Broncos start UDFA recruiting process months before NFL draft

The Denver Broncos have a great history of landing undrafted free agent gems, with cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian (2022) being one of the most notable recent examples. Denver has had at least one UDFA make the 53-man roster in 21 of the last 22 seasons, and the club uses that history to their advantage.

The Broncos pitch themselves and their UDFA history to prospects leading up to the NFL draft, starting the recruiting process months before the draft even arrives.

“I think that goes way back to the fall, all-star games," general manager George Paton said of connecting with potential UDFA prospects. "I’m talking about the recruiting. Our scouts are getting to know these players. Whether they’re going to be drafted or college free agents, it’s hard to get a high-end college free agent unless you have a relationship with him. So that goes with the coaches, it goes with the scouts. It’s everyone, all hands on deck."

This year, Denver held the final two picks in the 2026 NFL draft, and that can make UDFA pitches a little harder when the club asks a player to sign after they passed on them with the final picks in the draft.

"When you get to the last two picks, it’s tough because obviously you have college free agents and then — everyone wants to be drafted that can," Paton said. "So we kind of just work through that. You just kind of follow your board at the end.”

In the end, the Broncos still ended up with a strong class of UDFA signings, and those players will now aim to continue the team's impressive tradition of UDFA success.

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