Mel Kiper Jr. gives Broncos a C+ for draft, ‘isn’t a ton to get excited about’

The Denver Broncos didn’t have a pick in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.

That can make for a bit of an underwhelming weekend, not adding any sizzle early that’s going to really excite the fanbase.

Although they didn’t have a first-round pick thanks to the blockbuster Jaylen Waddle trade then GM George Paton moved back to the third-round to add a later selection. He took defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim out of Texas A&M, a potential replacement for John Franklin-Myers down the road.

Paton also addressed running back with Jonah Coleman out of Washington in the fourth-round then Justin Joly a tight end in the fifth-round.

And while it’s a little silly to grade drafts right after they happen, that’s exactly what ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. did on Sunday.

Kiper gave the Broncos a “C+” and in generally didn’t have much praise for Denver.

“There isn’t a ton to get super excited about here,” Kiper ultimately concluded.

He thinks that the Broncos reached for Onyedim and had a lower ranking on him than the team did.

“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 (Sean) Payton likes to get his guys on Day 2, value be damned,” Kiper wrote.

That’s the luxury of being a 14-3 team that went to the AFC Championship Game. The Broncos simply don’t have a lot of holes, so if Payton and Paton liked Onyedim they just went and got him.

Kiper had some other thoughts on key guys the Broncos took, at least offering some positives.

“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,” Kiper wrote.

We’ll have a much better handle on how the 2026 draft looks for the Broncos come 2028 or 2029, but right now the early reviews think it was fairly mediocre.

To see the full grades, click here.

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