ESPN prediction sends Broncos the top tight end in free agency

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Mar 1, 2026 - 17:25

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ESPN prediction sends Broncos the top tight end in free agency originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With the NFL free-agent market just over one week away from opening up for the 2026 season, teams are making final preparations for the players they intend to sign.

Last year, the Denver Broncos prioritized signing a tight end, landing Evan Engram on a two-year deal. After failing to have the impact many thought he would on the team's offense last year, the Broncos could be looking at a tight end again this year.

Ahead of this year's scouting combine, Josh Edwards of CBS Sports stated that the Broncos' biggest need this offseason is a tight end. Whether you agree with that or not, George Paton and Sean Payton could be looking for more depth behind Engram as Adam Trautman is also scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent.

Broncos predicted to sign top tight end in free agency

Aaron Schatz of ESPN recently discussed one free-agent signing for each NFL team and he has the Broncos grabbing Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton.

"Tight end is a clear need for the Broncos, so why not sign a bigger name such as David Njoku? Because the Broncos already have a receiving-first tight end in Evan Engram, and they need a No. 1 tight end who is also a strong run blocker. That's Otton. He's also useful as a receiver when needed, with 1,172 receiving yards and five touchdowns over the past two seasons", wrote Schatz.

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com recently ranked the top 101 free agents available on this year's market and Otton is his No. 1 tight end.

Welcome to Cade Otton Island, where you can run any offense you want while never giving an inch in the run game. In our growing two-tight end world, every NFL team needs an Otton", wrote Rosenthal.

Otton is the kind of player that Payton would love for his offense. Payton values tight ends who excel as blockers, but he gives much more upside in the passing game than most blocking tight ends in the league. A fourth-round pick in 2022 out of Washington, Otton has 207 receptions for 2,018 yards and 11 touchdowns in his four-year career.

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Though tight end may not be the Broncos' top offseason priority, landing a player like Otton would make plenty of sense for this team.