ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos' newest arrivals will find a numbers game waiting for them at rookie minicamp later this week.
Denver's 2026 rookie class joins a team which won 14 games last season, re-signed 17 of its 21 free agents, signed only one outside free agent and made one headline-grabbing trade to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. So, snaps will be hard to come by for many of the Broncos' youngest players.
"Sure, we'd like somebody to come in and start right away, but that's not always realistic ... no matter where they're picked," Broncos general manager George Paton said. "With the way our team is built now, it's going to be hard to come in and start Day 1."
But that doesn't mean Broncos rookies can't find playing time. Barring injuries and unexpected events, the main avenues for playing time for the Broncos' 2026 rookie class involve the 517 snaps left behind by departed defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers, 324 which opened with linebacker Dre Greenlaw's release, and situational work at tight end and running back.
That puts third-round defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim, seventh-round linebacker Red Murdock, fifth-round tight end Justin Joly and fourth-round running back Jonah Coleman in prime position to make a quality first impression this weekend.
Here's a look at the four Broncos rookies with the most to gain immediately this offseason.
DT Tyler Onyedim (third round)
The 6-foot-4, 292-pound Onyedim, who played four years at Iowa State before transferring to Texas A&M prior to last season, was the Broncos' first draft pick and is especially worth watching. He employs the get-upfield style that made Franklin-Myers successful in his two Broncos seasons.
"At Iowa State they were playing him at a different [position]. It was a 3-3-5 scheme [so] he was two-gapping, playing blocks, he wasn't penetrating, he wasn't rushing as much," Paton said. "He got to see and do more at A&M, which he'll be doing here. The tape was good at Iowa State, but we really liked it at A&M."
Onyedim will have to compete with a familiar face to replace Franklin-Myers. Eyioma Uwazurike, a fourth-round pick in 2022 and formerly a teammate of Onyedim's at Iowa State, figures to get the first look to fill the open starting spot. But Onyedim could compete for the job right away if he shows the ability to generate interior pressure.
LB Red Murdock (seventh round)
Despite being "Mr. Irrelevant" due to being selected with the 257th and final pick, Murdock has a chance to be an immediately relevant part of the Broncos' linebacking corps. Besides the loss of Greenlaw, the Broncos have two older returning off-ball linebackers in 32-year-old Alex Singleton and 29-year-old Justin Strnad.
That leaves snaps to divvy up, and Murdock was one of the most productive off-ball linebackers in this draft class. He combined for 298 tackles the past two seasons at Buffalo (156 in 2024 and 142 last season) and set an FBS record with 17 career forced fumbles.
Broncos coach Sean Payton has said third-year linebacker Jonah Elliss will move from edge rusher to inside linebacker during the offseason program. So Elliss could be the in-house solution, but Murdock has the chance to complicate that decision with a fast start.
RB Jonah Coleman (fourth round)
Coleman was one of the most physical runners in the draft. He gained 71.2% of his 758 rushing yards after contact last season, with 35% of his carries resulting in a first down or a touchdown. He provides an element to the Broncos' rushing offense that went missing after J.K. Dobbins was sidelined in Week 10 with a season-ending foot injury.
Coleman was also considered among the best pass-protecting running backs available by many evaluators. And with 79 receptions over his final three college seasons, he has also shown a comfort level as a receiver.
"I saw something that compared his running style, and I think the comparison was J.K., and I think that's a compliment obviously to the way Dobbins runs," Payton said. "[Coleman is] a physical runner. ... He can play on third down. Normally you have to project that.
"A lot of these guys in college, maybe the protection plan's different or limited. So, you have to develop that. But his frame is such when you see him, that he does a really good job in blocking pressure looks."
TE Justin Joly (fifth round)
Joly was one of two tight ends the Broncos selected on Day 3 -- Utah's Dallen Bentley (seventh round) was the other -- and arrives after combining for 92 receptions and 11 touchdowns in his last two seasons at NC State. Joly is considered NFL-ready as a receiver but has work to do as a blocker.
"I'm super-confident obviously, I feel like I'm going to have more coaching as well, so just being able to go down there and show off that I can do both," Joly said. "I feel like the Broncos have faith in me. They chose me for a reason."
Joly's chances for early playing time hinge on whether he can satisfy the Broncos' continued search for more production at the position. Denver got only three touchdowns from their tight ends last season, and none of them averaged more than 9.8 yards per reception. In fact, the Broncos haven't had a tight end with more than three touchdowns in a season since 2021 (Noah Fant, four).
Bentley also has a chance to get playing time at tight end. But the selections of Bentley, Joly and the rest of the rookie class were made more for the 2027 season and beyond.
"Feel good about the team, feel good about the [draft] weekend," Paton said. "I think we helped our depth; we helped our team in a lot of areas. ... I think we got younger; I think we got better."