Broncos' 166-catch rookie could be underrated piece of offense in 2026

broncos/news/former-texas-am-standout-named-broncos-most-promising-udfa/26d1936409776ed82c15cfcb" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Denver Broncos took the league by storm in 2025. The team made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game, despite being picked to finish behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. 

However, as we know, the Chiefs ended up having a disappointing year, in no small part to Patrick Mahomes‘ late-season injury. The Broncos took advantage of the Chiefs’ decline and ended up falling just shy of a Super Bowl return. 

The team didn’t do much in free agency, instead relying on internal development. The team did make some interesting draft picks though, and one in particular may be going under the radar. 
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Justin Joly is a name people should get used to hearing. The tight end was selected by the Broncos in the fifth round and his pass-catching skills could be crucial in Denver. 

NFL Draft On SI’s Justin Melo recently ranked Joly as one of the best fifth-round picks in this draft. Regarding Joly, Melo offered the following: 

Justin Joly’s pro comp is Chig Okonkwo, a former fifth-round tight end who has greatly outperformed his draft slot in the league. We see a similar path for Joly. The Brewster, New York native is an undersized, compact weapon who used to play wide receiver. That background shows up in his athleticism and route-running details.

Joly registered a team-high 49 receptions for 489 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. The Denver Broncos didn’t get enough out of Evan Engram and Adam Trautman last season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Joly earned reps as a rookie.

Justin Joly’s pro comp is Chig Okonkwo, a former fifth-round tight end who has greatly outperformed his draft slot in the league. We see a similar path for Joly. The Brewster, New York native is an undersized, compact weapon who used to play wide receiver. That background shows up in his athleticism and route-running details.

Joly registered a team-high 49 receptions for 489 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. The Denver Broncos didn’t get enough out of Evan Engram and Adam Trautman last season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Joly earned reps as a rookie.

As Melo mentioned, Joly has been compared to Chig Okonkwo, which is a promising comparison. Okonkwo contributed for the Titans for several seasons and earned a nice deal from the Washington Commanders this offseason. 

Also, Denver could be a great landing spot for Joly. Evan Engram perhaps underperformed a bit in his first season with the Broncos, and Adam Trautman has always been more of a blocker than pass-catcher. 

Joly has receiver speed but can also block and make plays over the middle. In 2025, Joly played in 12 games for NC State and caught 49 passes for 489 yards and seven touchdowns. In total, the tight end caught 166 passes for 1,978 yards and 15 touchdowns over his college career. 

The Broncos had an elite defense and a reliable running game in 2025. However, the passing game wasn’t as dynamic as the team wanted it to be, and it needs to be better if the team wants to contend again. 

The team made a big investment by trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, which will certainly help. However, as mentioned above, the Broncos need more out of the tight end spot, and Joly could be the one to do that.