2026 NFL Draft: Denver Broncos big board for defensive backs

Mansoor Delane, LSU, CB, Projected Round: 1st
A 6’0”/185 LSU press-man alpha with 8 career interceptions, no medical history, and an R1 grade — the cleanest top-of-board profile in this cornerback class. LSU pipeline ties run deep in this front office, and Delane plays with the press strength, ball skills, and downfield recovery speed the Broncos scheme rewards. The elite ball production combined with a durability profile means he’s the rare R1 cornerback who shows up on Sundays as a rookie rather than a redshirt. Long-term boundary complement to Surtain and Barron, with real multi-year runway as Moss and McMillian approach their walk years.
(Tier 1, PPFS ~88)

Toriano Pride Jr., Missouri, CB, Projected Round: 6th-7th
A 5’10”/185 Missouri boundary cornerback with a 4.32 forty (second-fastest defensive player at the combine), 31” arms, and 5 career interceptions including pick-sixes in both 2024 and 2025. Never missed a game in 52 career appearances — the kind of durability profile the back half of this draft class consistently rewards. Missouri pipeline ties plus Hula Bowl validation plus elite speed plus proven ball production at Day-3 capital makes him the narrowest needle-threading cornerback fit on the board: right archetype, right school, right round. If he’s still on the board at R6, this is the pick.
(Tier 1, PPFS ~87)

Malik Muhammad, Texas, CB, Projected Round: 3rd
A 6’0”/182 Texas cornerback with 32 3/8” arms and the kind of length profile the Broncos have consistently rewarded at the DB position. Texas pipeline connection, R3 grade that fits Denver’s Day-2 DB investment pattern, and the press-boundary archetype Vance Joseph’s scheme is built around. Pipeline plus length plus right-round capital is an archetype-perfect PPFS stack at the exact window the Broncos’ second pick sits in. Long-term developmental boundary starter behind Barron.
(Tier 1, PPFS ~85)

Chris Johnson, San Diego State, CB, Projected Round: 1st-2nd
A San Diego State Senior Bowl invitee whose “give-a-s—— factor is to the moon” scouting-report line pairs with 687 career special-teams snaps — a maximum-density character-plus-ST stack the Broncos coaching staff has historically rewarded. No pipeline tie, but the intangibles and special-teams floor are exactly what Paton targeted in the Barron and Surtain pre-draft intangibles reviews. Slots cleanly as a multi-phase boundary cornerback who contributes on four phases of special teams while developing behind the top of the depth chart.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~82)

Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State, CB, Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
A 6’2” Ohio State press-man boundary corner with Senior Bowl validation, a pipeline tie this front office has leaned into repeatedly, and the prototypical length-and-physicality profile Denver loves at the position. The 18 penalty flags over the past two seasons (famously wore oven mitts in practice to stop grabbing) are the one real coaching concern — but that is the exact kind of technique flaw NFL coaches project as correctable. Pipeline plus Senior Bowl plus archetype fit still nets a strong Day-2 target at the R2 #62 window.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~80)

Daylen Everette, Georgia, CB, Projected Round: 3rd-4th
A 6’1”/196 former 5-star Georgia cornerback with a Senior Bowl invite, 5 career interceptions, and a scouting-report line — “leader of the DB room, carries himself like a future coach” — that reads like a Paton pre-draft intangibles checklist. Resolved hernia and ankle histories are not structural concerns. Size, pedigree, and character stack into a Day-2 profile with real developmental starter upside at boundary behind the current room.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~80)

Charles Demmings, Stephen F. Austin, CB, Projected Round: 5th
A 6’1”/193 Senior Bowl press-man boundary corner with 32” arms, 9 career interceptions and 35 pass breakups in 46 games, and a loyalty profile that reads well in this locker room — spurned multiple FBS portal offers to finish his career at SFA. The FCS background is the one real drag, but Senior Bowl reps validated the production against P4 competition, and the R5 capital window is the exact lane Denver has used to find developmental boundary depth. Long-term boundary insurance play.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~79)

Collin Wright, Stanford, CB, Projected Round: 6th
A 6’0”/188 Stanford team captain with a Senior Bowl invite, 5 career interceptions, and true boundary/nickel versatility. Scouting reports praise his process — “loves the grind, leads with voice and example” — and he models his game after Byron Murphy. The captain-plus-Senior-Bowl-plus-versatile-boundary package at R6 capital is exactly the developmental depth lane this regime has quietly built in recent classes. Multi-phase backup profile with a real path to the 53.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~79)

Treydan Stukes, Arizona, CB, Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
An Arizona walk-on who earned a three-year team captain designation — a maximum-density character profile with exactly the kind of earned-every-rep background Paton has consistently rewarded with Day-2 capital. A September 2024 torn ACL is a single-event resolved medical, and a slightly older rookie age (24.6) is a real knock but not disqualifying. The walk-on plus multi-year captain stack is the kind of intangibles-first bet this front office has made before with strong return on investment.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~79)

Keith Abney II, Arizona State, CB, Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
An Arizona State cornerback with 6 career interceptions and a 44.4% completion rate when targeted — elite coverage metrics at the right Day-2 capital window with no medical history. A clean profile without the elite modifier stack of the Tier 1 prospects, but the ball production plus shutdown targeted-completion rate plus durability translates cleanly to the NFL boundary role. Multi-year developmental starter profile with a real path to the boundary rotation.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~78)

TJ Hall, Iowa, CB, Projected Round: 6th
A 6’1”/188 Iowa physical run-defending zone cornerback with a Senior Bowl invitation and the pipeline tie this front office has leaned into for late-round defensive picks. A 4.55/4.59 forty is below-average speed and the real ceiling cap, but the Iowa development pipeline plus Senior Bowl validation plus R6 capital window stack makes him a clean Day-3 developmental depth bet with special-teams-first floor value.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~78)

Colton Hood, Tennessee, CB, Projected Round: 1st-2nd
A Tennessee Senior Bowl cornerback with an R1-R2 grade and only 13 career starts — a raw developmental profile with early-round measurables and validation. The thin starter production is the ceiling cap, but the Senior Bowl bonus at an early-round grade gives Denver a real developmental boundary project with multi-year runway behind the existing depth chart. Upside bet if the board falls.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~77)

Hezekiah Masses, California, CB, Projected Round: 6th
A 6’1”/179 Cal Senior Bowl cornerback with FBS-best 18 pass breakups and 5 interceptions in 2025, and a durability profile that reads perfectly for Day-3 capital — played all 49 games across four seasons without missing a snap to injury. At 179 pounds he is below Denver’s preferred boundary weight threshold, but the elite 2025 ball production plus Senior Bowl validation plus the perfect R6 capital window makes him a real developmental target at a spot where volume ball skills historically translate to the league.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~77)

Avieon Terrell, Clemson, CB, Projected Round: 1st-2nd
A Clemson cornerback with R1-R2 measurables, and the brother of Falcons All-Pro A.J. Terrell — legitimate football-family pedigree Paton has historically given real weight on draft boards. Zero career interceptions over the final 21 games is a genuine production drag that caps the ceiling, but the grade, genes, and schematic archetype still line up as a long-term boundary developmental bet. Upside-over-production profile at the top of the board.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~76)

Brandon Cisse, South Carolina, CB, Projected Round: 2nd
A South Carolina cornerback who is 20.81 years old — the youngest cornerback in the class — with an R2 grade and real developmental upside. Raw ball production (2 career interceptions) is a meaningful drag, but the age premium is consistently and heavily favored by Paton’s draft history: youngest-in-class profiles with developmental arrows have routinely been targeted on Day 2. Multi-year developmental project with genuine starter-ceiling runway.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~75)

Remaining Prospects (Tier 3-4)

Tier 3: Jermod McCoy, Chandler Rivers, Tacario Davis, Julian Neal, Ephesians Prysock, Will Lee III, Avery Smith, Thaddeus Dixon, Domani Jackson, Andre Fuller, Marcus Allen, Ceyair Wright, Jaylon Guilbeau

Tier 4: D’Angelo Ponds, Devin Moore, Jadon Canady, Latrell McCutchin Sr., Lorenzo Styles Jr., Ahmari Harvey, Brent Austin, Tyreek Chappell, Michael Coats Jr., Kolbey Taylor, Ayden Garnes, Jalen McMurray, Jeadyn Lukus, Mory Bamba

My Analysis: While I feel this position group is pretty well set, I also felt that way when they drafted Jahdae Barron in the first round last year. Surely, now they feel they are pretty well set, right? I still think they could add a late round cornerback. You can never have too many corners.

Broncos Big Board: Safety

Caleb Downs, Ohio State, S, Projected Round: 1st
A 5’11.5”/206 Ohio State 2025 team captain, two-time Unanimous All-American, Jim Thorpe Award winner, and national champion with 6 career interceptions, 256 tackles, and zero touchdowns allowed across 874 coverage snaps. Father Gary Downs played for the Broncos — a real Mile High family connection. Ohio State pipeline, elite-character coverage-range hybrid who directly fills the FS centerfield void behind walk-year Brandon Jones. The R1 cost is prohibitive because Denver has no R1 pick, but on talent alone this is the clean top of the board.
(Tier 1, PPFS ~96)

Dillon Thieneman, Oregon, S, Projected Round: 1st-2nd
A 6’0”/201 Oregon four-time game captain with a 4.35 forty, 8 career interceptions, 306 tackles across 39 starts, and zero significant injuries on the docket. First-team Academic All-American with a Justin Reid comp — single-high range paired with high-end processing and anticipation. The Oregon pipeline tie plus the FS coverage gap stack combine for the highest-modifier stack in the entire defensive class. R2 #62 would be the dream scenario if he falls; medium-high urgency at the position justifies aggressive capital to land him.
(Tier 1, PPFS ~92)

A.J. Haulcy, LSU, S, Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
A 6’0”/215 LSU safety with 10 career interceptions and 347 tackles across three schools, zero injury history, and a “Mr. Give Me That” turnover-machine scouting-report line. Played one-high, boundary two-high, and big nickel — true scheme-versatile range from the deep half. LSU pipeline plus FS coverage gap plus elite ball production is a clean PPFS stack, and the R2-R3 grade aligns perfectly with Denver’s R2 #62 capital window. A genuine bullseye target in the second round.
(Tier 1, PPFS ~88)

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo, S, Projected Round: 1st-2nd
A 6’4”/201 Toledo safety with 32 1/8” arms, 5 career interceptions, 9 forced fumbles, and 214 tackles. First in his family to attend college — the kind of intangibles story Paton has historically rewarded. A rare 6’4” rangy boundary safety directly fills the FS coverage gap and offers real TE-matchup versatility against the modern passing attacks the AFC West sees every week. A 2024 shoulder injury is fully cleared. Confirmed Broncos Combine meeting. The R1-R2 grade is expensive, but the gap urgency plus the archetype rarity justifies aggressive capital.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~84)

Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina, S, Projected Round: 3rd
A 6’1”/210 South Carolina 2025 team captain with a 4.40 forty, 32 7/8” arms, 8 career interceptions, and 21 pass breakups — at 21 years old, the youngest safety in the class. Senior Bowl validation plus an elite size-speed profile that directly fills the FS coverage gap behind walk-year Brandon Jones. The captain-plus-Senior-Bowl-plus-age-premium stack is a genuine Day-2 bullseye at the Broncos’ R3 capital window. High-risk/high-reward developmental arrow with real starter upside.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~82)

Michael Taaffe, Texas, S, Projected Round: 5th
A 6’0”/190 Texas walk-on who earned multi-year team captain status, the Burlsworth and Wuerffel Trophies, and a Senior Bowl invite. 7 career interceptions, 222 tackles, and 844 career special-teams snaps — the highest-density character modifier stack in the safety class: pipeline, walk-on, captain, Senior Bowl, and elite ST value all on one profile. Undersized at 190 pounds with 29 1/4” arms, and scouting reports explicitly flag that the physical tools may not project as a defensive regular. But as an ST-first / emergency safety at R5 capital, this is the exact profile this regime has rewarded repeatedly.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~80)

VJ Payne, Kansas State, S, Projected Round: 4th-5th
A 6’3”/206 Kansas State team captain with exceptional 33 3/4” arms, an 80 3/4” wingspan, a Senior Bowl invite, and 41 straight career starts. 4 career interceptions and 207 tackles with a direct JL Skinner comp — projects as Skinner’s replacement on Skinner’s walk year. Not a pure single-high free safety, but the room is thin enough that a boundary / big-nickel body with TE-matchup length and multi-year starter durability is a clean Day-2/3 target at R4-R5 capital.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~80)

Jakobe Thomas, Miami, S, Projected Round: 4th-5th
A 6’1”/214 Miami safety with a Senior Bowl invite (pulled out), Fiesta Bowl MVP, 9 career interceptions, and 25 pass breakups — box/hybrid safety with the kind of turnover production Paton has historically paid Day-2 capital for. Scouting reports flag “mediocre recovery speed in coverage, average hip fluidity” as the ceiling cap, but the ball production at the R4-R5 capital window is a strong PPFS signal with real multi-year rotation value behind Hufanga.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~78)

Zakee Wheatley, Penn State, S, Projected Round: 3rd
A 6’3”/202 Penn State safety with a Senior Bowl invite, 6 career interceptions, and zero career penalties — a tall, fluid boundary safety with WR-like ball skills. Deep-half range fills the FS complement and gives Denver a body in the coverage gap behind Jones. The 2025 production regression (1 pass breakup, 1 interception) is the one real tape-regression caution flag, but the frame, hands, and technique stack still read as a Day-2 complementary-coverage bet.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~78)

Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma, S, Projected Round: 5th
A 6’2”/205 Oklahoma safety with a 4.32 forty — the fastest safety at the combine — an East-West Shrine Bowl invite, and a military-family background that reads well in this locker room. The Oklahoma pipeline tie plus the elite speed plus the all-star validation is a classic Paton-era Day-3 DB target profile. Box/enforcer archetype with real sub-package versatility. Confirmed Broncos pre-draft visit. A clean Day-3 fit at the exact capital window the Broncos have historically used to find developmental defensive back depth.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~78)

Jalen Huskey, Maryland, S, Projected Round: 6th
A 6’1”/192 Maryland team captain with an East-West Shrine Bowl invite and 11 career interceptions — an elite ball-hawking profile, particularly striking given he converted from cornerback to safety mid-2024 with zero prior experience. The field-safety/nickel role fills the FS coverage gap with instinctive ball skills. Lean at 192 pounds with short 30 7/8” arms, but the captain-plus-Shrine-plus-converted-CB-with-11-INTs stack reads as exactly the kind of ball-production upside bet Paton has made repeatedly at R6 capital. Confirmed Broncos Pro Day attendance.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~78)

Bud Clark, TCU, S, Projected Round: 3rd
A 6’1”/188 TCU two-year captain with a Senior Bowl invite and 15 career interceptions — fourth in program history. Field safety / centerfield archetype who directly fills the single-high FS gap with WR-like ball skills. The 188-pound frame is below Denver’s preferred safety weight, and the injury-prone label is real — missed time in 4 of 5 seasons — but the Senior Bowl plus captain plus elite 15-INT production plus coverage-safety fit means the upside is genuine Day-2 starter when healthy.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~76)

Miles Scott, Illinois, S, Projected Round: 7th-FA
A 6’0”/203 Illinois walk-on, two-time team captain, green-dot wearer, and East-West Shrine Bowl invitee with 7 career interceptions and 182 tackles. Post/free safety archetype with tracking skills as a WR-to-DB convert — fills the FS gap on the UDFA/R7 tier. Ordinary speed is a limitation on the projection, but the walk-on plus two-time captain plus green-dot communicator plus Shrine bonus stack fits the Payton/Paton late-round/UDFA profile exactly. A floor-type bet on character and football IQ at the bottom of the capital window.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~76)

Dalton Johnson, Arizona, S, Projected Round: 5th-6th
A 5’11”/192 Arizona team captain with an East-West Shrine Bowl invite, 5 career interceptions, 286 tackles, 7 forced fumbles, and 559 career special-teams snaps — elite ST value is a real Paton-preferred signal at the Day-3 capital window. Undersized at 5’11”/192 but productive and durable, with the captain-plus-ST-premium-plus-ball-production stack reading as a high-density PPFS signal in the back half of Day 3. Multi-phase backup-safety profile with a real path to the 53.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~77)

Tier 3: Genesis Smith, Kamari Ramsey, Bishop Fitzgerald, Skyler Thomas, Xavier Nwankpa, Austin Brown, Larry Worth III

Tier 4: Keionte Scott, DeShon Singleton, Louis Moore, Cole Wisniewski, Ahmaad Moses, Kapena Gushiken, Jalen Stroman

My Analysis: Safety is always in the mix for me, because its just my favorite defensive position. My favorite player as a kid was Steve Atwater, so the affection runs deep. Does Denver need to spend what little premium draft picks on a safety this year? Probably not, but you never know.

PPFS (Payton/Paton Fit Score) Methodology

What it is: An empirically-derived scoring system that measures how well 2026 draft prospects align with the historical drafting patterns of Sean Payton and George Paton.

6-Step Process:

1. Catalog historical drafts: 7 draft classes (2020-2025) analyzed. Joint Payton/Paton Broncos picks (2023-2025) weighted 3x; individual pre-partnership classes weighted 1x.

2. Research player profiles: Pull pre-draft scouting reports for every historical pick to capture what scouts said at draft time.

3. Extract tendencies across 8 dimensions:

   • Physical thresholds (size per position)
   • Athletic testing (40, 3-cone, broad jump, etc.)
   • Production profile (starts, snaps, PFF grades, dominator rating)
   • School/conference preferences
   • Experience level (age, years starting)
   • Injury history
   • Character profile (captains, culture fit)
   • Archetype tells (position-specific patterns)

4. Derive the rubric from the data: Weights come from what Payton/Paton actually picked, not assumed importance.

5. Score 2026 prospects against the position-specific rubric (0-100 scale).

6. Group into tiers: Tier 1 through Tier 4 based on PPFS scores.

Two key refinements:

• Role-based assessment: Prospects scored by projected NFL role, not just raw position (e.g., situational pass-rusher vs. base-end)
• Medical sliding scale: Graduated injury severity rather than binary injured/healthy Important distinction: PPFS measures organizational fit, not absolute player quality. A great player can score low if they don’t match Payton/Paton’s documented patterns.

Roster Analysis in the PPFS Pipeline

The roster analysis sits between the historical tendency extraction (Steps 1-3) and the scoring rubric (Steps 4-5). It answers: “Given what Payton/Paton like, what does this team actually need right now?”

What it does:

• Breaks down each position group’s current players, ages, contracts, archetypes, and injury status
• Identifies complementary gaps (what’s missing) and duplication risks (what they already have)
• Assigns draft urgency per position (HIGH, MODERATE, LOW)

How it modifies scoring (two mechanisms):

1. Roster Complementary Fit dimension: A 0-10 scoring dimension where:

   • Prospect hits a proven archetype lane AND fills a roster gap = 10 pts
   • Hits a proven lane but roster-neutral = 6 pts
   • Off-type but fills a gap = 5 pts
   • Off-type and roster-neutral = 3 pts

2. Modifiers:

   • +3 bonus for filling an explicit complementary gap (e.g., complementary power RB next to Harvey’s speed)
   • Graduated duplicate penalties based on how entrenched the existing player is (e.g., drafting another speed scatback when you have three = penalty)

Who would you hope the Broncos draft from this big board? If anyone…