The Denver Broncos believe adding two rookie tight ends to a returning group of seven could shore up a position they view as their biggest weakness, the report says. Coach Sean Payton expressed optimism as the team closed three days of on-field work at rookie minicamp, and one of the rookies said he was prepared to do whatever the staff asked of him, per the report.
The concern stems from a subpar showing from the position in 2025. The report says the Broncos’ tight ends combined for only three touchdowns last season, no tight end averaged more than 9.8 yards per reception, and the group ranked 26th in receiving yards with 719. By comparison, the report notes three of last season’s top scoring offenses — the Rams, Patriots and Bills — each got at least nine touchdowns and 1,025 receiving yards from their tight ends.
Starting tight end Evan Engram acknowledged room for improvement, saying the position could have contributed more, per the report. Engram accounted for 64% of the tight end room’s receptions and receiving yards last season and finished with 50 catches for 461 yards and a touchdown, the report says. The Broncos re-signed Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull to return alongside Engram before adding fifth-round pick Justin Joly and seventh-round pick Dallen Bentley in the most recent draft, the report says.
Caleb Lohner, a seventh-round selection from 2025 who spent his rookie season on the practice squad, is also being treated as a newcomer. Payton said Lohner looks markedly different after a year in the program and is in excellent shape, per the report. The report says Lohner’s background includes basketball at Baylor, BYU and Utah and one season of college football for the Utes in 2024, and teammates and coaches have noted his athleticism.
Payton described Joly as a potential “move” or F tight end who could line up in the slot, the backfield or out wide and be used in motion, while Bentley is seen as more of a traditional in-line prospect, the report says. With the offense returning every starter from a 14-3 team, the Broncos will test whether the expanded tight end room can produce more consistency as the offseason progresses, per the report.
