders backwards in the run game. He also has good hand placement on his strikes and knows how to really maximize his length in pass protection.
That said, Casey’s main weakness will ultimately come down to arm length, as he officially measured in with 32 ¾ inch arms at the combine, just missing the infamous 33-inch threshold. This doesn’t have to be a deal breaker, as there have been examples of tackles who had sub-33-inch arms and still found success at the NFL level. However, in Casey’s case, the lack of length really shows up on tape. He also does not have the best recovery on the outside and can play pretty upright at times, making it tough for him to regain leverage if his initial strike doesn’t work.
Fortunately, if the tackle experiment doesn’t work out, Casey almost certainly has starting upside at guard. Most of his “weaknesses” can be heavily mitigated if he is not working on an island in the perimeter, where defenders can’t exploit his limited length and shorter slides.
There is a clear path for him to follow a Sam Cosmi or Tyler Smith career arc, and the tackle versatility would still be a nice contingency plan if the Broncos are ever in an injury pinch.
Round 4, pick 111: Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
While everyone in Broncos Country loved what JK Dobbins did when healthy last year, the “when healthy” disclaimer will unfortunately not go away any time soon, making it imperative that the team continues to add to the running back room.
This may be a surprising selection for fans, as Coleman is often projected to go much earlier, sometimes even as high as pick 62 to the Broncos, but you shouldn’t get hung up on that, with this class being especially hard to project, given the vast plateau of talent between picks 50 and 150.
In turn, the media consensus on Coleman is all over the place, as there are plenty of analysts who strongly believe he’s a Day 2 player, while others believe he is simply being propped up because the class is weak at running back.
However, players with Coleman’s deficiencies historically don’t go before the late third or early fourth round. Furthermore, while the weak running back class could certainly cause him to go earlier, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has also suggested the contrary, citing that teams may not be as willing to reach based on need at the RB position this year. This suggests that Day 3 may end up being Coleman’s actual range.
That said, there is certainly a lot to like about Coleman.
He’s a team captain who has been a productive starter for four years with Arizona and Washington, including two straight seasons with 10-plus touchdowns. He possesses the vision to be a scheme-versatile option in the run game, along with excellent contact balance – consistently slipping through arm tackles and turning minimal gains into extra yardage.
He also has true three-down ability, having flashed in both pass protection and as a receiver out of the backfield. Although he’s not an overly dynamic athlete, he could very easily slide into a Samaje-Perine-esque role. In the passing game, he would immediately be an upgrade over Tyler Badie, while providing solid insurance behind Dobbins.
Plus, his powerful running style and down-to-down consistency make him a very intriguing long-term backfield partner for R.J. Harvey.
For as well-rounded as he is, though, he lacks short-area burst and long-speed as a runner, limiting his explosiveness and ability to actually hit the open lanes before they close. The upside case for him might look like C.J. Anderson, but it’s also very possible his lack of juice and over-patience make him flame out like Audric Estime.
While he has a short, squatty build, he is not quite as powerful as his 220-pound frame suggests. He has strong elusiveness and can bounce off tacklers, but it may be hard for him to run through defenders at the next level. He will need to play faster and make quicker decisions as a runner if he hopes to develop into a lead back.
Round 4, pick 121 (via PIT): Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
Although Broncos fans are clearly thrilled with the retention of ‘elite blocker’ Adam Trautman, there is little doubt that a draft pick at the position would be welcomed with open arms by Broncos Country.
Klein is a fascinating study in a rather deep tight end class, as he began the season on Bruce Feldman’s “freaks list” for his speed and explosiveness – GPS tracking had him hit 21.75 miles per hour despite being 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds.
Like any Michigan tight end, Klein has plenty of experience as an in-line “Y” tight end and has flashed plenty of high-end reps as a blocker to go along with his athleticism, although he could stand to add more weight to his frame. He has the size and natural strength to really generate some push in this area and can also be an extension of the offensive line in pass protection, though his technique needs a lot of work.
Notably, especially given Denver’s recent draft trends, he is also a team captain, even with such meager production, which speaks volumes to his leadership.
Like many of the other tight ends in this class, he simply remains underdeveloped. As a pass catcher, Michigan did not throw him the ball much throughout his career. He only has 12 collegiate starts and has totaled 364 career receiving yards and one touchdown, which will obviously not stack up to the Eli Stowers and Justin Joly’s of the world. He has flashed high-end ability to separate and make tough catches in the passing game, but is still pretty inconsistent and needs more volume to grow in this area.
He will require plenty of development, but the ceiling for an AJ Barner-esque career is absolutely there. That’s not the flashiest name, but Barner was incredibly valuable for Seattle’s championship run. Not every tight end needs to be Travis Kelce. The ability to block and be a dump-off option that can also make intermediate catches in space is much more valuable than people think, and Klein’s athleticism suggests room for even more growth there.
Trade: Broncos send picks 161 and 170 to the Falcons for pick 122.
George Paton said in the 2026 Annual League Meeting that the Broncos could still find ways to be aggressive and trade up. In this instance, they use their two fifth-round picks to move up with the Falcons, who have just three selections in the first 170 picks and could desperately use more capital.
Round 4, pick 122: Bishop Fitzgerald, S, USC
It wouldn’t be a George Paton draft without some capital being used on a defensive back. In this instance, it would be a smart decision, as safety is a sneaky-large impending need given the loss of PJ Locke in free agency and uncertainty over Brandon Jones’s future with the team.
That third safety will immediately see the field in a rotational and reserve role in 2026, and will likely be starting as soon as 2027.
A senior with plenty of starting experience, Fitzgerald is an absolute playmaker who always finds his way around the ball. He’s alignment-versatile as a deep safety or box threat, and possesses very strong cover skills in both man and zone. He’s able to read and react based on the quarterback’s eyes and play the pass with strong ball skills, finishing with eight interceptions over the last two seasons. He is a good athlete overall and can click and close pretty quickly from the deep hash to the line of scrimmage.
Ultimately, he will likely be a Day 3 pick due to being a slightly older prospect (will turn 23 before training camp) who is inconsistent against the run. While he is very willing to contribute in run support, he doesn’t always take the best angles and, as a smaller safety (5-foot-11, 201 pounds), is prone to getting washed out once a blocker effectively stacks him. Plus, he displays some inconsistent tackling technique. Also, because Fitzgerald is a good, but not great, athlete, and can lose his man on deeper concepts.
Despite his faults, there is clearly starter-level upside with Fitzgerland, and he would absolutely be worth trading up for. The team also hired former USC secondary coach Doug Belk as their new defensive backs coach, creating a connection between Denver’s staff and USC’s DB prospects. Given this, Fitzgerald and fellow USC teammate Kamari Ramsey are certainly names to keep an eye on in Broncos Country.
