Justin Joly drafted by Broncos, Brandon Cleveland headed to Raiders

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 27: Justin Joly #TE09 of North Carolina participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Justin Joly and Brandon Cleveland had to wait a while to hear their names called during the NFL Draft, but finally found their landing spots on Saturday afternoon.

Joly was taken by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round, at No. 152 overall. I was surprised he ended up falling that far into the field, though the Broncos did ultimately trade up 18 spots to grab him, which is encouraging. Denver didn’t get much from its tight ends last season, so he should have an opportunity to make an early impact. Broncos fans seem to like the choice.

Cleveland had to wait until the seventh round before he was chosen by Las Vegas at No. 229, but on the bright side, he was the only defensive tackle that the Raiders took in the draft, which hopefully will improve his odds of making the roster. His reception from Raiders fans also has been positive. And now that they have Fernando Mendoza on board, perhaps the team won’t be quite so terrible this year! For Brandon’s sake, I’ll hope for the best.