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BOULDER, CO - NOVEMBER 5: General manager George Paton of the Denver Broncos of the NFL looks on while players warm up before a game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on November 5, 2022 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Addressing the defensive line wasn’t what most fans or analysts predicted the Denver Broncos would do with their top selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. And at first glance, that didn’t seem likely with how things were going early on Day 2 yesterday evening.
In the first half of the second round, the draft board was breaking the right way for the Broncos. Cornerbacks, wide receivers, and edge rushers were flying off the board—positions that seemed very unlikely the franchise would use their top selection on.
But the NFL Draft is a rollercoaster, and things can change on an absolute dime. In a span of a half dozen picks, a handful of top prospects the franchise was connected to in Eli Stowers, CJ Allen, Anthony Hill Jr., and Max Klare all wound up being snatched up before the Broncos were officially on the clock.
That prompted a small move down for Denver, who traded back to #66 with the Buffalo Bills and picked up #182 in the process. With the top linebackers and tight ends off the board, the Broncos switched gears and added to their defensive trenches by selecting Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Oyedim.
One can assume with their small move back into the early third-round, the presumptive ‘Top 6’ General Manager George Paton referenced the franchise was homed in on during his pre-draft presser were all gone. However, he mentioned that Onyedima was one of the six players on their shortlist and is a player who can come in and compete to help offset the departure of John Franklin-Myers to the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
“It’s a typical draft. There was a run at certain positions as we figured there would be. It fell like we thought it would. I think I mentioned we had six players, and they all started going—the six. Tyler was one of the six,” Paton stated.
In Onyedima, the Broncos are getting a battle-tested lineman with positional flexibility. In his five collegiate seasons (four at Iowa State, one at Texas A&M), he played just about everywhere along the defensive line. The production wasn’t top notch—but the physical traits are—and the shot callers in Dove Valley are bullish on the rookie’s NFL potential.
“At Iowa State they were playing him at a different. It was a 3-3-5 scheme. He was two-gapping, playing blocks. He wasn’t penetrating; he wasn’t rushing as much. 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,” Paton remarked with respect to what they saw out of Onyedima during his fifth-year senior season.
The selection of Onyedim continues a theme that has been prevalent during the George Paton and Sean Payton era. Building the foundations of the franchise through the trenches; and continuously finding ways to fortify to win the battle at the line of scrimmage.
“When the season ends and you begin to look at free agency, there are certain positions that are just harder to find. When you look at our roster, it could have been offensive line at the right position. It could have been a few other positions. It’s harder to find those defensive linemen and offensive linemen. When the window of free agency begins, they’re valued. They’re hard,” Payton said.
For his rookie season, Onyedim will compete alongside Zach Allen, Macolm Roach, D.J. Jones, Eyioma Uwazurike and last year’s third-round pick Sai’vion Jones for a spot in their rotation. Already five strong, the Aggies standout now gives the Broncos one of the deepest and versatile defensive lines in the NFL. Whether or not the team’s newest rookie can make an impact in year one remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the team is optimistic they got themselves a good player who can help them in their quest for another Lombardi Trophy.
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