After one of the best seasons in recent memory, the Denver Broncos' 2025 season came crashing to an abrupt, shocking, and disappointing halt after the Divisional Round victory against the Buffalo Bills. The news that Bo Nix had a fractured bone in his ankle left the Broncos without the heart and soul of their team for the AFC Championship Game.
Even though fans were optimistic that Jarrett Stidham could keep the train chugging along, it wasn't meant to be. The Broncos failed situationally against the New England Patriots in an ugly 10-7 loss.
Now that the playoffs are over, the reloading can begin. And in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos have two pretty obvious options for their top pick.
Broncos need to draft a big man or trade top pick for a playmaker
The way I see it, there are two clear and obvious options for the Denver Broncos, who are now solidified with the 30th overall pick in the 1st round.
- 1. Trade the pick for a top-tier playmaker
- 2. Draft a big man on either side of the ball
And maybe the Broncos will get lucky and be able to trade something less valuable than a 1st-round pick to acquire a playmaker while also being able to use their top pick in the trenches on either side of the ball.
The NFL Draft is extremely unpredictable. While you'd love to sit here and say that whatever playmaker the Broncos could acquire with that 30th overall pick will make an impact, we just don't know if that's the case. And for a team with some of the most yardage lost this past season due to dropped passes, we know the Broncos are going to be on the hunt for upgrades.
You don't upgrade a room by bringing in an unknown commodity. Unless you're talking about a true blue-chip prospect, the upgrade is going to have to come from a veteran presence at the receiver position. The Broncos might look into trading for players like Jaylen Waddle, Tee Higgins, or AJ Brown this offseason, but big-game hunting is what has to happen above all.
Beyond that, this team ascended so quickly because of their play in the trenches on both sides of the ball. It would be nearly impossible to deny that the Broncos have had one of the best offensive and defensive lines in the NFL since 2023.
And as time goes along, you have to bring in future replacements for players who age out of the system or leave in free agency. Both of those things could be happening as Denver's offensive tackle duo of Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey are both in their 30s (Bolles will be 34 this year, McGlinchey 31). Denver's defensive line is intact, for the most part, but could be poised to lose John Franklin-Myers in free agency.
The Broncos have not used a single draft selection on the tackle position since they took Bolles back in 2017. We're approaching an entire decade since they have drafted a tackle, which is mind-boggling. It could be a tackle, a guard who can also play tackle, or just something, but the offensive line depth would not be a bad idea to address now.
If the Broncos take one of these two directions with their top pick, along with the wild card option of moving up for Kenyon Sadiq, they will guarantee themselves a win this offseason.