The Denver Broncos will not be on the clock next Thursday for the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, but they’re confident in their options when they do pick on Day 2.

Head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton met with the media today for their annual pre-draft press conference. Here are the three biggest takeaways.

Denver Broncos like their options at 62

Not having a first-round pick this year is something the Broncos brain trust of George Paton and Sean Payton has prepared for, and because they don’t have one, it’s allowed them to focus on the wide range of players they feel like could be there when the team picks 62nd overall on Day 2 of the draft.

In their pre-draft presser with the media on Thursday, Paton mentioned that the team has identified six or so players who they believe could be there when they are on the clock at 62.

“We feel like we have six players we’re kind of focused on that could be there at [pick] 62,” Paton said. “We feel good about those players. We’re going to keep working through them. We’ve 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.”

There is a wide range of positions they could take, with many on the outside perceiving those needs as running back, linebacker, tight end, and defensive line in no particular order.

How this year’s draft unfolds will be interesting for Denver, considering the overall continuity on the roster as currently constructed. Denver has 73 players on their roster right now, and 71 of them were on the roster last year when you combine the 53-man roster and practice squad.

Jaylen Waddle and Tycen Anderson are the only two outside moves the Broncos have made. They’ll likely round out the remainder of the 90-man roster through the month of June between the draft, undrafted free agency, and late-stage free agency after the draft, because the compensatory pick formula no longer applies following the Monday after the draft.

Jonah Elliss’ position switch could influence how Denver views linebacker and edge rusher

I asked Sean Payton whether or not Jonah Elliss’ position switch from edge to off-ball linebacker could influence how they evaluate both in-house players on the roster and prospects at edge and off-ball linebackers in this year’s draft.

“I think it can,” Payton said. “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 it’s a little bit of both.”

It’s clear that the Broncos view Elliss highly. With Payton saying this move is also about getting one of their best players on the field, it creates another question as to whether or not one of the current starting linebacker spots is open for competition this summer.

To move Elliss from the edge, where he was one of Denver’s most consistent players and pressure creators at that spot, to off-ball signals that belief in him because of his athleticism and the traits Payton outlined when a player typically makes that type of transition.

Going back to what Payton said, this year’s NFL Draft class at linebacker does have more overall depth than I think what has been previously available in the last handful of draft classes.

Evan Engram still has a valuable role inside of the Denver Broncos offense

Despite playing a career low in overall snaps this past season, the Broncos still view tight end Evan Engram as an intricate part of their offense and at tight end.

This year’s tight end class also seems to have a lot of depth compared to first-round impact starters. Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq is the unicorn of the position in this year’s draft, and after him, there are tons of players who project to be good role players and eventual starters down the road.

Engram, Adam Trautman, and Nate Adkins all return after playing regular-season snaps last season. Caleb Lohner, last year’s seventh-round project, is also back and will get chances to turn heads in training camp.

While the initial vision for Engram didn’t play out in his first season in Denver the way most of us thought it would, he’s still very much in line to see an increased workload while the team also evaluates options in this year’s draft.

“We definitely view him as a key piece,” Payton said. “I would say this about this class in my opinion, if you are looking for a blocking ‘Y’, there are a handful available that would be targeted. If you are looking for a move, maybe a little bit undersized ‘F’, they are out there. To each his own, the different type of tight ends are available. It’s 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], he’s 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.”

The NFL Draft will be next Thursday, and we’ll have you covered inside of Broncos headquarters throughout the entire draft. It also marks the last Draft that we’ll be part of inside the old headquarters building that is set to be demolished as the team prepares for their move into the new team facility across the field.