The Denver Broncos don’t have many weaknesses on a defense that’s been arguably the NFL’s best over the last 2 years. Inside linebacker might be the 1 exception.
After the failure of high-priced free agent Dre Greenlaw in 2025 and his subsequent release, the Broncos went in-house by re-signing Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton to new contracts this offseason. They also added an inside linebacker in the 2026 NFL draft, albeit in the 7th round with Buffalo’s Red Murdock, who was also this year’s Mr. Irrelevant as the final pick of the entire draft.
“That’s opened the door for a player like 20-year-old undrafted free agent Taurean York to make the 53-man roster — something Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks could very well happen as he tabbed York as the one UDFA he thinks could make the active roster for the Broncos in 2026.
Most thought he’d be taken by the Broncos during the draft, something he addressed with Sean Payton. came down to Detroit and Denver but he’s heading to #BroncosCountry #GigEm
“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.”
York Chose Broncos Over Lions as UDFA
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 in defensive lineman and 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.”
York Predicted as Day 3 Pick in 2026 NFL Draft
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, but struggles to hold up against/shed climbing blocks that find him. His short-area movement is choppy but efficient with quick acceleration to chase outside runs, but he lacks sustained speed. He’s in constant ‘trigger and close’ mode but needs better diagnostic patience to avoid missed run fits. He will struggle holding up in man coverage. 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 Prediction Puts ‘Monster’ 20-Year-Old UDFA Rookie on Roster