TE · DEN · 22 yrs · exp 0 · North Carolina State
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Latest: Jul 24, 2026 · 2,256
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The Denver Broncos have an exciting group of rookies entering training camp. While many will be vying for practice squad spots, some have the potential to challenge for starting roles. Tight end Justin Joly is highlighted as a player who, despite not likely unseating starters Adam Trautman or Evan Engram, could earn significant playing time and a spot on the depth chart
According to 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, Broncos tight end Caleb Lohner underwent a routine lower-body procedure and will miss the next two weeks of OTA and minicamp practices. However, Klis notes that Lohner is expected to be full-go by the start of training camp. Multiple media members who attended last week’s practice noted that Lohner was among the players not participating, and some were speculating whether he suffered an injury or not. Well, now we know he underwent a lower-body procedure and will be sidelined until the start of training camp. This is a small setback for Lohner, who drew praise from head coach Sean Payton earlier this spring when he, out of the blue, went out of his way to praise Lohner and his development. This put the former 7th-round developmental tight end on the radar of players who could have breakout performances this spring/summer, but this is certainly a step in the wrong direction. Lohner needs all the snaps and reps he can get, so missing out on two weeks of practice and development isn’t great. With that said, he still has all of training camp and the preseason to continue making his case for a roster spot and obviously already has the attention of the head coach. So, all is not lost for Lohner and his quest for a spot on the Broncos’ 53-man roster. With Lohner sidelined, all eyes will be on the two Broncos rookie tight ends, Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley. 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. The competition behind veteran tight ends Evan Engram and Adam Trautman is going to be one of the more intriguing aspects of Broncos training camp. You have a developmental project in Lohner, two rookies in Joly and Bentley, a blocking specialist in Nate Adkins , and Lucas Krull . We’ll see how it all shakes out moving forward, but in the short-term, Caleb Lohner will be sidelined these next few weeks but will be ready for the start of training camp later next month
The Denver Broncos selected Utah tight end Caleb Lohner with their 241st overall selection in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, this was not your ordinary 7th-round pick. Lohner is a former basketball player transitioning to football, and he played just one year of college football at Utah. He would be entering the NFL with limited snaps and only four career catches, all of which were for touchdowns. So, he was viewed as a long-term project for Sean Payton and the Broncos . As expected, Lohner did not make much noise throughout the summer and would eventually land on the Broncos’ practice squad, where he would stay for the entire year. However, he was elevated to the active roster for the Divisional Round game vs. the Buffalo Bills , but he would be among their inactives. We would later learn from Head Coach Sean Payton that they did this as a thank you to Lohner, who had an opportunity to play for another team last season, but decided to stick with the Broncos. 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis wrote that late last season, he had a chance to play for another team (signed to an opposing team’s 53-man roster), but decided to stay in Denver simply because he did not want to leave. “It was in the works but I told them don’t even bother. Jack(his agent) was the one who started it all (the decision to stay). I want to be here. You’ve got a veteran coach here (in Sean Payton). I was in his offensive system for almost a full year. Plus, I didn’t want to leave a team that was going for the Super Bowl and is going for the Super Bowl. Everyone in here all have the same goal. Win the Super Bowl. That’s what you play for. I didn’t want to leave that.” Now, Lohner enters an important year two for him, where he will need to start showing some development if he wants a future with the Broncos. I say this because the Broncos drafted two tight ends, Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley, in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the competition in the tight end room figures to be tough. As of this writing, the Broncos have not begun their offseason program, but Lohner did participate in the team’s rookie minicamp in early May and impressed Payton with his performance. He told reporters that “Lohner looks entirely different in this camp. Now he was here in this camp a year ago as a draft pick, but he stood out.” Payton was then asked what Lohner is doing better this year compared to last year. He simply said “everything”. “Everything. In fairness to him, remember [he] was a basketball prospect that had limited snaps of a year. So one year into the program, and how he’s moving, what he’s doing, everything looks entirely different. That learning curve and growth curve was greater for someone who had far less experience maybe than others, if that makes sense. It’s entirely noticeable, and he’s in great shape. You see his athleticism. I would say the one thing that you don’t know is… [Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach] Bill [Parcells] used to say, ‘If they don’t bite when they’re puppies, they’re probably never going to bite.’ There’s a physical aspect to the way he plays. Even on look team last season, he’d play an outside linebacker rushing our tackles. He’s 6’7”, 265 pounds and he’s not afraid of the contact. So it’s been good to see him in Year 2. You knew there was going to be a developmental upside, but that was encouraging.” Payton wasn’t done hyping up Lohner. He was later asked about Lohner’s learning curve and where he stands compared to the rest of the young tight ends in the NFL. He added that Lohner is a “very physical player” and then told the media, “You will see him in June,” and ended with “Yes, he has been impressive”. “That’s a great question. You just start with total reps in the bank in football, and there was just a lot less. You’re drafting traits at that point in the draft. We’ve done that before, and sometimes you’re drafting traits [and] you see a receiving tight end. The one thing I know watching him is he’ll be plenty and very physi [... truncated ...]
Adds: Justin Joly. Drops: Mac Jones
Adds: Justin Joly. Drops: Jimmy Horn
The Denver Broncos traded up to pick 152 to select NC State tight end Justin Joly in the 5th round of the 2026 NFL Draft. We all expected the Broncos to draft a tight end, and they ended up drafting two, with Joly being the first due to a trade-up. Joly is a 6-3, 245-pound tight end with 32 3/4 inch arms and 10 5/8 inch hands and profiles as a contested catch move tight end who will be a weapon in the middle of the field and in the red zone. After starting his college career at UConn, Joly played the past two seasons at NC State and turned into one of the better playmaking tight ends in the nation. During his two seasons, he appeared in 25 games and totaled 92 receptions for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns. This past year, he totaled 49 receptions for 489 yards and 7 touchdowns The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had Justin Joly as his TE5 in this draft and had a 3rd/4th round grade on him. Now, the Broncos trade up to get him in the 5th round. Brugler calls Joly a versatile pass catcher, and due to his athleticism, ball skills, and upside, he profiles as a three-level threat. Joly is a good-sized athlete who can drop his weight at the top of routes and uncover with foot quicks and savvy. He has large, strong hands and has developed into a ball winner with his ability to frame the catch and finish, regardless of his surroundings. He competes as a blocker and has the coordination to stay attached but lacks the body power to dominate the point of attack. Joly is a versatile pass catcher, because of his athleticism, ball skills and upside as a three-level threat. Built in the mold of Jonnu Smith , he is more Robin than Batman and ideally suited as a “move” tight end in a 12-personnel offense. Joly was drafted to give the Broncos some life to their tight end room, which was not very good last season. Veteran Evan Engram failed to live up to expectations after being signed to be the ‘Joker’, and Adam Trautman is mostly used to block. Joly is a contested catch monster and can be a receiving threat in the middle of the field and in the red zone/end zone for quarterback Bo Nix . Most analysts projected Joly to be a late Day 2 or early Day 3 player, but he slipped into the 5th round, and the Broncos had to pounce. They got some good value and a tight end who could turn into a potential playmaker for the Broncos moving forward. Justin Joly | Tight End | Broncos Height: 6-3 Weight: 245 pounds Arm Length: 32 3/4 inches Hand Size: 10 5/8 inches Age: 21 years old Experience: Rookie Vertical Jump: 30.5 inches Broad Jump: 9-6 Short Shuttle: 4.65 seconds 2025 stats: 49 receptions for 489 yards and 7 touchdowns Joly should have a role in the Denver Broncos offense this upcoming season. While he’s a 5th-round pick, I am confident in saying he is locked into a roster spot. He is someone who many believed could be in play for the Broncos in Day 2 and certainly in the 4th round. However, he slipped into the 5th round, and the Broncos moved up to get him. He is your classic “move tight end” who thrives at contested catches and inside the red zone. We could see him used in some two-tight-end sets, be a target in the middle of the field, and be a featured red-zone weapon for quarterback Bo Nix. He has big, strong hands and has thrived in those roles in college, and I believe that is how he will be used in the NFL moving forward. With that said, veteran Evan Engram is expected to be the featured pass-catching tight end once again this season, so Joly will need to earn his playing time. Like all pass-catching tight ends, Joly will need to prove himself as a blocker at the next level, too, but Head Coach Sean Payton told reporters that they view Joly more as an “F” tight end while fellow rookie tight end Dallen Bentley is more of the in-line guy. With Bentley, there’s a more in-line wide, bigger. He does a great job down the field. With Joly, that would put him more in the ‘F’ category. Both are tight ends, and both have unique skill sets. Th [... truncated ...]
With their second of three 7th round selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Broncos double-dipped at tight end and selected Utah’s Dallen Bentley. Earlier on Day 3, they drafted NC State’s Justin Joly, and now Bentley will join him as the new additions to the Broncos tight end room. Bentley is a 6-4, 253-pound tight end with 4.62 speed, 33-inch arms, and a 35-inch vertical jump. He played a total of three seasons at Utah and is coming off a breakout season for them. This past year, Bentley had 48 receptions for 620 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler thought Bentley would go earlier in the draft and had a 4th-5th round grade on him while ranking him as his 13th-best tight end in the draft. Brugler called Bentley a “zone monster” due to his ability to find the soft spots in zone coverage, while saying he improved as a run blocker this past season, but he needs more development in that area. A zone monster, Bentley has a great feel for urgently sitting down, securing the catch and then finding hidden yards as a tough-to-finish runner. He is highly efficient in his snatch-and-go body mechanics, although that focus doesn’t carry over to crowded catch points (low success rate in contested windows). He did a better job playing to his size as a run blocker in 2025, but his uneven technique leads to sustain issues and execution lapses. Bentley needs to become a more disciplined blocker to be trusted on a pro field, but his size-speed traits and pass-catching talent are potential assets for an NFL team. Tight end was a position we all wanted the Broncos to address during the draft, and while it may not have gone as we expected, they came away with two tight ends, including Dallen Bentley. The Broncos drafted him to be an inline guy and help out as a blocker, but according to Head Coach Sean Payton, they like his receiving ability down the field as well. After Day 3, Payton said: “With Bentley, there’s a more in-line wide, bigger. He does a great job down the field”. Bentley is more like Adam Trautman , while Joly will be more like Evan Engram . The Broncos needed more life, and frankly, new bodies in that tight end room, and Bentley provides an inline/blocking presence while also having some sneaky ability as a pass catcher. Behind Adamn Trautman and Evan Engram, you have Nate Adkins , Lucas Krull , Caleb Lohner , and now rookies Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley. There will be some competition there, and Joly obviously has a better shot at making the 53 than Bentley, but I believe we will see both rookies make the 53-man roster this summer. Dallen Bentley | Tight End | Denver Broncos Height: 6-4 Weight: 253 pounds Arm Length: 33 1/8 inches Hand Size: 9 7/8 inches Age: 25 years old Experience: Rookie 40-time: 4.59 seconds Vertical Jump: 35 inches Broad Jump: 9-10 Short Shuttle: 4.42 seconds Bench Press: 24 reps 2025 stats: 48 receptions for 620 yards and 6 touchdowns Bentley will be competing for a roster spot with Nate Adkins, Lucas Krull, and Caleb Lohner. Veteran tight ends Adam Trautman and Evan Engram are locked into a roster spot, and we can pencil in rookie tight end Justin Joly in as well, but that 4th and likely final tight end spot is up for grabs. That tight end battle figures to be an interesting one to watch during the offseason practices and throughout training camp and the preseason. Nate Adkins has been the Broncos’ blocking specialist the past few seasons and figures to have the early edge, while Lucas Krull has been a reserve pass-catching threat. The x-factor here is Caleb Lohner, who earned high praise from head coach Sean Payton recently. How he develops and performs will be a key part of this tight end battle. As for Bentley, he has a good shot at making the 53-man roster. The Broncos and Payton view him as more of an in-line tight end, so he could be the backup option for Adam Trautman, while Justin Joly could be viewed as the backup option for Evan Engram. I think the road to a [... truncated ...]
Adds: Justin Joly
The Buffalo Bills will distinctly be part of your Thanksgiving and potentially Christmas holidays this year — for those who celebrate — as the NFL has placed Josh Allen and Co. in each of marquee spotlight during the 2026 season. The Bills will host Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs inside new Highmark Stadium on Thanksgiving night, as part of the league’s triple-header on Turkey Day, per Jordan Schultz . This will mark the first time the seismic regular-season clash between these two AFC powerhouses will be in primetime since their premiere against each other in the Mahomes-Allen era back in 2020. About a month later, long after you’ve opened presents on Christmas morning, the Bills are rumored to be playing in Denver against the Broncos for a rematch of the wild divisional-round loss to Sean Payton’s club in January. Mike Monaghan on Twitter , who was the first on the Bills-Chiefs tilt, followed with a report on this Bills- Broncos Christmas matchup. The Bills haven’t played on Thanksgiving or Christmas since their 28-25 over the Lions on Thanksgiving back in 2022. Denver wasn’t active in free agency, yet did swing a trade for former Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle . It led to them not making a selection in the 2026 draft until the third round, and they picked defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim there. The Broncos did pick running back Jonah Coleman in the fourth round and the athletic, stocky tight end Justin Joly in the fifth, the latter of whom the Bills hosted on a Top 30 visit. As for the Chiefs, All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie was traded to the Rams in March, and the club traded up within the Top 10 of the draft to select cornerback Mansoor Delane. Defensive lineman Peter Woods was Kansas City ’s choice later in Round 1, and edge rusher R Mason Thomas was snagged by the Chiefs in the second round. GM Brett Veach’s biggest signing in free agency was the acquisition of reigning Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker
Adds: Justin Joly. Drops: Luke Musgrave
Adds: Justin Joly
The Broncos have agreed to terms with linebacker Red Murdock, a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft
Adds: Justin Joly
Denver selected Joly in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 152nd overall. Joly spent the last two years of his four-year college career at NC State, and he was named to the All-ACC First-Team in 2025 after catching 49 passes for 489 yards and seven touchdowns across 12 games. Joly was mostly detached from the offensive line with NC State and lined up primarily in the slot, making him a mismatch when lined up against opposing secondaries. His 6-foot-3 frame and large, strong hands helps him finish catches regardless of coverage, and he could earn himself regular snaps on offense if he can be more consistent as a blocker. Evan Engram leads the Broncos' tight end room, so Joly is set to compete against Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins for snaps as the TE2 and in 12-man personnel
The Denver Broncos have selected TE Justin Joly with the No. 152 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Denver Broncos were a popular team to take a tight end in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, they waited until the fifth round and got a steal in Joly. He could have a role as a rookie and eventually replace Evan Engram as the team's top receiving tight end
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