Getty
Denver Broncos edge rusher Que Robinson.
The way the Denver Broncos have become one of the NFL’s best teams is through the NFL draft. Full stop.
While the Broncos will be counted on to make a big move this offseason in free agency, that move will almost certainly be on the offensive side of the ball.
On defense, the Broncos seem more than set. They seem like they have talent to spare.
That point was underlined by Broncos general manager George Paton recently, when he called seldom-used edge rusher and 2025 fourth round pick (No. 134 overall) Que Robinson the player with the “Most Upside” from his rookie class.
Robinson, 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, only played in 6 games as a rookie but all were in the 2nd half of the season and in the biggest moment of the year — the AFC Championship Game — he played his best game with 3 tackles, 1.0 sack and 1 TFL in a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots.
“The rookie poised for the biggest potential Year 2 jump might be Robinson,” Paton told ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. “Paton said the 21-year-old edge rusher might ‘have the most upside of anyone in our draft class,’ because of his potential as a pass rusher as well as a high-value special teams player. After a regular season in which he had 12 tackles and a half-sack, Robinson had a sack of Drake Maye in the AFC title game.”
Robinson Could Follow Path of Super Bowl Hero
While a glance at the Broncos’ depth chart might make us think Robinson is perilously buried behind superstars like Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, there is 1 NFL star who shows a path to what could be big-time riches for Robinson, who is playing on a 4-year, $5.05 million rookie contract.
Patriots star defensive lineman Milton Williams found himself buried on the depth chart with the Philadelphia Eagles behind stars and 1st round picks for years, but when he finally got his opportunity in 2024, he made the most of it.
After a 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in which Williams seemed like the best defensive player on the field at times, he signed a 4-year, $104 million free agent contract with the Patriots, and id so without even being a full-time starter.
Lofty Comparisons Before Rookie Season
To be clear, Robinson has done little in his football career that would indicate he has the potential to become a star in the NFL.
In 5 seasons at the University of Alabama, Robinson was only a starter in his final season in 2024 — 5 starts in 9 games — and finished with 4.0 sacks. Robinson only played 379 career defensive stats but played over 700 snaps on special teams.
Special teams might be where he makes his biggest impact in 2026, although the 1st glimpse of him during last year’s rookie camp drew some lofty comparisons.
From the DNVR Podcast in May 2025: “Que Robinson is a guy who really jumped out because of his jump off the line of scrimmage. Anytime you hear someone say he’s got a ‘Von Miller burst’ and here that comparison to an all time great it’s like well, he’s a fourth round pick, how could he have a Von Miller burst? But I don’t know man … it was impressive. His jump is so good.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
More Heavy on Broncos
Loading more stories