The Denver Broncos have their newest addition to their team. Originally scheduled to pick at 62 overall, the Broncos moved down from the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft into the early part of the third round. By doing so, they received #182—the top pick in the sixth-round—as well as #66 from the Buffalo Bills.
Adding to the offensive and defensive trenches has been a priority for the Broncos under the leadership of General Manager George Paton and Head Coach Sean Payton. By selecting Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim with their top pick in this year’s draft, it once again shows their commitment to keeping the foundations of the franchise strong and building upon a team strength.
A fifth-year senior, Onyedim transferred to Texas A&M after spending his first four years with the Iowa State Cyclones. In his ’25 season with the Aggies, he notched 48 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Additionally, he had 16 quarterback pressures, 10 quarterback hits, and 7 hurries.
Let’s do a deep dive into Denver’s third-round pick, his strengths and weaknesses, and what his best fit is in Vance Joseph’s defensive moving forward as he begins his NFL journey.
Height: 6’-3-1/2” | Weight: 292 pounds | Arm Length: 34-1/8” | Hand Size: 10-1/8” | Age: 22 Years Old
40-Yard Dash: 5.07 seconds | 10-Yard Split: 1.69 seconds | 20-Yard Split: 2.83 seconds
Vertical: 32” | Broad Jump: 9’-3” | Bench Press: 24 reps
Statistics at Iowa State and Texas A&M: 55 games played, 33 starts. 138 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble.
Three-year starter with five years of playing experience
NFL ready strength with extremely long arms, large wingspan, and big hands
Over 1,600 career defensive snaps with experience at various spots on the defensive line
Good block shedder with a great first step and sneaky spin move that slips him past opposing offensive lineman
Despite average agility drills, the tape shows a player with surprisingly good range and athleticism
Had 41 quarterback hurries, 26 quarterback hits, and 59 pressures in college
Excelled as a fifth-year senior in a different scheme and made a lot more plays behind the line of scrimmage
Mediocre pass rushing production with a lot of room for growth and diversification when it comes to his pass rushing arsenal
Would benefit from adding some lower body mass and muscle
High effort player for certain, but has consistency issues—a lot of big plays one week; seemingly missing in action the next
Can get washed out of running plays when double-teamed and get him working laterally
How much of an impact can he make for Denver in year one with an already loaded rotation?