The Denver Broncos made us wait until the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, as the team traded down from the 62nd overall selection to the 66th slot, which was near the very top of Round 3. But the Broncos ended up trading up on Day 3 and actually got some pretty notable prospects with their final two selections.
Given the entirety of the class put together, including the Jaylen Waddle trade, the Broncos really didn't have much room to do a whole lot better, and when you couple this thought with the roster being, arguably, the best in the NFL, it's not hard to see why the Broncos may have gotten a stellar class.
Well, the NFL Draft grades are already hitting the press, and the Broncos draft grade by Mel Kiper Jr., one of the most respected minds in the draft world, does pour a ton of cold water on the clear excitement by the fans.
Mel Kiper Jr. gives the Denver Broncos 2026 NFL Draft class a C+
Kiper gave the Broncos a C+ for their 2026 NFL Draft, but oddly pinned the team's biggest three needs entering the draft as offensive tackle, linebacker, and cornerback, which is simply odd and a bit misguided. Here is some of how Kiper justified the C+ grade:
"The downside is Denver was left with seven total selections and only one in the first three rounds (No. 62). Denver dropped back to No. 66 to add an additional sixth-rounder and took Tyler Onyedim. I heard some buzz on him in the lead-up to the draft, but it was of the "Day 3 sleeper" variety. I ranked Onyedim at No. 109 on my board, but Payton likes to get his guys on Day 2, value be damned. He could help fill the John Franklin-Myers void, playing at a similar weight (292 pounds, compared to 288 for JFM). But there's no guarantee we see a similar pass-rush impact, as Onyedim had 5.5 sacks over 53 career games and is more of a run stopper.
Jonah Coleman is another option at running back, scoring 17 scrimmage touchdowns last season. Kage Casey can be a backup at offensive tackle, Justin Joly is a stretch option at tight end, and Mr. Irrelevant Red Murdock is a tackling machine. But there isn't a ton to get super excited about here."
One huge thing to keep in mind here is that Kiper is surely basing many of these grades on his own 'big board,' and that big board could look a lot different than how the Broncos viewed the class. Denver deserves the benefit of the doubt, too, as this team has drafted quite well since General Manager George Paton came aboard following the 2020 NFL Season.
While the Broncos did not land a blue-chip prospect, they got a ton of awesome value, specifically with the Justin Joly, Dallen Bentley, and Red Murdock picks. Those three in particular could have easily gone a lot earlier in the draft.
Between Kiper misidentifying the Broncos most urgent roster needs, and his likely basing this draft grade on his own big board, there isn't much to be concerned about, and much of Kiper's grade seems to step from the Tyler Onyedim pick, as he dedicated an entire paragraph in telling us why it wasn't a great value pick.
On the surface, even with grades being entirely subjective, the Broncos surely did better than a C+, especially if you lump in the Waddle trade as a part of the class, and you could even mention the Taurean York undrafted free agent signing as well, as York was widely projected to be a drafted player.
All in all, the Broncos did a lot better in the draft than Kiper's C+ grade indicates.