The Denver Broncos traded up and took NC State tight end Justin Joly with the 152nd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 25, 2026, adding a pass-catching threat at a position they needed to address. Joly, who had been projected as a potential Day 2 selection, fell into the fifth round before Denver moved to get him.
The fit is clear. Evan Engram is set to be the Broncos’ main pass-catching tight end, while Adam Trautman is expected to start as the blocking specialist, leaving Joly to compete for snaps and a possible red-zone role. Denver got the receiving help it wanted a little later than expected, but it landed a player viewed by draft analyst Dane Brugler as his TE5 with a third- or fourth-round grade.
Joly brings the profile that helped make him one of the more intriguing tight ends in the class. He is a versatile pass catcher and a three-level threat because of his athleticism, ball skills and upside. He is a good-sized athlete who can drop his weight at the top of routes and uncover with foot quicks and savvy, and he has large, strong hands that have helped him develop into a ball winner.
He is not a finished product as a blocker, but he does compete and has the coordination to stay attached. What he lacks is the body power to dominate at the point of attack. That is why he is viewed as ideally suited to a move tight end role in a 12-personnel offense, built in the mold of Jonnu Smith rather than as a traditional in-line hammer.
For Denver, the calculation is straightforward. The Broncos needed another pass-catching threat at tight end, and Joly gives them one with a clearer receiving ceiling than many late-round picks. He arrived later than anticipated, but the upside is still the reason the pick matters.