Why the Broncos don't have a Round 1 pick in 2026 NFL Draft
Coming off an AFC Championship appearance, Denver is without their late first-round pick this year.
Why the Broncos don't have a Round 1 pick in 2026 NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Coming off a 2025 AFC Championship game appearance, their first since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2015-2016, the Denver Broncos headed into the offseason with the No.
30 overall pick in the upcoming draft. However, after trading that pick away for high-caliber WR Jaylen Waddle, the team is without a first-round selection for the third time in the last five drafts. This has not shown to be an issue for general manager George Paton and his Broncos, who have displayed a strong draft presence in Day 2 and beyond.
The Broncos will have one second-round pick, barring a trade, and six Day 3 selections. Odds are that Denver won't be able to draft one of the most highly-touted prospects in this year's draft, but they do still have enough capital to potentially trade up for a third-round pick. Here is how the Broncos stand heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, and a recap of why they will not be picking in the first round.
NFL DRAFT RANKINGS 2026: QBs | WRs | TEs | EDGE | RBs Broncos draft picks 2026 The Broncos have seven draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft: Round Pick 2 62 4 108 (from NO) 4 111 (from MIA) 5 170 7 246 7 256 (compensatory) 7 257 (compensatory) Denver fans shouldn't check out of the NFL Draft completely, even without a first-round pick. A second-round pick still gives general manager George Paton a chance to draft a difference maker for Denver. In an interview with ESPN , Paton did admit the team has been without first-round picks for more than he'd like to admit.