NBA playoffs 2026: Magic make Hornets disappear with 121-90 play-in win, advance to face Pistons
Magic dominate Hornets 121-90 and move on to face Pistons in playoffs!
The Denver Broncos conducted 101 mock draft simulations to determine potential selections for the 62nd pick in the upcoming draft. General manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton shared insights on their draft strategy and expectations.
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**Explosive runs and the Denver Broncos run game in 2025** Denverâs running backs posted 23 explosive runs (12+ yards) on 329 carries in 2025, checking in at 7.0% â right at the league average of 6.8%. The concern buried in that number is RJ Harvey, who managed an explosive run rate of just 2.7% on 146 carries despite flashing big-play ability consistently in college, ranking among the worst in the league in the category. For context, the Ravens and Dolphins led the NFL with explosive run rates above 10%, while the Chiefs bottomed out at 3.2%. The piece suggests Denverâs ground game was functional but lacked the home-run pop youâd expect from a team with Super Bowl aspirations â and adds context to why the front office may be eyeing a running back in the draft to inject more explosiveness into the backfield.
The simulations helped identify potential players available for the 62nd pick, guiding their draft strategy.
General manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton are the key figures discussing the team's draft approach.
The Broncos expect to find good players available at the 62nd pick, despite having only one pick in the Top 100.
The Broncos maintain high expectations and focus on grading players effectively, regardless of the number of top picks.
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Denver Broncos general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton met with the media on Thursday for their annual pre-draft press conference. Hereâs what we learned:
**On developing a roster that is deep at multiple positions, such as in the secondary, and if they want to capitalize on those areas**
**George Paton:**âI think when youâre trying to build your roster, you just want the best players. We are deep in the secondary, but you always want to build on a strength if possible. I think youâre asking if [we think], âbest player available.â I think youâre getting there. Weâre always going to take the best player available within reason. If there are a couple of defensive backs there and there are other players maybe that are a bigger need, we would go that way. You always want to build on a strength. I think weâve done that since weâve arrived, and itâs worked.â
**On if their expectations or goals differ for this yearâs draft with only one pick in the Top 100**
**GP:**âThe good news is we have experience with this. I think our first draft, we had five picks. Our expectations are the same. Theyâre high. We think there are good players in this draft. We think there are good players where weâre picking at 62. We have two picks up in the top of the fourth [round], and we feel good [about] whatâs going to be there. We like it. We donât mind it, and we know we still have flexibility with the seven picks to move up or move back and get more picks. We have experience with this. Weâve gotten good players with lesser picks, so we feel good.â
**Sean Payton:**âI donât think the preparation changes relative to the picks. The preparation is trying to properly grade each player thatâs in the draft. Certainly there are some obvious ones, but nonetheless, youâre trying to do that. Assigning value, and value relative to a first-round player in this draft or any draft. Second-round talent the same way. Then certainly later in the process, you obviously address where youâre selecting. I donât know that it changes any relative to the preparation for the draft.â
**On how second-round players develop early in their careers**
**GP:**âI think itâs case-by-case. Thatâs kind of been⊠We typically like to draft high-trait players. Maybe they lack a little bit of polish, and itâs going to take some development. Weâve done a great job with the coaches in developing these types of players. We took [G] Quinn Meinerz. He started his first year, maybe wasnât quite ready. Sure weâd like somebody to come in and start right away, but thatâs not always realistic for first-, second- [round picks], no matter where theyâre picked. Itâs just hard. With the way our team is built now, itâs going to be hard to come in and start Day 1.â
**On how difficult it is to project who will be available late in the second round and if teamsâ draft boards differ at that stage in the draft**
**SP:**âThe obvious answer is as the draft continues, the trajectory of the spray gets wider. If youâre asking that question with the two picks in the fourth round, the range of the variables is much broader. If youâre picking 17th in the draft overall, you can probably have a good feel between these three players. I just think as the draft continues, the range of that goes out. I do think this, and [General Manager] George [Paton] just mentioned this. When we read these players, and a lot of it is the last line is vision. So some are real good football players, and the initial vision might be, âWe see [him] as a situational player, special teams, feel like heâs a starter within Year 2 or 3.â It can vary depending on what position that player plays, and they might have very similar grades. Itâs the vision within this roster.â
**On how much confidence their success in drafting players in the second round gives them this year and if there is more pressure with one pick in the first two days**
**GP:**âI donât think thereâs any more pressure. Weâre going to go through our process. Our process has worked, and it continues to evolve. I think itâs better. I feel more prepared for this draft than I was for last yearâs and the prior draft. Weâve done well in that realm. It doesnât mean anything. We still go through our process. We feel like we have six players weâre kind of focused on that could be there at [pick] 62. We feel good about those players. Weâre going to keep working through them. Weâve been down in the dungeons since the Wednesday after the Owners Meeting, just watching tape, had our meetings, now going through all these different scenarios. We feel good about 62. We feel good about the fourth round as well. Thatâs harder to predict obviously. We like our process, we like how itâs worked, and we feel good with where weâre at.â
**On what premium they put on mid-round offensive linemenâs ability to play multiple positions across the line**
**SP:**âItâs a great question. I think versatility is a plus. It would be almost like the asset of other defensive players that can play on special teams. When a player has swing ability, you guys know weâre taking eight [active offensive linemen] to the game. That doesnât mean he couldnât be just a real good tackle prospect, and you love him. But when you get into the rounds youâre discussing, if he does have swing flex, it helps when youâre creating the vision, no different than if youâre taking a linebacker, defensive back or defensive player and thereâs special teams value. That creates a vision as well. I think when it comes to developmental offensive linemen, certainly itâs a plus. Itâs not a mandate, but it helps you especially on gameday.â
**On how projecting the quality of next yearâs draft class plays into decisions on trading future picks**
**GP:**âYou look at that obviously. I think everyone feels like next year is going to be a strong draft, and I think thatâs based on the quarterbacks and feels like itâs going to be a strong quarterback draft. We definitely look at that when weâre making trades. Itâs not going to dictate⊠We feel if we have to make a trade in this draft, we have 10 picks, we think, next year, including the compensatories. So it gives us more flexibility if we need to use one of those to help ourselves now.â
**On if they have any scenarios to trade into the first round**
**GP:**âYou never say never, but itâs unlikely. It would cost quite a haul for us to get up there. Most of our draft we would have to trade and then something next year. I would say that itâs unlikely, but we could certainly move up in the second [round].â
**On if Head Coach Sean Payton has given a template for the âFailure Indexâ regarding quarterbacks to the rest of the league**
**SP:**âHere is the thing, I donât think so. We are always looking at past performances and always analyzing drafts. When it comes to the quarterback position, I think that most importantly is, âWhat is the vision?â How do you want to use this player to benefit him the most? I think that can vary around the league. The one thing that wonât ever vary is the significance of the position relative to how our league views it. I think teams in general are in that business of making sure they either have someone they are very confident in or are looking to draft and develop. I think that can vary by team and their appetite and more importantly what they want to do. I donât know that there has been any⊠I think each team has a format on how they arrive at a decision for a position. That position obviously gets discussed a lot.â
**On if Head Coach Sean Payton has softened after becoming a grandfather**
**SP:**âItâs a great experience. You appreciate the little things. It comes with experience and aging obviously, tying it to football. I just think itâs really more of a family thing. You are excited for your children, in this case my daughter and her husband. Maybe we all soften a little bit with age. We are glad everyone is home and healthy and appreciate the good wishes. They are doing well.â
**On if either Head Coach Sean Payton or General Manager George Paton have influenced the other more in how they do things during their time working with one another**
**SP:**âThis is me, but I thought from the very beginning that Iâve enjoyed this process. Itâs been clean and we both enjoy being down there and watching tape and kind of throwing darts. Just making sure that⊠Itâs never really finished. If the draft were in three weeks, weâd still be watching more tape up until that process just to make sure we got it right. Iâm speaking for myself, but itâs been⊠I donât say itâs been easy, but it hasnât been difficult at all. Easy part of it, meaning I think we both enjoy the process of working together.â
**GP:**âI havenât been around a head coach who has been involved as much as [Head Coach] Sean [Payton] in the process. He loves the process and is very good at the process. Weâve really been down there the last two weeks just watching tape and meeting. I think it has blended. There are a lot of things that Iâve added to the process that we had previously when Sean showed up. It keeps evolving with different people that we bring on and things that we learn about. Weâre down there in the bunker for about three weeks and then the draft is over and then we get our computers from down in the meeting room. Itâs like the end of the season, weâre depressed.â
**SP:**Â âThat day or two, we donât know what to do with ourselves.â
**GP:**âWe want to stay down there, but they wonât allow us. Weâve enjoyed it.â
**SP:**âAnd RIP (rest in peace) to this draft room. This is the last one. Then we will be across in the new facility next year.â
**On if they still view TE Evan Engram as a key piece to the roster**
**SP:**âWe definitely view him as a key piece. I would say this about this class in my opinion, if you are looking for a blocking âYâ, there are a handful available that would be targeted. If you are looking for a move, maybe a little bit undersized âFâ, they are out there. To each his own, the different type of tight ends are available. Itâs always a challenge with that position because sometimes you are projecting maybe in an offense that is playing them differently. Relative to [TE] Evan [Engram], heâs someone that gave us a lot of big plays a year ago and we will continue to find ways to keep him and add to his workload.â
**On if LB Jonah Elliss playing more off-ball linebacker changes how they evaluate the linebacker position**
**SP:**âI think it can. There are probably a little bit more inside backers than what we are used to. There is certainly good video tape on a number of guys. That position has changed over the years where you are finding guys who are moving from safety to that position or from an edge position back. There are certainly some players that are playing that position well at the college level, but that is one option. I mentioned that because he has those traits and it starts with just being a good football player. We are always trying to get our best players on the field. Does that impact how we draft or is it vice versa? That would be the six-million-dollar question. I think itâs a little bit of both.â
**On what they learned from previous drafts where their first selection came late in the second round**
**GP:**âItâs very similar to what we have done. We are really homed in letâs say from 45 to 75. Just really homed in on that group of players. Not that we havenât 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 arenât surprised. We havenât been surprised yet, and weâve been happy with the results.â
Brian Baldinger thinks fans should keep an eye on inside linebacker Josiah Trotter out of Missouri. Intersting!
We did a pre-draft podcast ourselves with Chris Hart. I may have added a few thoughts as a filthy casual.
Running simulation after simulation over at PFN with NO TRADES, this is what the player landscape looked like for the Denver Broncos with that 62nd overall pick.