Latest NFL mock draft from ESPN has the Denver Broncos missing on a potential top target
The Denver Broncos don’t have a first round pick after trading for Jaylen Waddle earlier this month.
Unless there’s a trade, the Denver Broncos won’t pick in the 2026 NFL Draft until the No. 62 overall selection.
The Broncos traded the No. 30 overall selection to the Miami Dolphins earlier this month in the Jaylen Waddle deal.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has the Broncos missing on a potential top target
The Broncos could go several directions with the No. 62 overall pick, depending on how the picks in front of them play out.
One popular mock draft selection for the Broncos that makes sense, however, is Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers.
A recent mock draft from CBS Sports, for example, has the Broncos selecting Stowers at No. 62 overall.
Stowers, who turns 23 next month, was First-Team All-SEC in 2024 and 2025.
The Texas native caught 111 passes for 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns during his two seasons at Vanderbilt.
At 6-foot-4/240 pounds, Stowers has ideal size to play tight end in the NFL.
ESPN’s latest mock draft from Field Yates, though, has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting Stowers at No. 46 overall.
Yates has the Broncos selecting Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter.
“Denver made its big splash to add Jaylen Waddle, a move that was logical in part because the roster has so few limitations,” wrote Yates. “Inside linebacker is an area to continue to add at after Dre Greenlaw couldn’t provide a boost this past season. Trotter is one of my favorite fits in this round. He’s a tough, hard-nosed and instinctive run defender in traffic who could slide into coordinator Vance Joseph’s defense.”
Drafting Stowers, who has a top 30 visit scheduled with Denver, would be an ideal move for the Broncos, and it would fill a key remaining need.
But it sounds like the Broncos may have to trade up in the second round if they’re going to land the former Vanderbilt standout.
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