B-
Denver Broncos
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Broncos a B-.
by Todd ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 1 steals
· 7 reaches
You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Broncos did exactly that with Seth McGowan in the 131st overall pick. The bottom line is a respectable B-.
They banked enough surplus on Stowers to cover a lot of smaller sins. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
A top-tier tight end at a bargain, Eli Stowers in Round 3, Pick 31, plain and simple. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They paid up for Gracen Halton at the Round 4 slot when waiting would have done the job. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Keylan Rutledge. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Value said wait; Kaleb Elarms-Orr in pick No. 125 says they were not listening. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They reached a country mile for Seth McGowan at No. 131, and the board is aghast. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
VJ Payne at slot 170 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A big swing on Cole Payton at the Round 5 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. The roster fit checks out.
A wild overpay on Adam Randall in Round 7, Pick 30, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
By-the-book stuff, Jack Kelly at the 256th pick squarely in line with his ranking. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Caleb Douglas in slot 257 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.