Denver

Broncos

Mr. Irrelevant gets a $122,600 signing bonus as he becomes the first of seven Denver draft picks to sign his rookie contract. Rookies report to mimi-camp in Denver this weekend.

Key, 28, earned first-team All-Pro honors as a special teamer last year. His 20 special teams tackles led the NFL by two last year. The Chiefs signed Key as an undrafted free agent rookie in 2021. He was waived, having played zero snaps, before being signed to the Falcons’ practice squad in 2022. He was signed by the Broncos later that and eventually earned his current role as a special teams and began contributing on the field in 2023. He notched seven special teams tackles in 2024. Credit goes to assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi for getting the most out of Key last year.

Nix had a schedule re-check of his ankle with Dr. Norman Waldrop last week, during which Rapoport reports he had a clean-up procedure. The 26-year-old initially broke is ankle in the Broncos’ divisional round victory and has been progressing as schedule in his recovery. The Broncos are expected to be conservative with Nix’s participation in the team’s offseason program but Rapoport adds he is “firmly on track to be ready for the start of training camp.”

“Normally, you have to project that,” Payton said of Coleman, the 109th pick in the 2026 draft out of Washington. “A lot of these guys, in college, maybe the protection plan’s different or limited. So you have to develop that, and that’s fine, but (Coleman’s) frame is such that, when you see him, he does a really good job in blocking pressure looks.” Denver front office officials and coaches have been effusive in their praise for Coleman. Broncos assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt compared Coleman favorably to JK Dobbins, who will return tot he Denver backfield in 2026. “We really like his run style, his ability between the tackles as a finisher,” Burckhardt said. Coleman’s tough running style — he produced a sky-high 71 percent of his college rushing production after first contact — could force Payton to use the rookie early in the 2026 season. Coleman will be a popular late-round fantasy stash this summer.

The Broncos used a fourth-round pick to select Coleman in this year’ draft. While it’s not a high enough pick to suggest he will see significant playing time out of the gate, it sounds like he will have a chance to prove himself in certain situations and earn a heavier workload as he progresses this offseason and into the regular season. While both JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey stand in the way of Coleman, Dobbins is on a two-year deal and would cost just $2 million to cut next offseason, and Harvey struggled on the ground as a rookie, averaging just 3.7 YPC and 2.72 yards after contact per attempt. Coleman will make for an interesting stash in redraft and best ball leagues this offseason, and could turn into a touchdown vulture that puts a hard cap on the fantasy upside of both Dobbins and Harvey.

York (5’10/226) is an undersized but high-motor MIKE whose 66 tackles, 8 havoc plays and 7 TFLs reflect his instinctive trigger and downhill urgency. He flashed situational pressure ability with 7 pressures on 43 rushes (16.3 percent pressure rate), showing quick acceleration to attack creases as a blitzer. York’s compact 5’10”, 226-pound frame and 5.17 RAS with poor agility metrics (4.48 shuttle, 7.32 three-cone) limit his range and change-of-direction consistency in space. His 84.6 percent tackle rate and modest 5 run stops underscore the issues stacking blocks and maintaining gap integrity against size at the second level. York projects as a depth linebacker and core special teamer whose instincts and urgency give him a chance to stick if he can mitigate his size limitations with improved processing and block avoidance.

Harvey (5'11/185), 23, spent one season at Auburn before transferring to Georgia Tech in 2022. He totaled 26 tackles, three TFLs, one sack and seven passes defended last year. He produced 15 bench press reps at the NFL Scouting Combine and opted out of the other tests, three of which he completed at Georgia Tech’s Pro Day, though the results were underwhelming, including a 9’8 broad jump. Harvey can contribute on special teams and will likely have to in order to make an NFL roster. He dislocated his right ankle last year.

Key (6'3?/210), 22, spent three seasons at Kentucky before transferring to Nebraska in 2025, catching 39 passes for 452 yards and five touchdowns in his final college season. He is a jump-ball specialist who chose not to test at the NFL Scouting Combine. His lack of special teams experience could make it difficult for him to secure a spot on an NFL active roster.

Murdock (6'2/232), 22, is a tackling machine with a penchant for forcing fumbles. He led the MAC in forced fumbles in 2023 (four), the FBS in 2024 (seven) and the MAC again in 2025 (six). His 2024 sum is a school record. Murdock earned first-team All-MAC honors in each of the last two seasons and was a second-team All-American in 2025. He totaled 156 tackles, 16.5 TFLs, two sacks, two passes defended and one interception in 2024, and 142 tackles, 13.5 TFLs, five sacks and one pass defended in 2025. His 2025 tackle total also led the MAC. As the literal final pick of the draft, Murdock will undoubtedly start out on special teams in training camp, but if he can make the 2026 53-man roster, he could eventually emerge as a starting option over the next 2-3 years.

At 25-years-old heading into draft day, Bentley (6’4"/253) is one of the older prospects in the class. He was a starter in his final season at Utah, catching 48 passes and six touchdowns. His 620 receiving yards were tied for sixth-most tight end receiving yards in the FBS for 2025. Bentley has the ability to shake defenders off his frame and work well as a zone receiver. Though he has inconsistencies as a blocker, Bentley was impactfully used as a blocker in motion in the run game at Utah. He will be able to fill a role in a tight end room at the next level, most likely as a pass-catching blocker in motion rather than a mauling protector in-line.