B
Denver Broncos
The Broncos won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B.
by Todd ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
If you want a masterclass in dealing, watch the Broncos, who turned every swap into a profit this weekend. The bottom line is a respectable B.
Reaching for Payne left real value on the table behind him. A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want. The Roush pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
The Sam LaPorta deal gives the class an established piece to lean on.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
Jacob Rodriguez in the Round 2 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Sam Roush at Round 4, Pick 8 is money in the bank, a tight end taken below his worth. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
DeMonte Capehart at slot 111 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Kage Casey at No. 157 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for VJ Payne. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Value said wait; Kaelon Black in pick 205 says they were not listening. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jimmy Rolder in pick No. 222 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Eli Heidenreich at the 246th pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It fills a real need, too.