2026 NFL Draft: Denver Broncos big board for defensive linemen and edge rushers

Jan 28, 2026; Mobile, AL, USA; National Team defensive tackle Lee Hunter (10) of Texas Tech practices during National Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

With these position group breakdowns, I had considered grouping edge rushers with the inside linebackers, but I feel like the Denver Broncos have such a bigger need long-term at that position that I’m going to run with it solo on Thursday then wrap up with cornerbacks and safety on Friday. That means we’ve got quite a large post today covering two very large position groups.

As for Denver, the need at edge isn’t huge but the interior defensive line could be a sneaky high target for the Broncos heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. It’ll all depend on how that draft board falls after the first two rounds.

Note: Prospects scored against the empirically-derived Payton/Paton Fit Score (PPFS) rubric. Tier 1 (A, Bullseye: 85-100) and Tier 2 (B, Strong Fit: 75-84) prospects shown in full. Tier 3-4 listed at end of each section. All descriptions of prospects are AI generated as part of its reasoning and ranking. Round projections based of Dane Brugler’s The Beast draft board.

Broncos Big Board: Edge Rushers

Keldric Faulk, Auburn, EDGE, Projected Round: 1st-2nd
A 6’6”/274 Auburn captain with 35” arms, age 20 on draft day, and the only true 270+ base-end in the class. Plays 4i/5-tech, stacks and sheds efficiently, and rarely misses tackles — directly the Franklin-Myers replacement profile Denver needs to anchor its run defense. Raised by a single mother in Highland Home, Ala., donated NIL earnings to a walk-on teammate, and carries the leadership profile Denver rewards at the top of the defensive board. Mykel Williams comp.
(Tier 1, PPFS ~88)

LT Overton, Alabama, EDGE, Projected Round: 4th
A 6’3”/274 Alabama EDGE (287 at his pro day) with class-best 10 5/8” hands and a Senior Bowl invite. Age 21, former 5-star, Campbell Trophy semifinalist with a 3.81 GPA. Mom was All-SEC volleyball at Kentucky, dad a four-year starting OL at Oklahoma. Gap-sound, unselfish run defender who sets firm edges — the exact heavy base-end profile Denver lost when Franklin-Myers walked, and the Alabama-to-Denver connection has shown up repeatedly on pre-draft boards.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~84)

Arvell Reese, Ohio State, EDGE, Projected Round: 1st
A 6’4”/241 Ohio State EDGE with 4.46 speed and elite bend. A pure speed-rusher who mirrors Bonitto’s archetype, which is a plus in Denver’s rotation-heavy usage model. Ohio State is one of the strongest historical pipelines on the Broncos’ board. If he slips into Day 2 he is a clean pass-rush add behind the $156M co-alpha pair.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~80)

Zion Young, Missouri, EDGE, Projected Round: 1st-2nd
A 6’5.6”/267 Missouri four-year starter with heavy hands and room to carry 275+ in an NFL program. Plays with power at the point of attack and projects cleanly to the 5-tech role Denver is trying to backfill. Missouri is a direct Broncos pipeline (Abrams-Draine, Pride Jr.), making this an archetype-plus-pipeline match at Day-2 cost.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~79)

Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State, EDGE, Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
A 6’5.5”/256 Penn State four-year starter with a 33.5” arm length and an 82 5/8” wingspan. Former 4-star with real production against Big Ten competition and a frame that can easily add weight. A high-floor developmental pass-rusher who would give Denver a bendy length-rusher to rotate behind Bonitto and Cooper. (Tier 2, PPFS ~78)

Derrick Moore, Michigan, EDGE, Projected Round: 3rd
A 6’3.7”/255 Michigan four-year senior with above-threshold 33 3/8” arms and a clean Big Ten tape library. Plays with consistent run-defense integrity and rush-lane discipline — a high-floor Day-2 EDGE who would step directly into Denver’s rotation and compete for sub-package snaps from week one.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~77)

Gabe Jacas, Illinois, EDGE, Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
A 6’3.5”/261 Illinois four-year starter with 33” arms and versatility between 5-tech and wide-9 alignments. 47 career games of real production and the kind of do-everything role flex Sean Payton’s multiple-front scheme asks of its base-ends. A scheme-fit bet at Day 2.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~77)

Tyreak Sapp, Florida, EDGE, Projected Round: 6th
A 6’2.3”/273 Florida pipeline EDGE with the heavy base-end mass Denver is explicitly missing. Five-year senior with real run-defense chops at the point of attack — exactly the kind of Franklin-Myers-replacement depth profile you want at Day-3 cost.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~76)

George Gumbs Jr., Florida, EDGE, Projected Round: 5th
A 6’4”/245 Florida pipeline EDGE with 33 7/8” arms and a walk-on origin story (Northern Illinois WR → TE → EDGE). SEC Academic Honor Roll. 11 career sacks and a scouting reputation for bringing the same energy every day. The walk-on-character-plus-length-plus-pipeline combo is exactly the kind of developmental EDGE lane the Paton era has hit on before.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~76)

Tyre West, Tennessee, EDGE, Projected Round: 7th
A 6’2”/283 Tennessee EDGE — the heaviest EDGE in the class — with a Senior Bowl invite. Plays with natural leverage, hits like a ton of bricks, and can slide inside to penetrate as a 3-tech on passing downs. The closest archetype match on the board to Franklin-Myers’ vacated role, and at Day-3 cost he’s the kind of efficient-fit pick Denver has hit on late.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~76)

Nyjalik Kelly, UCF, EDGE, Projected Round: 7th-FA
A 6’5.3”/263 UCF pipeline EDGE with 35.5” arms — the longest in the entire class — and age 21 on draft day. Frame carries easy growth to 275+, and elite length is a developmental trait Denver has consistently rewarded. A high-upside late-round swing.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~75)

Tier 3: Rueben Bain Jr., Akheem Mesidor, T.J. Parker, Malachi Lawrence, Cashius Howell, R. Mason Thomas, Keyron Crawford, Jaishawn Barham, Max Llewellyn, Caden Curry, Joshua Josephs, Logan Fano, Anthony Lucas, Trey Moore, Mason Reiger, Jack Pyburn, Aidan Hubbard, Michael Heldman, Vincent Anthony Jr., Mitchell Melton, Patrick Payton, Marvin Jones Jr., Khordae Sydnor, Ethan Burke

Tier 4: Romello Height, Wesley Williams, Nadame Tucker, Quintayvious Hutchins, Mikail Kamara, Zach Durfee, Cian Slone, Keyshawn James-Newby, Dasan McCullough, Bryan Thomas Jr.

My Analysis: With Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper locked down at edge, a high draft pick is unlikely from Denver here. However, I don’t think they’ll balk at bringing in additional Day 3 talent to compete for rotational snaps. Vance Joseph loves keeping his guys on the line fresh throughout the course of games. And, I love it too.

Broncos Big Board: Defensive Line

Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, DT, Projected Round: 1st-2nd
A 6’2”/326 Ohio State nose tackle, age 21, Unanimous All-American and Big Ten DL of the Year. Described as the most dominant defensive player on several of Ohio State’s 2025 tapes — resets the line of scrimmage with his initial burst and power and shuts down A-gap run lanes. Directly fills the D.J. Jones succession role with rare youth at the nose. Ohio State is one of the strongest pipelines on the Broncos’ historical board.
(Tier 1, PPFS ~87)

Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State, DT, Projected Round: 4th
A 6’6”/315 Florida State team captain with 35 1/4” arms and an 86.5” wingspan. Uncle Dexter Jackson was Super Bowl XXXVII MVP. Didn’t play football until age 16 and bulked from 200 to 315 lbs; transferred from Miami to FSU to be near his ill mother. Plays with awesome straight-ahead power to walk centers backward and has the larger-than-life traits to do the dirty work at nose. Captain designation, dual all-star validation, rare size for the interior, and a Day-2/3 price tag — the cleanest DL fit on the board for what Denver actually needs.
(Tier 1, PPFS ~85)

Chris McClellan, Missouri, DT, Projected Round: 3rd-4th
A 6’4”/313 Missouri pipeline DT with 34” arms, 11” hands, and a Senior Bowl invite. Four-year starter across 51 games with zero missed appearances — iron-man durability Paton has consistently rewarded. Scheme-flexible 0/1-tech who can rotate between nose-guard snaps and 3-tech reps. Missouri-to-Denver is a direct pipeline (Pride Jr., Abrams-Draine), and this is the exact rotational interior body the room has not drafted in three years.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~83)

Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, DT, Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
A 6’4”/318 Texas Tech DT nicknamed “The Fridge” with a Senior Bowl invite and 2025 Second Team All-American honors. Five-year senior across Auburn, UCF, and Texas Tech with 173 tackles and 32.5 TFL across 52 games. Plays with a balanced blend of strength, length, and movement and can post up on run downs to shut down A-gaps. The true nose-guard mass Denver is missing behind D.J. Jones.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~82)

Gracen Halton, Oklahoma, DT, Projected Round: 4th
A 6’3”/293 Oklahoma pipeline DT with a 4.82 forty — the most athletic interior lineman in the class. Four-year starter who closes in a hurry when he gets a clear path. Projects cleanly as a rotational 1-tech/3-tech hybrid in the mold of the work Roach and Allen do on sub-package snaps for Denver. The Oklahoma pipeline is a Paton staple.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~81)

Peter Woods, Clemson, DT, Projected Round: 1st-2nd
A 6’2”/298 three-year junior Clemson DT who profiles as a penetrating 3-tech. Explosive first-step quickness and real interior disruption traits — the Roach/Uwazurike rotational archetype at a younger age and higher ceiling. A direct 3-tech rotation add at Day-2 capital.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~80)

Christen Miller, Georgia, DT, Projected Round: 2nd
A 6’3.6”/321 Georgia DT with 33” arms and SEC pedigree against top competition. 321 lbs at 6’4 is an archetypal 1-tech frame, and the production floor at Georgia is one of the highest in the class. A straight BPA interior-mass play if the board falls right at #62.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~79)

Domonique Orange, Iowa State, DT, Projected Round: 2nd-3rd
A 6’2.3”/322 Iowa State DT with 33 3/8” arms. 322 lbs is excellent nose-guard mass in the exact archetype Denver needs to replace aging D.J. Jones. A direct 1-tech succession play at Day-2 cost.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~78)

Albert Regis, Texas A&M, DT, Projected Round: 4th-5th
A 6’1.3”/295 Texas A&M DT with a 4.88 forty — surprisingly athletic at that weight. SEC pedigree and real rotational versatility on the interior. A legitimate rotational DL at clean Day-3 capital.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~77)

Nick Barrett, South Carolina, DT, Projected Round: 5th
A 6’2.7”/312 five-year senior SEC DT with 33.5” arms. Mass, durability, and P4 experience at clean Day-3 cost — the kind of developmental 1-tech depth pick Paton has historically hit on.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~76)

Tim Keenan III, Alabama, DT, Projected Round: 6th-7th
A 6’1.1”/327 Alabama pipeline DT — tied for the heaviest body in the entire DT class. The Alabama connection is strong on Paton’s historical board, and at 327 lbs the body itself is the gap-clogger. Cheap 1-tech depth at Day-3 cost.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~76)

Damonic Williams, Oklahoma, DT, Projected Round: 7th
A 6’1.5”/305 Oklahoma pipeline DT, age 21 on draft day — the youngest DT in the class. Pipeline connection plus extreme youth plus solid 305-lb mass makes this a high-upside developmental nose at Day-3 cost, the exact late-round profile Denver has rewarded before.
(Tier 2, PPFS ~75)

Tier 3: Caleb Banks, Tyler Onyedim, Rayshaun Benny, Kaleb Proctor, Cameron Ball, Demonte Capehart, Rene Konga, Brandon Cleveland, Bryson Eason, David Gusta, Anterio Thompson, Jackie Marshall, Gary Smith III, Jordan Van Den Berg, James Thompson Jr., Deven Eastern, Aaron Hall, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Jalen Hunt, Tywone Malone Jr.

Tier 4: Zane Durant, Landon Robinson, Skyler Gill-Howard, Dontay Corleone, Zxavian Harris, Jayden Loving, Stephen Daley, David Blay Jr.

My Analysis: It would not surprise me at all to see the Broncos go DL with their second-round pick. There are just too many defensive lineman with a 1st-2nd round type grade. Someone is going to fall. The question is, will one of the players in our T1-T2 list for Sean Payton and George Paton to potentially be interested in?

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)
   • Hard gate at 60 for direct duplicates of high-investment starters

Who would you hope the Broncos draft from this big board? Or, better yet, who do you think might be really high on their board given their projected draft position and fit?