Broncos traded out of 2nd round after LB they 'really liked' went off board
Broncos GM George Paton and coach Sean Payton spoke about why they traded out of the second round of the NFL draft.
Going into the 2026 NFL draft, we ranked tight end and inside linebacker among the biggest roster needs for the Denver Broncos . When the draft arrived last week, the Broncos were not scheduled to pick until 62nd overall in the second round. Coming out of the first round, several talented linebackers and tight ends were still on the board.
Then, in the second round, LB Jacob Rodriquez (No. 43), LB Josiah Trotter (No. 46), linebacker Jake Golday (No.
51), linebacker CJ Allen (No. 53), TE Eli Stowers (54), TE Nate Boerkircher (No. 56), Marlin Klein (No.
59), LB Anthony Hill (No. 60) and TE Max Klare (No. 61) all went off the board before Denver's pick.