AFC West
Denver Broncos NFL Draft Profile
How the Broncos draft: the front office running the board, the needs shaping the next class, and every draft class we cover.
Front office and philosophy
General manager: George Paton · Head coach: Sean Payton
A QB-locked team looking to create a complete roster. Payton's historical love of TEs and explosive passing concepts shapes positional investment. Famous for trading up, Payton and Paton will aggressively move when a target is in range.
Sean Payton traded two first-round picks to move up for Will Anderson Jr. in 2023 and has a long history of aggressive trades (Reggie Bush, Ricky Williams). His Saints offenses famously employed elite TE play (Jimmy Graham, Benjamin Watson). George Paton is more methodical but defers to Payton on draft-day aggressiveness.
These tendencies are encoded directly into the simulator: when you run a mock and the Broncos are on the clock, the engine applies this regime's positional biases and its balance between best-player-available and need-based drafting. See how the simulator works for the full methodology.
Inside the simulator, this regime leans toward drafting for need, at roughly 60 to 40 against best player available, and is more likely to move up the board than back down it (50 against 15). Its clearest positional preferences are tight end, wide receiver, interior offensive line, which the engine applies on top of the needs list above. It also weights testing numbers more heavily than most, so athletic outliers rise on its board.
Current draft needs
Our needs assessment for the Broncos entering the 2027 draft cycle, ordered by priority. These weightings are what the simulator uses when it evaluates this team's board.
Team needs were researched for this class from current rosters. They predate free agency and will be revised after March 2027.
A needs list is a judgement, not a fact, so it is worth saying how this one is built. We read the current depth chart rather than last season's production: a position counts as a need when the projected starter is a stopgap, is out of contract, or is the reason a unit underperformed, and it stops counting when the roster has an answer even if that answer is unspectacular. Contract structure matters as much as talent, which is why a position can appear here a full year before it looks like a problem on the field.
The 2027 class
The 2027 draft has not been held. On the projected order the Broncos hold 8 picks, opening at No. 26. 1 came from other teams. The needs shaping that class are defensive tackle, linebacker, interior offensive line.
The full 2027 Denver Broncos outlook breaks down every projected pick, the weighting behind each need, and which prospects are currently projected into the range where they pick.
Draft classes
| Class | Picks | First selection | First player | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 8 proj. | No. 26 | Not yet drafted | 2027 needs and picks → |
| 2026 | 7 | No. 66 | Tyler Onyedim | Full 2026 class → |
Division rivals
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