The Denver Broncos are evaluating how to improve their team this offseason in order to make the Super Bowl leap. Right now, the Broncos are dealing with some turnover on the coaching staff, but their scouting department has been hard at work on the 2026 NFL draft class.Â
Mock draft season is upon us. Like Denver Broncos On SI, NFL.com has released a few mock drafts, with Eric Edholm dropping his first mock of 2026. Edholm does good work, and he selected a player at a position Broncos Country has been begging for over the past few years, mocking Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday to Denver at pick No. 30.Â
“Golday could sneak into Round 1 if he tests well at the combine. He’s a do-it-all linebacker with range, hustle and instincts, and the Broncos could use one more three-down difference-maker up front, even as good as their defense already is,” Edholm wrote.
What Golday Brings to the Table
Oct 11, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jake Golday (11) attempts to tackle UCF Knights quarterback Cam Fancher (14) in the second half at Nippert Stadium. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Golday is going to be an interesting prospect to follow throughout the draft process. While he is viewed as a great prospect, the NFL Scouting Combine will be big for him with his measurements, but the athletic testing will be even more critical for him.
When watching Golday’s tape, his range, instincts, and playmaking ability are obvious. He’s had some coverage hiccups, but from a technical standpoint, if he is 6-foot-4 and has good length, he would fit the modern mold and help eliminate throwing windows in the NFL. Despite those technical flaws, there is still a lot to like about his coverage potential.Â
As a run defender, Golday has shown he can read the blocking and slip through to make a play or take on blocks. He is unafraid of contact, which isn’t true for all linebackers, and takes blockers on with good technique, and can even slip by to still make the play.Â
There is a lot to like with Golday, and he is praised for his intangibles on and off the field. If he tests well athletically, it would be a shock if he didn’t go in the first round, and he could even go before the Broncos are on the clock at No. 30.Â
Fits a Current Roster Need
September 7, 2025: Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton (49) and Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) celebrate a sack in the second half of the football game between the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans. | Derek Regensburger / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
The Broncos’ need for a linebacker is evident, with Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad both set to hit free agency. Adding to it is the injury issues Dre Greenlaw had last year, and even when he was on the field, his play wasn’t great most of the time.Â
The Broncos also have a group of undrafted linebackers they’ve been developing, but since they haven’t been seen on the field since the preseason, it’s hard to put much stock in them earning, let alone handling, a starting job. If the Broncos re-sign Singleton or Strnad, both of whom will likely be looking for a starting job either in Denver or elsewhere, it would only slightly impact the team’s need at linebacker.
While the Broncos have many needs, there may be no bigger hole than at linebacker, given their impending free agents. With some of those other needs, the Broncos at least have some options on the roster, but losing a starting linebacker and the primary backup who started a lot last season, Golday would sure make a lot of sense if he’s there at No. 30 overall.
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