Denver Broncos' NFL Draft Strategy: Cap Space & Rookie Costs

0:00It's April 22nd. Welcome to NFL News Today, powered by AI and Ready for Kickoff. Denver Broncos heading into the 2026 NFL Draft with over $18 million in salary cap space. Projections from over the cap.com put it at $18 million, $782,088, while SpotTracks says $19 million, $668,720. That's solid breathing room for a team looking to build. Rookies will take a bite out of that, but not as big as it seems. SpotTrack figures the draft class cap hit at about $7 million, $492,153. Thing is, only the top 51 contracts count against the cap in the off season, so the real net hit drops way down. Fans might freak thinking the whole pool eats up cash, but check this. A 60-second overall pick hits $1.416 million. Bumping out a current guy like White Receiver Michael Bandy had $1 million, $85,000.

1:01Net cost there? Just $331,000. Fourth rounders add a bit more, but lower picks barely register. Overall, that draft pool nets out closer to $400,000 against the cap. They'll grab undrafted free agents with tiny hits, and smart to save space for in-season moves or injured reserve spots this fall. Any leftover rolls over to 2027, keeping Denver flexible to stack talent without sweating the cap too hard.