The Denver Broncos have finalized their 2026 NFL Draft class after making their three final seventh-round selections.
Denver Broncos finalize 2026 NFL Draft class with seventh round picks
With the 246th pick in the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos added a safety into the mix. Illinois DB Miles Scott was Denver’s selection.
Scott was a wide receiver at Illinois in his first two seasons, but switched to defensive back in 2023. In three seasons as a defensive back, he had 182 career tackles, with 131 of them being solo tackles, seven interceptions, and 11 passes defensed.
For the third time in four years, the Broncos have tapped into their knowledge and roots of Illinois, signing Alex Palczewski in 2023 as an undrafted rookie free agent, drafting Pat Bryant in the third round of last year’s draft, and now with Scott landing in Denver in the seventh round.
In his first career start at safety, he had a pick-six. During his first season at DB, he had two total interceptions and both were returned back for scores.
“We were sending a blitz, but I literally had no clue where the blitz was coming from,” Scott said. “Once I had seen whoever was going, I looked over there and saw the receiver running free down the middle of the field. I looked back, the ball was right there, I jumped and caught it and took it all the way back to the house. That is just a testament of me playing receiver and being able to catch the ball and run. That’s all receivers do, and I don’t even miss playing receiver because I love defense. I’m just grateful to have that.”
With the 256th pick in the draft, the Broncos double-dipped at tight end, adding Utah tight end Dallen Bentley to the mix after they drafted Justin Joly in the fifth round earlier today.
Bentley appeared in 13 games for the Utes last season and hauled in 48 catches for 620 yards and six touchdowns.
At pick 257, Denver closed out the NFL Draft by selecting University of Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock, who was this year’s Mr. Irrelevant.
Murdock is a tackling machine, coming up with 364 career tackles in four seasons, 39.5 tackles for a loss, including 13.5 last season, nine sacks, one interception, and 17 forced fumbles, which is an NCAA record. He could very well be one of the defensive steals of the draft.
He’ll have a chance to come into Vance Joseph’s defense and learn behind Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton, and he will get opportunities to contribute to special teams right away.