Broncos GM George Paton explains value of late-round draft picks

Entering Day 3 of the 2026 NFL draft, some fans will begin to tune out. For Denver Broncos fans, however, history suggests the late rounds are worth tracking.

Since general manager George Paton arrived in 2021, the team's seventh-round success stories have included outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, offensive lineman Alex Forsyth and wide receiver Devaughn Vele.

This year, the Broncos hold three picks in the seventh round after being awarded a pair of compensatory picks (the final two selections in the draft). Those picks might have more value than fans realize.

“It’s great," Denver general manager George Paton said. "You may not be able to get a guy [as an UDFA]. The price gets higher sometimes than the picks in the free agent world. It’s crazy, the chaos.

"If we’re not going to get a guy [as a UDFA] — that happened with Jonathon Cooper, believe it or not. He was going to go to Jacksonville with Urban Meyer. 'Let’s just take him.' Let him walk out, and we took him. Those sevens, we got Vele in the seventh, ‘Coop’ in the seventh. There are probably more, but all of those picks are important.”

So, entering the final day of the draft, keep in mind that Paton and Co. have had success with these late picks.

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