If you were wondering exactly how pressed Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been feeling when it comes to his tight ends room, just remember not only have the Broncos spent big on the position in free agency but also drafted a whopping 3 tight ends in the last 2 years.
At this point, Payton figures, something will eventually have to work, and if any group is primed to break out in 2026 — like the running backs finally did in 2025 — it’s the tight ends.
One intriguing wild card in that group of tight ends has been 2025 7th-round pick Caleb Lohner, who spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad but impressed in early offseason workouts.
Now, with Lohner out for an extended period of time following a “lower body procedure,” there could be an opening for a pair of 2026 draft picks to make a move on the 53-man roster — 5th round pick Justin Joly and 7th round pick Dallen Bentley.
“With Lohner sidelined, all eyes will be on the two Broncos rookie tight ends, Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley,” Mile High Report’s Scotty Payne wrote on June 8. “Both are competing for roles and potentially a roster spot (Joly is probably a lock), and are competing with Caleb Lohner for a role and roster spot with the Broncos. These two weeks will give them a chance to possibly separate themselves from Lohner before he eventually returns for the start of training camp.”
What Justin Joly Brings to Broncos
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner put Joly at the top of his list of the “Biggest Sleepers” coming out of the NFL draft.
“Joly is a bit of a project — you might never get true first-down, run-blocking power out of him,” Baumgarnder wrote. “But he’s a bit of a mutant athletically (6-3, 241), with great vertical speed and enough wiggle to separate at the top of routes. He could be a potential matchup problem in the NFL.”
In 2024, Joly had 43 receptions for 661 yards and 4 touchdowns. In 2025, he had 49 receptions for 489 yards and 7 touchdowns.
One of the things about Joly’s game that stood out over the last few years is his ability to create yards after the catch. He was 2nd in the FBS with 48 missed tackles forced over the last 4 seasons, and averaged 5.5 yards after catch.
What Dallen Bentley Brings to Broncos
Bentley, 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, was always projected as a Day 3 pick, although no one expected he’d fall to the final round.
ESPN’s Field Yates singled out the Broncos’ pick of Bentley as his favorite pick of the 7th round.
“The Broncos made the draft’s final two selections, using the penultimate pick on Bentley,” Yates wrote on Tuesday. “He’s a long tight end who can be a factor in the middle of the field with his strong hands and useful run-after-catch ability. Bentley had 48 catches for 620 yards in 2025 and will compete with fellow rookie Justin Joly for an opportunity to take on coach Sean Payton’s ‘joker’ role on offense.”
Bentley impressed at the NFL scouting combine by running the 40-yard dash in 4.62 seconds after earning All-Big 12 honors for the 1st time in 2025 with 48 receptions for 620 yards and 6 touchdowns after just 3 receptions for 20 yards and no touchdowns over the previous 2 seasons.
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