ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — On Friday, the Broncos added a quality defender at a key position.
Defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim, the team's lone Day 2 pick, brings athleticism to Denver and will have a chance to compete for a role.
But in the eyes of General Manager George Paton, the third and final day of the 2026 NFL Draft will determine the true success of this year's class.
"If we're doing our job, we should hit on the second — or now third-round — pick," Paton said Friday. "But really … the middle picks [are the ones] that really define your draft, especially since we're picking in the fourth up high."
The Broncos currently hold seven picks on Day 3, including the eighth and 11th picks of the fourth round. With the No. 108, No. 111, No. 170 and No. 182 picks, the Broncos are slated to select four times in the next 82 selections. And especially early on Saturday morning, the Broncos' ability to hit on those first two selections will be critical in adding to their roster.
"That kind of sets the tone," Paton said. "… These two fourth-round picks will define this draft."
After the Broncos surged to an AFC Championship Game appearance in 2025, Paton and Head Coach Sean Payton answered questions Friday about the temptation to package multiple picks to move up — and both men were steadfast in remaining true to the evaluation process.
"I think you go into the day, and we're looking closely at the grade and the stack," Payton said. "We're never trying to worry about the splash. We're really trying to look at it with the proper vision, the proper grade."
And Paton, who has helped build a roster that has won 25 total games in the last two seasons, also stressed the importance of picks in fortifying what has been one of the league's deepest rosters.
"The reason why we've been so good the last couple of years is because of our depth, and where you get that depth is the third day," Paton said. "They may be backups in Year 1 like Nik Bonitto or Riley Moss, and then in Year 2 if you hit on them, maybe you get a starter or a key contributor. That is what we are looking for on Day 3."
With a track record of success, Paton and Payton are eager for what they can add to their roster to complete a draft class that features a quality defender in Onyedim and a de facto first-round pick in Jaylen Waddle.
"We like Day 3," Paton said. "We like where we are picking on Day 3. We're looking for young, developmental backups with some traits that we can develop, and you can find those all across Day 3. We're not going to reach to go up and get a guy. We feel good about where we are at, and we feel really good about the day. We feel good about the first day — we got Waddle — and then we got [Onyedim] who we really like, and then tomorrow we're going to have a good day."
