Not many people had Boise State offensive lineman Kage Casey at the top of their list for the Denver Broncos, but our own Ross Allen had his eyes on the interior lineman long before they called his name in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. In one of our pre-draft roundtables, Ross singled him out as a guy he hoped Denver would draft, saying:
If the Broncos can get their hands on him, then I’d be a huge fan of them drafting Boise State’s Kage Casey. He’s a two-time 2nd Team All-American and a big guy at 6’6” and 310 pounds. He is athletic, strong, very durable, and is known by his teammates as a work horse. Also, Denver has good history when it comes to offensive linemen from Boise State.
Clearly, general manager George Paton agreed. Let’s review what we have in this young lineman today.
Bo Nix ankle injury update Bo Nix’s ankle recovery is tracking ahead of schedule. The Broncos QB underwent a pre-planned cleanup procedure on the right ankle he broke during Denver’s divisional playoff win over Buffalo in January, and Sean Payton offered an encouraging update: “He had a recheck that was scheduled. He’s doing great. We’re excited about his progress.” It remains unclear whether Nix will be a full participant in OTAs or June minicamp, but the expectation is he’ll be at full health by the start of training camp in July at the latest. No long-term concerns about the ankle.
Justin Simmons retirement Justin Simmons is officially hanging it up — and he’s doing it as a Bronco. The four-time Second-Team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl safety announced his retirement from the NFL, fittingly on the 10-year anniversary of Denver selecting him in the third round of the 2016 draft. “Being a Denver Bronco was more than just a team. It was my heart, my home and my story,” Simmons said. He spent eight of his nine NFL seasons in Denver, finishing his career with 32 interceptions, 71 passes defended, and 666 tackles across 134 regular-season games while earning three team captain designations and three Walter Payton Man of the Year nominations. Simmons plans to attend Denver’s 2026 home opener as a fan in the lower bowl — watching from the other side for the first time.
On if the two fourth-round picks, RB Jonah Coleman and OL Kage Casey, will define this draft class
Sean Payton: “Then [OL] Kage [Casey] was someone the same way. How does the league value the guard-swing tackle versus the running back when we’re deciding that order? I think there were three picks between, and again the versatility there with Kage was really attractive. So that’s a long wait, if you will, where you’re going through a lot of picks. Certainly we discussed traveling back, and we ended up fortunately staying put. A lot of time, I felt, like a lot of time went off between the beginning of today and getting to both Jonah and Kage.”
On his pre-draft interaction with the Broncos and what he knows about Denver’s offensive line
“The pre-draft process with the Broncos was awesome. I met them first off at the Senior Bowl. I had a quick visit with them, and then at the Combine had a formal with them as well. That went very, very well. Just the whole process has been great. I know especially [T] Garett Bolles, he’s a guy who I try to model my own game after. I’m excited to actually meet him in person and be part of the offensive line with him. Just the whole offensive line in general, it’s going to be an awesome environment to be part of.”
On what he likes about T Garett Bolles’ game that he has tried to emulate
“Mainly just pass protection and also how consistent he is. Just his consistency in the pass pro itself is something that I’ve always tried to implement into my own game and what we’ll be trying to do further.”
On the Broncos’ vision for where he can play on the offensive line
“Really wherever they want me. As of now, I don’t know for sure, but wherever they want me, I know I’m going to excel at.”
“I think I play quick, aggressive. My football intelligence, my ability to read the field and slow down the game for myself, read pressure, see where a defender is going to be moving post-snap allows me to play fast. I’m an extremely consistent guy. I’m disciplined, and I’m ready to learn wherever I need to be.”
On what his formal interview with the Broncos at the Combine was like
“It was an amazing meeting with the Broncos. A lot of it was just going over my own film. [We] didn’t install much of the Broncos offense with me, but mainly it was just watching a bunch of my own film, breaking it down, maybe a few mistakes here and wanted to take accountability for my actions, and seeing if I can grow, seeing if I’m coachable. Overall the environment in that room was awesome.”
On going from the Boise State Broncos to the Denver Broncos
“It’s so surreal. Same color scheme, same everything. I’m so excited. It’s basically a rock’s throw away from where I lived in Boise. I’m so excited for this new environment, a new coaching staff, a new team. I’m just so excited to be part of the Broncos again.”
On if he thought there was a possibility the Broncos would draft him today
“I was for sure hoping for it. They’ve been a team I’ve been eyeing. I was really hoping they would pick me, and I’m so happy it came true.”