The Denver Broncos finally made a draft pick on Friday, after sitting out the entire first and second rounds. Denver traded back from No. 62 overall, swapping with the Buffalo Bills, and selected Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim at No. 66 overall in Round 3.
Onyedim is a high-floor, NFL-ready player who can step in and immediately contribute on the Broncos’ defensive line. He’s versatile and trending up in his development.
The Broncos nabbed themselves an ascending player, which is great for the defense, but one veteran won’t be sleeping so well between now and September.
On the Chopping Block
Jordan Jackson was brought back as an exclusive rights free agent. Originally a New Orleans Saints sixth-round draft pick in 2022, he didn’t stick long in the Bayou.
The Broncos signed Jackson in January of 2023, and he competed well in training camp, impressing the coaches. After he joined the Broncos, GM George Paton even mentioned that Jackson was on their radar in the 2022 draft before the Saints took him.
Jackson didn’t make the 53-man roster in 2023, but he spent the year on the Broncos’ practice squad. He was brought back again on a futures contract in 2024, but this time, he made the active roster, and went on to make his NFL debut.
Jackson appeared in all 17 games in 2024, totaling 17 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. The Broncos liked what they saw from him as a rotational piece upfront, and brought him back again as an exclusive rights free agent.
Alas, Jackson’s 2025 campaign was forgettable, as he struggled to crack the rotation, spending most the season as a healthy scratch. He appeared in just five games, totaling only seven tackles.
Where it Goes From Here
Denver Broncos defensive tackle Jordan Jackson (94) and defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike (96) and defensive end Sai’vion Jones (95) at the line of scrimmage. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Broncos still like Jackson, and hit him with the ERFA tender, so he’ll have the opportunity this summer to prove he can be part of the succession plan to fill the John Franklin-Myers vacuum. However, even before this draft, we knew the Broncos were eyeing Eyioma Uwazurike and 2025 third-rounder Sai’vion Jones as the top candidates to replace Franklin-Myers.
Add a new candidate to that mix: Onyedim. The rookie third-rounder will compete with his close friend and former Iowa State teammate, Uwazurike, as well as Jones and Jackson, for playing time.
What Onyedim, Uwazurike, and Jones have in common that Jackson doesn’t, though, is a draft pedigree in Denver. Onyedim and Jones are recent third-round picks, while Uwazurike was a fourth-rounder in 2022 — all drafted by Paton.
Add to that the reality that Jackson utterly lacks momentum right now, and it doesn’t portend well for him this summer. Plus, the Broncos also re-signed 2022 sixth-round pick Matt Henningsen back in March, after he missed the entire 2025 season with a torn Achilles.
Henningsen’s path to the roster is longer and fraught with many obstacles, but Paton also drafted him. No matter how you cut it, the Onyedim pick doesn’t portend well for Jackson.
The Takeaway
The thing is, last year, the Broncos drafted cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round, which served as a shot across the bow of both Ja’Quan McMillian and Riley Moss. Both players turned in a career year, responding with fiery competitiveness to the Barron selection, which redounded to the team’s ultimate benefit because it elevated the entire secondary.
Perhaps Jackson can find some similar motivation this summer. It will take a similar this-is-my-job type of mindset and performance to forestall Onyedim from taking his spot on the Broncos’ 53-man roster.
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