In his latest 2026 NFL mock draft for the Draft Network, Keith Sanchez has the Denver Broncos using their first pick (in the second round) to select an Alabama linebacker.
Following the Jaylen Waddle trade, the Broncos do not hold picks in the first or third rounds of the draft. The team’s first selection is scheduled to be No. 62 overall in the second round. Sanchez predicts Bama’s Deontae Lawson falling to Denver at that spot.
“The Denver Broncos let the NFL know they are trying to be explosive offensively and traded for WR Jaylen Waddle, so they don’t have a first-round pick,” Sanchez wrote for TDN. “So, at the back end of the second round, the Broncos draft LB Deontae Lawson. Lawson could provide depth and athleticism at the LB position, making this defense even more dynamic.”
Lawson (6-3, 226 pounds) totaled 283 tackles, 6.5 sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his final four years with the Crimson Tide (he spent five seasons with the program).
After the Waddle trade, Denver holds seven picks in the 2026 NFL draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
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