The Denver Broncos were linked to Eli Stowers at No. 62, but after trading back they landed Justin Joly in the fifth round and Dallen Bentley in the seventh.
Denver’s draft-day tight end approach showed clear role-based thinking, with Sean Payton targeting different skill sets instead of chasing one perfect prospect.
The Denver Broncos entered the 2026 NFL draft holding the No. 62 overall pick, then moved back out of Round 2 and reshaped their tight end board in the process. That decision mattered, because it left room for a different kind of value hunt later in the draft.
Eli Stowers went to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 54 overall, and the Broncos reportedly would have considered him at No. 62. That detail gives a clean look at how Denver graded the position: Stowers sat high enough on the board to draw interest, but not high enough to force a move.
Instead, Denver added North Carolina State tight end Justin Joly in the fifth round and Utah tight end Dallen Bentley in the seventh. The pair gives the Broncos two distinct profiles, and Sean Payton’s comments make the plan even clearer.
Payton described Bentley as more of an in-line, bigger receiver, which points to a tight end who can work near the formation and handle physical assignments. That kind of player can help a passing game by creating structure, not just splash plays.
Joly fits differently. Payton said Joly would fall more into the team’s “F” category, a label that suggests movement, flexibility, and a more hybrid role. For Denver, that matters because modern offenses often need tight ends who can shift between alignments without telegraphing the call.
What Denver’s draft board says about the tight end room
The Broncos did not leave the draft with one simple answer at tight end. They left with two late-round bets that reflect different usage paths, and that can be a smart way to build depth when the board breaks against you.
Trading back out of Round 2 also fits the broader picture. Denver passed on forcing a selection at No. 62, then waited for the draft to come to them. That patience allowed the Broncos to add Joly and Bentley later without spending premium capital on the position.
Stowers’ selection by Philadelphia at No. 54 also underlines how close Denver may have been to taking a different path. If the Broncos truly viewed him as a possible pick, their eventual haul becomes more interesting, not less. They pivoted from one target to two prospects with different strengths.
For Sean Payton, that kind of flexibility can be valuable. A bigger in-line option like Bentley can complement an “F” type like Joly, giving Denver a chance to test packages, matchups, and personnel groupings during camp and early in the season.
The Broncos’ draft-day tight end evaluation did not center on headlines. It centered on fit. Denver identified one player who could have been the Round 2 answer, then came away with two later-round additions that appear designed for different jobs.
That is the real takeaway for the Broncos: the draft board did not hand them a clean solution, but it did leave them with a workable one. If Joly and Bentley develop as projected, Denver may look back on this draft as a smart, layered approach to the tight end position.