2 Broncos players made B/R’s list of top NFL rookies

The 2026 NFL draft class is considered by nearly everyone to be far inferior to the crop of prospects we will see enter the league next spring. However, the Denver Broncos have a class of players selected this past April that they are quite excited about.

The Broncos selected seven players this past spring, and several of them could have key roles on a team looking to compete for a trip to the Super Bowl. Bleacher Report's Scouting Department recently put together a list of its top 99 rookies heading into the season, and two of Denver's seven picks made that list.

Coming in at No. 62 is tight end Justin Joly, a player the Broncos selected out of North Carolina State in the fifth round, and three slots ahead of him, at No. 59, is defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim, the Broncos' first pick in this year's draft, taken in the third round.

Both of these players have plenty of potential to become stars for the Broncos, and it's nice to see them on this list. But perhaps the bigger story is that none of the other rookies made the list, most notably running back Jonah Coleman.

Dallen Bentley, Miles Scott and Red Murdock were all seventh-round picks for the Broncos, so it's understandable that they will have to show what they can do on the field before fully earning the respect of those who put together rankings such as these. However, it's all but shocking to see Coleman and Kage Casey — two players selected in the fourth round — excluded from the top 99 rankings.

Coleman already showed flashes of his abilities in the team's preseason opener against Atlanta, and the team really seems to like what it found in Casey.

Kage Casey is very stout on the interior. Consistently the lowest man in leverage, and has strong hands.

These rankings are noteworthy more for who isn't there than for who is. But sticking to the players that did make the list, Onyedim figures to push for playing time in the spot left vacant by John Franklin-Myers, who left in free agency. The rookie will likely find it difficult to see the field much in Year 1, as there are several other, more experienced players looking to fill that void as well.

As for Joly, he has a chance to be impactful as a rookie given the poor season that Evan Engram is coming off of. If Engram is still in that funk, the Broncos could turn to the athletic rookie quickly. However, even if Engram bounces back and is much better, Joly is still an unknown weapon who coach Sean Payton will certainly throw at an unsuspecting defense.

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 2 Broncos players made B/R’s list of top NFL rookies