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
The Broncos have seven draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft:
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.
"No one loves picks more than me, so that's hard," Paton said at the league meetings. "I've probably traded too many [first-round picks], darn it."
The Broncos have three picks within the first four rounds, so the roster will gain valuable pieces by the end of the weekend, even if no player is guaranteed to make an immediate impact.
Denver is without their 2026 Round 1 pick due to the Jaylen Waddle trade in March. Here are the full trade details, per the team:
Denver Broncos received: Waddle and a 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 111)
Miami Dolphins received: 2026 first-round pick (No. 30), a third-round pick (No. 94), and a fourth-round pick (No. 130)
The Broncos have needed a bona fide WR1 for a while now, despite Courtland Sutton rising up to that task. However, Sutton will turn 31 in October, and Denver would have been without a high-caliber receiver in the coming seasons. Trading for 27-year-old Waddle, who was the 2021 sixth-overall pick, gives the Broncos a younger and more dynamic No. 1 option in their wide receiver room.
The Dolphins have found themselves on a rebuilding track, and they join five other teams in having multiple first-round selections (New York Jets, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys). Miami still has the No. 11 pick, where they are projected to take OT Spencer Fato in Vinnie Iyer's latest three-round mock draft.
Barring a trade, the Broncos are slated to make their first selection in the 2026 NFL Draft at No. 62. The pick is the third-to-last in the second round, but it is Denver's best shot at selecting a starter for their team.
Denver does have a second-round pick, so the front office will still have an opportunity to add an impact player. Their last four Round 2 picks have been RJ Harvey (2025), Marvin Mims (2023), Nik Bonitto (2022), and Javonte Williams (2021). That history shows the Broncos can still hold their own in the second round, even without a first-round pick for the third time in five drafts.