Denver eyes elite tight end talent and a game-changing defensive playmaker to elevate their roster after a near-Super Bowl season.
The Denver Broncos have their most important offseason in over a decade ahead of them this spring/summer. After winning 14 games and claiming the No. 1 seed in the AFC but failing to reach the Super Bowl, now is the time to step on the gas pedal even harder.
Quarterback Bo Nix is still on his rookie contract, giving the Broncos more flexibility to build the best possible roster around him. They are also finally free of Russell Wilson’s contract, which they had been paying tens of millions towards in the last couple of seasons. With nearly $21 million in cap space and plenty of draft picks in this year’s draft, there are plenty of options for Denver to retool its roster in hopes of pushing even further in 2026.
In a recent article, Bleacher Report listed one offensive and one defensive missing piece for each team in the NFL.
On offense, the tight end position was the focus in the article. Despite Evan Engram returning for 2026, the Broncos need somebody willing to do more “dirty work,” as writer Alex Ballentine put it.
If they choose to fill that need in the draft, University of Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq would be the perfect fit, but after a stellar combine, he probably won’t fall until the Broncos’ pick at No. 30. There are free agent tight ends that could give the offense a boost, however, Dallas Goedert, Noah Fant, and David Njoku were all listed as potential targets for the Broncos if they choose to upgrade their tight end room.
Defensively, the Broncos were great last season. During times of inconsistencies with the offense, the defense always kept it close and allowed for multiple late-game comebacks. Still, there is some need for reinforcements this offseason.
Despite being great on the defensive side of the ball, Denver wasn't exceptional at creating turnovers. For this problem, Ballentine noted safety Kevin Byard and his seven interceptions in 2025 as a dream target for the Broncos.
The Broncos have multiple layers hitting free agency, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but they do have decent-enough cap space this offseason to head into 2026 with an improved roster from the 14-win season in 2025. Both the offense and defense need some help, but now is the time for the Broncos to go all in before Nix’s rookie deal comes to an end.