Denver

Broncos

This is the second incoming rookie tight end the Broncos have brought in for a top-30 visit this week. The position remains an area of need despite head coach Sean Payton spending the last three years trying to find a Joker. In his final college season, Klare caught 41-of-53 targets for 420 yards and two touchdowns. Per 9News’ Mike Klis, Klare could potentially be the second tight end drafted this year and is “arguably the most well-rounded.”

The Broncos’ endless quest to find a Joker tight end for head coach Sean Payton continues. Joly, 21, caught 47-of-66 targets for 468 yards and seven touchdowns in his final college season. He played for UConn from 2022 to 2023 before transferring to NC State in 2024. Joly intriguingly demonstrated remarkable consistency on a per-route basis, averaging between 1.80 and 1.93 yards per route run in regular season play each year. Denver Post’s Luca Evans notes that the Broncos are “doing work” on the incoming tight end class.

In what could be a clumsy April Fool’s joke, reports of Rodgers meeting with the Broncos circulated on Wednesday, prompting several Denver beat writers to shoot down the unsourced rumors. Rodgers, 42, has been in touch with Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy in recent weeks and appears primed for one more season under center for Pittsburgh. The Broncos, meanwhile, are expecting Bo Nix to be ready for training camp following the ankle injury he sustained in the postseason. Nix’s starting job appears to be in no jeopardy.

We suspected as much based on the chatter that Dobbins could have played in the Super Bowl, but it’s good to get the affirmation from the people running the team. Dobbins profiles as the lead back in Denver at the start of the season, but we wouldn’t be surprised if RJ Harvey makes a real run at starting duties in either training camp or in the early portion of the year. Dobbins will be a risky RB3, as always, because he can’t stay healthy either way.

Payton added the Broncos will have “speed packages” for Waddle in the 2026 playbook. Acquired via trade this month, Waddle was used primarily as a slot wideout in his first couple seasons with the Dolphins before splitting snaps between the slot and boundary in 2024 and 2025 under Mike McDaniel. Waddle’s efficiency from the slot fell off in 2025 along with Miami’s offensive production. Bo Nix, meanwhile, ranked 27th out of 40 qualifying QBs last season in adjusted yards per attempt on throws to slot receivers. Nix ranked 29th in accuracy on slot attempts.

“No concerns at all for OTAS,” Penner said of the matter. Nix suffered a broken ankle in the Broncos’ divisional round win over the Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs and was sidelined for the AFC Championship Game. Penner’s comments align with previous remarks from GM George Paton that the QB1 should be ready to go come May, which is a good sign with a month still left to go.

Per Klis, Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr., Washington RB Jonah Coleman, Kentucky RB Seth McGowan, Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson, Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton and Texas A&M RB Le’Veon Moss are among the “possibilities” at running back. Klis is not declaring that a running back will be the pick. Reports on the Broncos’ backfield simply remain somewhat in flux. The team re-signed veteran RB J.K. Dobbins to a two-year, $20 million contract this offseason and it remains to be seen whether last year’s 60th overall pick, RB RJ Harvey, is a real candidate to be the team’s long-term starter. For now, Dobbins appears to be slated for Week 1 starting duties, but Harvey or a rookie could challenge him for the role.

He does concede that teams in need of wide receiver help could call between now and the NFL Draft. Between Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Marvin Mims, Mims is by far the least-accomplished player and would presumably (our interpretation) be the most available. The Broncos were hampered by injuries to their wideouts down the stretch, and that was what enabled Mims to get major run in the playoffs. It wouldn’t be surprising if a wideout-needy team like the Jets were in touch with the Broncos.

Denver dabbled in the running back market this offseason, but wound up bringing back JK Dobbins. It does feel like Dobbins will at least open as the lead back, as he did last year, but not being willing to pay a major premium for a back is probably an endorsement of the idea of Harvey breaking out in his second season. This will be a position battle to monitor during OTAs and training camp.

Mims made a guest appearance on Altitude TV, a regional sports network, and was asked for his thoughts on the Broncos’ recent trade for Waddle. Mims celebrated Waddle’s explosive play-making ability, but admitted that he was “really surprised” to learn of the deal. Although Waddle is far more accomplished, the two players share similar, shifty playing styles and excel after the catch. Mims closed the segment by saying that he has taken pride in being able to “play running back, be a returner, be a receiver” and is happy to affect the game however possible. Mims, 24, has flashed intriguing traits throughout his three-year career, though he has not yet broken out as a reliable starter. With Waddle in town, Mims will likely remain stuck in a versatile, albeit fantasy-unfriendly, backup role.