Still, Jones is entering Year 10 and the Broncos could end up in the market for a young run defender with upside to eventually be a good pass-rusher.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m bringing to a team high energy. Football player. You\u2019re going to love me in the locker room. You\u2019re going to feel my presence and you\u2019re going to enjoy being around me daily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here are nine other quick hits from the NFL Combine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
* Sean Payton is back on the NFL\u2019s competition committee. He famously has a love-hate relationship with the group, which he previously served on for four years before swearing it off. He has said in the past that his opinions didn\u2019t add up to much action and that \u201cI\u2019m the biggest cynic,\u201d when it comes to talking about rules.<\/p>\n
So why did he rejoin the group?<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the pain,\u201d he said with a smile this week.<\/p>\n
But, also, \u201cI like our league. I like talking about stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
* Payton reiterated his stance against banning the \u201cTush Push\u201d quarterback sneak, which he\u2019s expressed previously, this week. The league is not currently considering a ban on the play after an effort to remove it from the game failed last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think if that ever goes away, it\u2019s not a health and safety thing,\u201d Payton said, citing the rationale behind the push to ban the play. \u201cWe discussed that last year for two hours and we had just adopted a thousand more kick returns. Which play do you think is more of a health risk? A thousand more kick returns.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I think if we choose to ever move on from that, it won\u2019t be because of health and safety. It will just be like, \u2018We don\u2019t like it.\u2019 Which is OK.\u201d<\/p>\n
Payton said the health-and-safety conversation around the Tush Push caused his \u201cB.S. meter\u201d to go off.<\/p>\n
* A slowly but steadily growing number of teams are changing the way they staff the combine. Some teams have talked openly about not sending their coaching staffs and\/or key front-office executives and instead relying on scouts to gather the information on prospects that they need. Those teams include several playoff clubs like Jacksonville, the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco and more.<\/p>\n
Paton, though, still sees value in spending the week with boots on the ground. Denver has not only Paton and the scouting department on hand for the week but also Payton and nearly all of the club\u2019s assistant coaches.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe they just want to be more efficient,\u201d Paton said of the teams that skipped. \u201cIt would be kind of cool to be home and just watching tape and grinding, yet the reason you want to come here is just to get in front of the players and get to know the players. It\u2019s another step in the process of trying to get to know these players in person, face-to-face.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more you get to know these players, I just think the better decisions you\u2019ll make. Those teams are really sharp. It\u2019s good to talk to them, I haven\u2019t talked to them yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Utah](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AP26056481044835.jpg\")
Utah linebacker Lander Barton (02) speaks during a press conference at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo\/Michael Conroy)<\/p>\n
* ILB Lander Barton is the younger brother of former Broncos ILB Cody Barton. He also played three seasons at the University of Utah with now-Denver OLB Jonah Elliss. Needless to say, the likely Day 3 pick has seen plenty of Broncos football.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy brother, I know he really enjoyed his time over there for his short stint,\u201d Barton said. \u201cTheir front, they just eat. That front seven really eats and they\u2019ve got some serious cover guys on the back end that makes the job easy for you. Really, that\u2019d be fun to play there, too.\u201d<\/p>\n