If there were any doubt about how the Denver Broncos felt Sunday as they prepared to watch the Super Bowl, linebacker Alex Singleton summed it up succinctly.
“Today sucks,” the veteran posted on X. “But man, is it even more motivating.”
The Broncos fell 4 points short of being the AFC representative in a Super Bowl dominated by the NFC’s Seattle Seahawks. It’s reasonable for the Broncos to believe that had quarterback Bo Nix not suffered a season-ending ankle injury on the final drive of a divisional round win against the Bills, it would have been Denver playing in Santa Clara.
None of that, though, would change the work ahead for the Broncos as they try to build on a 14-3 campaign that earned the team its first division title in a decade. There are significant questions about the roster that the team must address in the coming weeks and months as the Broncos try to take the next step. We will use our first seven-round mock draft of 2026 to take a closer look at where the roster stands and some of the questions Denver will need to answer.
Note: The official draft order has not been set, but the Broncos are projected to receive a pair of seventh-round compensatory picks. Those are reflected in this exercise.
Round 1, Pick 30: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia
The Broncos have major questions at inside linebacker heading into the offseason. Veterans Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are both unrestricted free agents. Dre Greenlaw missed nine games in his first season with the Broncos, and Denver could save a little more than $6 million if it decides to release the 28-year-old, who continues to be hampered by injuries. Drew Sanders is heading into the final season of his rookie contract, but has played only four games across the last two seasons because of injury, including none in 2025.
Allen is a disruptive playmaker who has a knack for being around the ball. He led Georgia with eight tackles for loss in 2025 to go along with 3.5 sacks, four passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He piled up 205 tackles in just three seasons with the Bulldogs and still has plenty of growth ahead of him at only 20 years old.
Round 2, Pick 62: Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
The Broncos have drafted a wide receiver in the fourth round or earlier in each of the three drafts since coach Sean Payton arrived in 2023. Payton spoke highly of the Broncos’ young receiving group at the end of the season, but also lamented the frequent drops the group had in 2025 — a shortcoming that ultimately contributed to the firing of position coach Keary Colbert at the end of the season.
Sarratt first starred for coach Curt Cignetti at James Madison in 2023, when he caught 82 passes for 1,191 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore (he played his freshman season at FCS St. Francis in Pennsylvania). He followed Cignetti to Indiana and, as a part of a deep receiving corps, led the Hoosiers with 23 touchdown receptions the past two seasons — and his 15 scoring grabs in 2025 led the nation. At 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, Sarratt could be the kind of consistent red-zone threat the Broncos could use opposite Courtland Sutton.
Elijah Sarratt was a key piece of Indiana’s undefeated national championship team. (Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
Round 3, Pick 94: Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah
Evan Engram caught 50 passes for 461 yards and one touchdown during his first season with the Broncos. That was the highest output for any tight end since Payton arrived in Denver, but the impact from Engram never materialized in the way many fans had envisioned for the veteran who was two years removed from a 114-catch season in Jacksonville. Engram will probably be back with the Broncos next season — releasing him would trigger a $10.3 million dead cap charge, according to Over The Cap — and it’s possible, if not likely, that having a year of experience in Payton’s offense will lead to a spike in production.
Still, the Broncos need to find more versatile depth and future potential at the position. Bentley, at 6-foot-4 and 264 pounds, is a solid blocker at the position and made the most of his first true chance as a receiver in 2025. He finished with 48 catches for 620 yards and six touchdowns.
Round 4, Pick 108 (from Saints): Brian Parker, OL, Duke
Parker played primarily offensive tackle in college, but he moved to center during East-West Shrine Bowl practices and earned strong reviews as he made the transition. At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, Parker could be best suited to play guard at the NFL level, and the Broncos could use more depth on the interior of the line. The left guard position is an interesting one for the Broncos. Ben Powers, who is 29, has one year remaining on his contract. The Broncos could release him with a post-June 1 designation and save $12.7 million in cap room with a $5.4 million dead money hit, according to Over The Cap. Powers is still a productive player, but a biceps injury limited him to eight games played in 2025 and opened the door for Alex Palczewski to step in as a starter at left guard. Palczewski is a restricted free agent and could be brought back on an affordable, one-year tender — or the Broncos could sign him to a longer-term contract that signals an ascension into a starting role.
Regardless of how the Powers-Palczewski decisions play out, the Broncos figure to keep doing what good teams do: finding every opportunity to fortify their depth on both fronts.
Round 4, Pick 130: Chris McClellan, DT, Missouri
McClellan is a run-stuffing force at 6-foot-4 and 323 pounds, but he showed impressive pass-rush chops during his final season at Missouri in 2025. He finished with six sacks and has the kind of upside in that facet of the game that defensive line coach Jamar Cain and pass-rush consultant BT Jordan could help mold.
Even if the Broncos lose John Franklin-Myers in free agency, they are well-positioned to once again field one of the league’s best defensive fronts. Malcolm Roach and Eyioma Uwazurike already saw their snaps increase in 2025 and figure to become even more significant contributors next season. Sai’vion Jones didn’t play much as a rookie, but the Broncos were pleased with his behind-the-scenes progress. Using an early Day 3 pick on a player like McClellan would be adding to one of the team’s biggest strengths.
Chris McClellan would add to an already strong defensive front in Denver. (Steve Roberts / Imagn Images)
Round 5, Pick 168: Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State
Running back will be another fascinating position to watch for the Broncos this offseason. J.K. Dobbins was a bright spot for Denver during the first 10 weeks of the season. He rushed for 772 yards in that span, the fifth-highest total in the league to that point. Then, Dobbins suffered a foot injury that ultimately ended his season. The 27-year-old has been excellent when healthy, averaging 5.2 yards on 582 career carries. The problem is Dobbins has played in only 47 of a possible 101 games since entering the league as a second-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 202o. Dobbins still has more to give and is a good fit with what the Broncos want to do in the run game, but he can’t be the entirety of the plan.
The Broncos need more options to pair with RJ Harvey, who blossomed into a consistent receiving threat as a rookie and flashed big-play potential as a runner, but still has work to do to become a consistent ball carrier. Singleton found the end zone 54 total times during his four years at Penn State, and though his production dipped in 2025 as he became part of a committee with Kaytron Allen, Singleton averaged 5.6 yards per carry during his college career and caught 102 passes in those four seasons.
Round 7, Pick 246: Cole Wisniewski, S, Texas TechRound 7, Pick 251 (projected comp pick): Ricardo Hallman, CB, WisconsinRound 7, Pick 255 (projected comp pick): Mikail Kamara, edge, Indiana
It would not be a surprise to see the Broncos add depth in the secondary late in the draft as the team works through some of those questions.