The Denver Broncos are targeting tight end as a draft priority with $24.6 million in cap space and nine picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah identified Stanford’s Sam Roush and Michigan’s Marlin Klein as prospects who fit Denver’s need for a blocking tight end, while the team has also made early free agency decisions including a second-round tender on cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian.

Roush is regarded as a traditional Y tight end whose blocking ability would address a position group that has struggled in recent seasons, though he has had issues with drops. Klein, who is from Cologne, Germany, is viewed as a developmental prospect with a large frame and long-term upside. The Broncos’ nine draft picks give them flexibility to address tight end without sacrificing selections at other positions of need.

Denver’s tight end room has underperformed in recent years, making the position a clear target in this draft cycle. Roush’s profile as a blocking-first tight end would give the Broncos a player who contributes immediately in the run game and in pass protection, even if his receiving production develops more slowly. Klein represents a different bet — a raw player with physical tools who would need time to refine his technique but offers a higher ceiling if the development goes well.

With nine picks, the Broncos can afford to take a tight end at a value slot without forcing the selection over a more pressing need earlier in the draft. The depth of this tight end class gives Denver options across multiple rounds depending on how prospects test and how the board falls.

The second-round tender on McMillian costs $5.811 million in 2026 and requires any team that signs him to surrender a second-round pick to Denver, effectively pricing out most competitors. The decision reflects how the Broncos value McMillian’s role in the secondary relative to other roster priorities.

The choice not to tender running back Jaleel McLaughlin makes him an unrestricted free agent and signals that Denver is reallocating resources away from the position. John Franklin-Myers may also leave for the Cincinnati Bengals, which would create a gap along the defensive line that the Broncos would need to address through the draft or free agency. The salary cap increase to $301.2 million provides some additional room, but Denver’s $24.6 million in current space means the Broncos will need to be selective about which free agent targets they pursue while relying on the draft to fill multiple roster holes.