Denver Broncos are ‘homed in’ between picks 45-75 in 2026 NFL Draft

TL;DR

The Denver Broncos are focused on players in the 45th to 75th pick range for the 2026 NFL Draft. General Manager George Paton emphasized their strategy to maximize their single premium pick in the first 100 selections.

Key points

Broncos have limited premium draft capital
General Manager George Paton is focused on picks 45-75
Past successful picks include Nik Bonitto and Marvin Mims Jr.
Potential strategies include trading back or moving up
Confidence in maximizing their single premium pick

Denver BroncosCleveland BrownsNik BonittoMarvin Mims Jr.

Dec 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos general manager George Paton before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images We are now just days away from the 2026 NFL Draft and the Denver Broncos front office staff are locked in. With very little premium draft capital, they have a very narrow window to hit on their sole pick in the first 100. They’ve been here before in back-to-back drafts in 2022 and 2023 where they landed premium talent in edge rusher Nik Bonitto and all-pro returner Marvin Mims Jr. General Manager George Paton was asked about that experience they gained having such a late first pick in a draft and nailing it and he noted that they are ‘homed in’ on a group of guys in that 45th to 75th pick range. “It’s very similar to what we have done,” Paton said on Thursday. “We are really homed in let’s say from 45 to 75. Just really homed in on that group of players. Not that we haven’t gone through the process in the first round like we always do, but now this just gives us time to really focus on the players there and go through every scenario possible. If you are left with five of these players or six of these player or none of these players left. Going through every possible scenario so on draft day you aren’t surprised. We haven’t been surprised yet, and we’ve been happy with the results.” The last part of that comment is also significant. If a scenario plays out where none of those players they are ‘homed in’ on are left, we could see them move back and try to accumulate additional mid-round picks to compensate. Otherwise, we could also see them package up some of those late picks to move up to get one of those five or six players high on their board. Either way, I feel pretty confident they’ll find a way to hit big on that one premium pick they do have.

Q&A

What is the Denver Broncos' strategy for the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Broncos are concentrating on a specific group of players between the 45th and 75th picks to maximize their draft potential.

Who are the notable players the Broncos selected in previous drafts?

In the 2022 and 2023 drafts, the Broncos selected edge rusher Nik Bonitto and all-pro returner Marvin Mims Jr.

What could the Broncos do if their targeted players are unavailable in the draft?

If their preferred players are not available, the Broncos may trade back to gain additional mid-round picks or package late picks to move up in the draft.