B-
Denver Broncos
The Broncos won the night they stopped Key from sliding. Grade: B-.
by pj_doucette ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 3 steals
· 0 reaches
Somebody in pick 256 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Broncos sat still while Dane Key, the No. 234 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium. No fireworks, but a solid B-.
That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Linebacker was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
Zachariah Branch in the Round 2 slot is fair value, right on his grade. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Darrell Jackson Jr. in pick 108 lands just on the right side of the ledger. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Michael Trigg in slot 111 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Albert Regis. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Aiden Fisher slid further than he should have, and No. 246 is lovely value for the linebacker. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Dane Key in the 256th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Fa'alili Fa'amoe at the 257th pick. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.