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Broncos have less control than any team in NFL draft, will need to pick spots wisely originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Following a trade that landed Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in Denver, the Broncos won't have as many premium picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Broncos won't have a selection in the first round, won't pick until late in the second round and don't have a pick in the third round, either. The team does have two fourth-round choices, and it's possible that at least one of those picks could be packaged in order for the Broncos to trade into the third round.

Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports recently ranked every team in the NFL in terms of how much control they have in this draft. He ranked teams based on their draft capital, front-office makeup and roster urgency. This all leads to how much noise each team can make next week.

Dajani has the Broncos at No. 32, last in the league. Here was his assessment:

"The Denver Broncos have just one pick in the top 100 but hold seven total selections. Remember, Denver traded a first-round pick, third-round pick and fourth-round pick to the Dolphins for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and a fourth-rounder.
General manager George Paton is aggressive when he wants to be. He helped facilitate the Russell Wilson trade in 2022 and sold off notable names like Jerry Jeudy and Bradley Chubb.
However, Paton caught some flak this offseason when he said Denver would be "opportunistically aggressive" in free agency, only for the Broncos to be the last team in the NFL to agree to terms with an external free agent. The Waddle trade was exciting, but it was Denver's only aggressive move this offseason.
In the draft, Paton traded up in the fourth round in 2024 to pair wide receiver Troy Franklin with his college quarterback Bo Nix, and the Broncos moved up for EDGE Sai'Vion Jones last year. He has also traded up multiple times on Day 2, so keep an eye on that again this year.
The Broncos have a solid roster, and their Super Bowl window is wide open. They won their first division title since 2015 and tied a franchise record with 14 victories. The defense registered an NFL-record +45 sack differential, while Nix became the first quarterback to win double-digit games while accounting for 30 total touchdowns in each of his first two seasons. Denver likely would have made the Super Bowl if Nix hadn't injured his ankle in the divisional-round win over the Buffalo Bills. So there's a different kind of urgency in Denver this season."

Broncos' 2026 draft picks

Round 2, Pick No. 62

Round 4, Pick No. 108

Round 4, Pick No. 111

Round 5, Pick No. 170

Round 7, Pick No. 246

Round 7, Pick No. 256

Round 7, Pick No. 257

Broncos must pick spots wisely in 2026 draft

The Broncos can't get overly aggressive if they are looking at making a trade up in this draft. The team has limited picks with which to work, and can't leave themselves short. Instead, what George Paton and Sean Payton should do is play the board as it falls and take the best potential value they can.

The Broncos have one of the best rosters in the league right now and will be aiming to win it all this season, regardless of what happens in this draft. These picks should be looked at as bonus players, where if the Broncos find someone who can be a strong contributor this coming season, it's a big advantage toward the ultimate goal.

HOT READ:Narrowing down Broncos' second-round pick based on recent George Paton quote

This isn't to say that the draft will be boring for Broncos fans. There will still be opportunities for the team to land a steal, but that is going to require great work from the scouting department and likely some good fortune in how the board falls.

Broncos have less control than any team in NFL draft, will need to pick spots wisely

Broncos' 2026 draft picks

Broncos must pick spots wisely in 2026 draft

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