ENGLEWOOD, CO — The blockbuster offseason trade for Jaylen Waddle completely ripped up the playbook for the Denver Broncos 2026 NFL Draft. General Manager George Paton shipped the No. 30 overall pick to Miami, leaving the front office to mine for gold starting in the second round. Coming off a bitter, snowy AFC Championship exit just months ago, you can still feel the sting in the Denver air. This roster needs immediate, violent impact players in the trenches. A fresh Pro Football Focus simulator run maps out exactly how the Broncos can restock the shelves on Day 2 and Day 3.
Round 2: Doubling Down on Speed with Chris Brazzell
Even with Waddle stretching the field alongside Courtland Sutton, Denver sprints to the podium for Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell at pick No. 62. The 6-foot-4, 198-pound target brings lethal vertical speed. Brazzell struggles with intermediate routes, heavily relying on go routes and screens. However, his long strides put defensive backs in a blender. I watched Brazzell closely during his SEC run; his ability to track the ball over his shoulder looks entirely natural. Give Sean Payton this raw speed, and he will scheme open a nightmare for opposing defenses. Brazzell offers immediate rotational juice while he refines his short-game footwork.
Rounds 4 & 5: Beefing Up the Defense
Denver attacks the defensive line with contrasting styles in the fourth round before securing a linebacker anchor in the fifth. The strategy here focuses entirely on stopping the run and keeping the defense fresh late in games:
- Pick 108 (DI Kaleb Proctor): An explosive athlete out of Southeastern Louisiana. He is heavily undersized at 6-2 and 291 pounds, but he attacks gaps with a rare, explosive first step.
- Pick 111 (DI Zxavian Harris): The Broncos grab a mountain just three picks later. The Mississippi product stands 6-8 and 330 pounds. Harris eats double teams for breakfast, though pre-draft character flags dropped his stock.
- Pick 170 (LB Aiden Fisher): This Indiana product reads run schemes instantly. He fills gaps, makes tackles at the line, and brings a high-floor profile as a dependable backup MIKE linebacker.
You need guys like Fisher—lunch-pail defenders who grind on special teams and keep the locker room grounded. Proctor and Harris provide a classic “lightning and thunder” rotational mix to a defensive line desperate for bodies.
“When you lose a title game in the snow because you couldn’t get off the field, you remember that feeling. We don’t just need athletes; we need dogs up front who refuse to be moved.”
— Unnamed Broncos Defensive Assistant
Round 7: The Lottery Tickets
Late rounds belong to the risk-takers. USC linebacker Eric Gentry (Pick 246) possesses a bizarre 6-7 frame that lacks NFL muscle. He needs a full year in an NFL weight room before seeing real snaps. Wake Forest tackle Fa’alili Fa’amoe (Pick 256) flashes power but struggles with run-blocking consistency. Finally, Clemson cornerback Jeadyn Lukus caps the draft at Pick 257. Lukus just melted his Pro Day, clocking a 4.41 40-yard dash and hitting an insane 11-foot-7 broad jump. You draft that raw athleticism every single time. Lukus fought through an up-and-down college career, but his desire to prove his critics wrong makes him a dangerous addition to a hungry Denver secondary.
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
This draft strategy shifts Denver from a finesse offense to a track meet. Pairing Brazzell with Waddle creates a terrifying deep-threat duo for Bo Nix, punishing defenses that try to stack the box against the run. Defensively, taking swings on massive frames like Harris aims to solve the late-season fatigue that doomed their 2025 Super Bowl run. The Broncos sit firmly in a championship window right now. If just one of these defensive tackles hits, Denver locks down the AFC West and books a return ticket to the AFC Championship.
