The Denver Broncos may have landed a couple of gems at inside linebacker in the final round of the 2026 NFL draft and their group of undrafted rookie free agents shortly after.
Not only have the Broncos received praise for the final pick of the 2026 NFL draft — “Mr. Irrelevant” at No. 257 overall — with Buffalo inside linebacker Red Murdock, but also for signing undrafted inside linebacker Taurean York out of Texas A&M.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport singled York out as 1 of the NFL’s “Most Exciting” undrafted free agents just 2 months out from the start of training camp.
York signed a 3-year, $3.125 million contract that included a $25,000 bonus and $325,000 in guaranteed money — the most guaranteed money for any UDFA in 2026.
“York is on the small side, but in all three of his seasons with the Aggies, he had at least 70 tackles and averaged 8.5 tackles for loss in college,” Davenport wrote. “At the very least, York has considerable special teams appeal, and current Denver ‘green dot’ linebacker Alex Singleton was also a UDFA.”
Taurean York Predicted for 53-Man Roster
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks tabbed York as the 1 UDFA who could make the active roster for the Broncos in 2026.
“The Denver Broncos didn’t enter the draft with many glaring needs, but their depth at linebacker was questionable,” Knox wrote. “While making a roster as deep as Denver’s as an UDFA is a challenge, the talented, if undersized (5’11”, 226 lbs), York has the goods to make a strong impression. Linebackers with York’s size/length typically face uphill roster climbs, but his tape appears good enough to warrant a backup role with instant special-teams value.”
Taurean York Chose Broncos Over Lions
York had options as a priority free agent after he went undrafted, picking the Broncos over the Detroit Lions.
The 5-foot-10, 226-pound York was a stats machine in 3 seasons at Texas A&M. The Temple, Texas, native racked up 229 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 7 pass deflections, and a whopping 25.5 tackles for loss on the way to being named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2023 and an All-SEC pick in 2025.
He also put up solid numbers at the NFL scouting combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds and knocked out 25 reps in the 225-pound bench press — to the uninitiated, that means he’s a very, very strong human.
In college, York was also a teammate of the Broncos’ 1st pick in the draft and a possible plug-and-play starter as a rookie with 3rd-round pick Tyler Onyedim.
“Oh man,” KOA Denver’s Alex Rodriguez wrote on his official X account. “Broncos may have gotten a monster in Texas A&M LB Taurean York. Denver may have done it again in the UDFA game.”
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicted York as a 6th or 7th round pick in his pre-draft analysis.
“York is a defensive quarterback who aligns the front and leads by example with all-day urgency,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s compact with thick thighs and good play strength … he’s in constant ‘trigger and close’ mode but needs better diagnostic patience to avoid missed run fits … Linebackers with York’s size/length typically face uphill roster climbs, but his tape appears good enough to warrant a backup role with instant special-teams value.”
Broncos Rookie Called NFL’s ‘Most Exciting’ UDFA