This is the first in a series of NFL Draft previews assessing the Broncos’ positional needs.
Broncos’ in-house offseason moves: Re-signed Sam Ehlinger to a one-year, $2 million deal
Under contract: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Ehlinger
Need scale (1-10): 2. Easily could have been a 1 on the scale, except teams are always in the market for quarterbacks. If you don’t have one, you must find one. If you do have one, as the Broncos do in Nix, then you’re in the business of developing your room and generating as many options as you can. Head coach Sean Payton always says he tells quarterbacks his job is to make them a lot of money. Plus, if a development model works, it can result in excess draft capital. So, even with Nix expected to be healthy and on the field for OTAs in early June, Denver will want a quarterback for its rookie minicamp and perhaps as a practice squad type through training camp and the regular season.
Top Five
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Mendoza is about as surefire a No. 1 overall pick as they come. Any moment Denver spent working on him in recent months might as well be chalked up to advance scouting work, since he’s going to be playing in the division with the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s big, strong, competitive and smart. And set to learn in a Vegas ecosystem that includes new head coach Klint Kubiak, veteran Kirk Cousins and, of course, limited shareholder Tom Brady.
Ty Simpson, Alabama
When Simpson was good at Alabama, he was really good. The issue: He started just one year, was up-and-down a bit for the Crimson Tide in that season and overall has just 523 collegiate passes to his name. Bo Nix, by comparison, had 1,936. Simpson’s a risk, but someone might be willing to roll the dice in the back half of the first round.
Garrett Nussmeier of the Louisiana State Tigers throws against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Tiger Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Nothing against Nussmeier, but this is a good draft year to not need a quarterback. Even teams that do besides the Raiders must be at least quietly considering punting until what looks to be a loaded 2027 class. Nussmeier’s best year was 2024 and he was limited to nine games last fall by injury.
Carson Beck, Miami
Beck decided to play in college in 2025 after a 2024 elbow injury and he turned in an admirable lone season with the Hurricanes, leading them to the national title game and throwing 30 TDs vs. 12 INTs. In five years at Georgia and one at Miami, Beck completed 69.5% of his passes.
Drew Allar, Penn State
Allar has prototypical size, tantalizing arm strength and… well, hit-and-miss production. His best collegiate year was 2024 and, had he parlayed that into a major jump forward, might have rocketed up boards. Instead, Allar played in just six games and has a 63.2% career completion rate. A project, though one with considerable tools.
Broncos options
Cole Payton, North Dakota State
Payton, like Simpson, is a long-time collegiate quarterback who started just one year. Earlier in his career with the Bison, Payton was used extensively as a runner. In his lone year as a starter, he averaged just 17 attempts per game. But, to use what is perhaps already an overworked comparison, he’s got some Taysom Hill to his game. And, well, that makes a Sean Payton-coached team an intriguing option.
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer passes during a game against Toledo on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Altmyer’s experienced and productive, having started three years at Illinois after transferring from Ole Miss. He’s got experience with Denver WR Pat Bryant and helped guide the Illini from 5-7 his first year to 10-3 in 2024 and 9-4 last year. One issue: Sean Payton believes a QB who gets sacked a lot in college is likely to get sacked a lot in the pros, and Altmyer took 30-plus three straight years. Still, an interesting developmental player.
Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
The Broncos had Kaliakmanis on a Zoom call during the pre-draft process, so there’s some connection here. Good size at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, but never completed better than 62.2% fora season between Minnesota (2022-23) and Rutgers (2024-25). His last year was his best, though he was sacked 36 times.
Jack Strand, MSU Moorehead
Another player Denver has talked with via Zoom in the predraft process. Strand was not invited to the NFL Combine but worked out with Cole Payton at NDSU’s pro day. Started four years for the D-II Dragons and threw for 13,161 yards, 126 TDs and 50 INTs in his career.
Taylen Green of the Arkansas Razorbacks passes the ball during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Taylen Green, Arkansas
Why not? Green is a massive player at 6-6 and 227 pounds, and he wowed at the NFL Combine by running 4.36 in the 40-yard dash, jumping 43.5 inches vertical, and 11-foot-2 broad. Played in 53 games between Boise State (2021-23) and Arkansas (2024-25), is turnover-prone and completed 60.5% of his passes the past two years, but if you’re looking to let a guy develop and play on your practice squad, you might find other uses when he’s got this kind of athletic profile.
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