George Paton says the two picks in fourth round will define their draft

Feb 28, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Denver Broncos general manager George Paton during the NFL combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos came away from the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft with just a single draft pick. That being Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim with the 66th overall selection after trading out of the second round.

However, they still have seven draft picks for Day 3, with two of those coming at start in the fourth round. General Manager George Paton was asked about those seven picks and his focus point is how the middle round picks is how a team defines their draft and views those first two picks as defining of their 2026 draft class.

“We’re in a good position, especially with the two [fourth rounders]—we have the seventh pick in the fourth round and the eleventh, I believe, 4-07, 4-11,” Paton said last night. “So you start with that… We’ve gone through all these third days. We feel like we’re a week ahead, so we already know the scenarios we’re in for, starting with these first two. That kind of sets the tone. Sean and I, as we go through our discussions, these two fourth-round picks will define this draft. We should, if we’re doing our job, we should hit on the second, or now third-round pick. But really these, the middle picks, that really define your draft, especially since we’re picking in the fourth up high.”

I would agree. With Onyedim, they went with traits and development potential. A building to the future piece of the puzzle. But with these two picks out of the gate, they will likely be looking for early contributors in their rookie year. That could mean a running back and another position that can contribute early on — wide receiver and linebacker come to mind.

Either way, I am pleased with the start. The draft board didn’t go down like any of us thought it would, so they traded back and picked up an additional pick. You can’t be mad at that.