Due to the blockbuster Jaylen Waddle trade, the Denver Broncos currently do not select until the 62nd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s going to be a long wait for Broncos fans, but when it is their time to be on the clock, there are five offensive players I hope to see the Denver Broncos select in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Vandy’s Eli Stowers is a polarizing tight end prospect. He has good size, a 45.5-inch vertical jump, and profiles as a pass-catching weapon at tight end (or just a wide receiver). Since his blocking ability is not great, some view him as just a big wide receiver, while others still see him as a move tight end. Either way, I see a player that I believe Broncos head coach Sean Payton will love.
We all know his love and desire for a ‘Joker’ at the position, and Stowers fits that mold. He will be a threat down the seam and in the middle of the field, and he has the athletic ability to be a big-time red-zone threat. Just throw it up and let him use his 45.5-inch vertical jump to go up and get the ball.
Eli Stowers is a matchup nightmare pic.twitter.com/5ETO6XVzUD
He doesn’t need to play right away and can learn from veteran Evan Engram, who is a very similar style of player, and develop his rookie year. ‘
I am all about surrounding quarterback Bo Nix with weapons, and if available (which is probably unlikely), he makes a lot of sense for Sean Payton and the Broncos.
Klare is another tight end prospect I love for the Broncos. He looked like a potential TE1 player while at Purdue, and while his overall production slipped a bit at Ohio State, you still saw the flashes of big-play ability from Klare.
He is a better overall blocker than Stowers, but blocking will likely never be a strength for him; his pass-catching upside is hard to ignore. He is very athletic, can create after the catch, and has the ball skills you look for in a pass-catching tight end in the NFL.
Max Klare's 2024 Purdue tape highlighted his upside as a complete TE. Versatility to line up anywhere as a pass catcher and showed inline blocking pic.twitter.com/Pg5WMJtVLt
The Broncos’ tight end room has struggled to do much in the passing game in recent years, and a player like Klare has the ability to instantly change that for the Broncos. Like Stowers, he will not start right away, but it’ll be hard to keep him off the field, and if available, I believe he is a strong candidate for the Broncos in the 2nd round of the draft.
Mike Washington Jr. is a 6-1, 223-pound running back with explosive 4.33 speed. If you’re a size/traits guy like me, Washington is an exciting prospect.
He is a threat to take it the distance whenever he touches the ball and would give the Broncos an explosive RB3 who would serve as some valuable depth behind veteran JK Dobbins and second-year running back RJ Harvey. Due to Dobbins’ injury concerns, better depth is needed, and I believe Washington makes a lot of sense for the Broncos.
The Mike Washington Jr. athletic traits are so good pic.twitter.com/EoN67f7Y6l
He does run tall, is a little stiff, and has some ball protection concerns (correctable), but the talent and athletic ability are hard to ignore. Adding another explosive runner to the Broncos’ backfield would be exciting and hopefully give the Broncos a dangerous three-headed monster to work with this season.
This one is probably a reach, considering he is probably getting selected before the Broncos pick, but if available, he makes a lot of sense for them.
Price is a well-built running back with starter traits and would give the Broncos valuable depth and potentially a future starter moving forward. He has good burst, excellent vision, and great contact balance, and would make a lot of sense for the Broncos.
Jadarian Price getting to the edges of defenders and breaking arm tackles pic.twitter.com/PfieZ414zz
Their weakness has been their run game, and even though they re-signed JK Dobbins, his injury history gives you pause. If he were to miss a significant amount of time again, the Broncos would be back where they were late last season. So, adding a player like Price gives them insurance if/when that happens and potentially a starter down the road.
Will he be there at pick 62? I would be surprised. Do I think they would trade up for him? I don’t think so either. However, if he does make it to pick 62, I believe he would be a strong candidate for the Broncos.
After the Jaylen Waddle trade, wide receiver isn’t viewed as an immediate need at all. However, if you look deeper, it’s a position that could use some more talent.