One Denver Broncos Rookie Who Could Win a Starting Job Out of Camp
With teams on their month-long break from mid-June to mid-July in between minicamp and training camp, we've reached the deadest point of the NFL offseason.
But fortunately for football fans, there's just three weeks left before training camp kicks off, followed by the preseason and regular season, which starts the week of Sept. 7.
Until then, we've done training camp previews and analyzed the top position battle to watch for all 32 teams. Next up in our offseason series is looking at one rookie from every team who could win a starting job in training camp this season, and today we're looking at the Denver Broncos.
Denver's 2026 Draft Class
- Tyler Onyedim, DT, Round 3
- Jonah Coleman, RB, Round 4
- Kage Casey, OT, Round 4
- Justin Joly, TE, Round 5
- Miles Scott, S, Round 7
- Dallen Bentley, TE, Round 7
- Red Murdock, LB, Round 7
With John Franklin Meyers now with the Tennessee Titans, Tyler Onyedim is best positioned to win a starting job in camp this year.
Not only is he the Broncos' top draft pick (the team traded its first-rounder to the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle), but he's also the most talented player of Denver's seven-player draft class.
Both of the Broncos' top defensive tackles - Malcolm Roach (41 tackles, four sacks, here tackles for loss) and D.J. Jones (39 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss) - are returning, but neither really solidified themselves as a clearcut starter in 2026.
Tyler Onyedim had a solid college career (four seasons at Iowa State, one at Texas A&M), totaling 138 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble.
Last season he accounted for 17 pressures, 12 hurries, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks, but he really made his presence known one run defense. The 23-year-old logged 22 run stops and forced fumble, and if there's one area that gives him a leg up over Roach and Jones it's the fact that he's strong defending the run in the middle of the defensive line. Don't be surprised if Onyedim is one of Denver's starting DTs in Week 1.
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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 7:30 PM.