The Broncos’ active Saturday produced more than 2024 draft picks.
Denver also acquired veteran defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers from the New York Jets in exchange for a future draft pick, head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton confirmed after the draft concluded Saturday.
The Broncos are sending a sixth-round pick in 2026 to New York in return, a source confirmed.
Franklin-Myers has started all but one game for New York over the past three seasons. The 27-year-old has 19.5 career sacks to his name and has logged 18 tackles for loss over the past three seasons as a starter.
“He’s a player we’ve always respected,” Paton said. “He’s durable. He’s started three straight years and hasn’t missed a game. Four straight years of 54-plus pressures. He can play all down the line of scrimmage. One thing that sticks out on tape is just the relentless motor this guy plays with. We were excited to get him.”
The Jets felt they had to move him because he had big salary cap numbers the next two seasons, but Denver worked out a restructured deal for him as part of the trade, a source confirmed.
Franklin-Myers will sign a two-year deal worth $15 million ($10 million guaranteed) that comes with a $4 million signing bonus, a source said.
Franklin-Myers arrived in Denver on Saturday to take his physical and then is expected to sign his new contract Sunday.
“He’s a productive player. He’s disruptive,” Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey said. “So any time we can add guys up front, we want to do that. He’s a really good player.”
The trade was multiple weeks in the making and now Franklin-Myers likely steps in as a starter along with Zach Allen and D.J. Jones up front. Denver’s also added free agents Malcolm Roach and Angelo Blackson this spring and signed Rashard Lawrence to a futures deal earlier in the offseason, meaning they’ve essentially remade the defensive line group around Allen and Jones.
“We wanted to be better against the run and we went and got Roach,” Paton said. “Then we signed Blackson, another big run-stuffer, and then made the trade for ‘JFM.’ They’re not only good against the run but they can push the pocket. All these guys play really hard and they have great football character.”
Payton said the emphasis on adding from the pro ranks was in part because they saw the draft class of defensive tackles as lighter than usual.
“You take that into account when you’re forecasting where you might be right now,” the coach said.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
