2026 Denver Broncos Mock Draft: 7-Round Projection
Draft Capital: 9 picks | Overall Grade: B Last Updated: August 31, 2026Overview
Denver Broncos enter the 2026 NFL Draft with 9 selections. Biggest needs: Linebacker, Tight End, Running Back.
Complete Draft Class:Notre Dame
— Grade A-
Notre Dame
— Grade B-
Miami
— Grade C+
Oklahoma
— Grade C
Oklahoma
— Grade C
Texas
— Grade C-
USC
— Grade C-
Georgia
— Grade C-
View Full 3-Round Mock Draft →---
Complete Pick-by-Pick Analysis
Pick #21 - Denver Broncos: Tae Johnson, Safety,
Notre Dame
Rank: #16 overall | Grade: A- Why This Pick:Safety sits fourth on Denver's board, but getting a top-16 talent slide to 21 is the kind of value teams can't pass up, even with linebacker, tight end and running back all ranked higher on the need sheet. This isn't a reach by draft slot, it's a slide, and taking a ballhawking safety here is defensible as best-player-available logic overriding strict need order. Denver bets that Johnson's ceiling outweighs waiting on a position they could address in later rounds.
The Fit:Johnson slots in as a developmental free safety in Denver's 3-4 look, immediately offering the deep-middle range and takeaway ability the roster lacks, evidenced by his four interceptions and 73 return yards in just 10 games at Notre Dame. His former-receiver instincts show up in ball skills and catch-point wins, and he only missed two tackles all season, but his high-cut, light frame and inconsistent pursuit angles mean he'll need time and added strength before trusting him in interior run fits or man coverage against NFL tight ends.
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Pick #53 - Denver Broncos: Kyngston Viliamu-Asa, Inside Linebacker,
Notre Dame
Rank: #51 overall | Grade: B- Why This Pick:Linebacker sits at the very top of Denver's need list, so grabbing Viliamu-Asa at pick 53 lines up cleanly with roster building rather than a pure reach for value. He fell just two spots past his overall rank of 51, essentially landing right where the board said he should, which makes this an easy pick to defend even though the team already used a top need slot on a safety a few picks earlier. This is a program filling a clear hole with a player the market valued about the same way they did.
The Fit:Denver runs a 3-4, and adding another body at inside linebacker gives the front office a chance to sort out competition at a spot they clearly view as thin. There is no specific scouting profile available on Viliamu-Asa here, so his exact role, whether as an immediate rotational piece or a developmental add behind the starters, will depend on traits not detailed in this report. What is clear is that Denver prioritized need at a premium defensive spot, and got a player who graded out almost exactly where he was picked.
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Pick #85 - Denver Broncos: Mark Fletcher Jr, Running Back,
Miami
Rank: #85 overall | Grade: C+ Why This Pick:Running back sits as Denver's third-ranked need, and Fletcher Jr. comes off the board at pick 85 exactly where he's ranked, so there's no reach to defend here, it's simply value matching need. After already addressing safety and linebacker earlier in this draft, the Broncos are working down their priority list in order, and adding a back at this point in round three fills a real hole without forcing the pick.
The Fit:With no scouting report available on Fletcher Jr., the specifics of his game are hard to pin down, but Denver taking him at his exact draft slot suggests their evaluators see him as a solid, if unspectacular, depth or rotational option in the backfield. Coming out of Miami, he slots into a Broncos offense that clearly needed more juice at running back given where the position ranked on their board, and he'll likely compete for early-down or complementary touches as he develops.
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Pick #122: Isaiah Sategna III (WRS,Oklahoma
) - Grade C. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential.
Pick #135: Eli Bowen (Nickel Cornerback,Oklahoma
) - Grade C. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential.
Pick #159: Justus Terry (Defensive Line, Texas) - Grade C-. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential. Pick #202: Michael Masunas (Tight End,Texas
) - Grade C-. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential.
Pick #228: Braylan Shelby (Edge Rusher,USC
) - Grade C-. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential.
Pick #241: Gunner Stockton (Quarterback,Georgia
) - Grade C-. Day 3 value pick. Depth addition with special teams potential.
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Draft Class Summary
Overall Grade: B | 9 positions addressed across 9 picks.---