D
Denver Broncos
The Broncos lost the trade table, and the D tells the story.
by JKrodel ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The Broncos lost the trade war and it was not close, handing partners the better end again and again. The math is unkind, and the D follows.
The cost of the Aguilar reach is exactly the players who went right after him. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Dixon at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.
A rough weekend that leaves the roster with more questions than answers.
Pick-by-Pick
Nice patience on Eli Stowers, who had no business lasting to pick No. 62. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
No edge and no loss on Jadarian Price in Round 3, Pick 6; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jalon Kilgore in the Round 4 slot. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Sam Hecht at the 108th pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board fumbled Bryce Lance all the way to pick 111, and they scooped it up. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They took Oscar Delp at par in No. 126, which is nothing to complain about. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Chris McClellan. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
By-the-book stuff, Bryce Boettcher at slot 170 squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Taking Thaddeus Dixon in No. 246 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
A big swing on Adam Randall at slot 256, well ahead of any board in the building. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Joey Aguilar in the 257th overall pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.