The Denver Broncos only have a handful of holes left on their roster.
And with free agency pretty much wrapped up, most additional needs will have to be filled in the NFL Draft.
The Broncos no longer have a pick in Round 1, although it went to good use. That was the biggest asset that helped head coach Sean Payton and GM George Payton land WR Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster trade with Miami.
While many fans might like to see Denver select a tight end or running back with their first selection, deep in Round 2 at No. 62 overall, ESPN’s Field Yates has them going in a different direction.
Yates released a rare two-round mock draft earlier this week and has the Broncos picking linebacker Josiah Trotter out of Missouri.
“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,” Yates wrote.
The Broncos paid Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad this offseason, so they’ll be the starters, but depth is a question mark with the release of Greenlaw. Trotter could definitely help address that.
During the 2025 season with the Tigers he had 84 tackles (13 for loss) and two sacks in 12 games. He spent the previous season at West Virginia where Trotter had 92 tackles and an interception.
Offensive skill position players will get the headlines, but Trotter would not be a bad selection for the Broncos. We’ll see if re-loading the defense is indeed the direction that Payton and Paton decide to go.
To see the full two-round mock draft from Yates, click here.