Biggest Winners of Denver Broncos Rookie Minicamp

Denver Broncos rookie minicamp is in the books. The coaching staff had its first opportunity to get hands on the draft class and 13 college free-agent signings the Broncos made.

This was a camp, but it wasn't a training camp. There was no contact and the time spent on the field was relatively limited.

Still, there were a few big winners coming out of the weekend. Let's talk about them.

Caleb Lohner | TE

Lohner isn't a rookie, but since he spent his actual rookie season entirely on the practice squad, he still qualified as a "first-year" player. He was the talk of the town this weekend.

"I’ll tell you who stood out, Caleb," head coach Sean Payton said on Saturday. "He looks entirely different in this camp. Now he was here in this camp a year ago as a draft pick, but he stood out.”

Lohner had become almost an afterthought in the post-draft projections of the Broncos' tight end competition. With 2026 draft picks Justin Joly and Dallen Bentely hitting the roster, along with incumbents Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, and Lucas Krull, it was hard to see both rookies making the 53-man roster, but with Lohner potentially emerging on a serious level, the position is even more fraught.

It's going to be a fun summer seeing how the tight end position shapes up. At 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, though, if Lohner really has turned a corner, he could be a massive feather in Payton and Bo Nix's hat this year, especially as a red-zone weapon.

Jonah Coleman | RB

Payton's first impression of Coleman was positive. The Broncos head coach was obviously relieved to see his rookie running back in good physical condition, which was a concern surrounding Coleman in the draft process because of his history of weight fluctuation.

"He’s in good shape," Payton said of Coleman. "There are certain things you want to, when you’re in this type of drill setting, you want to give him. Then he’s picked it up well. He’s looked really good.”

Coleman looked good out there. His jump-cut is a thing to behold, and it's going to be fun to see how the Broncos work their fourth-round rookie into the running back rotation.

Dasan McCullough | OLB

Many Broncos fans might not be aware of McCullough, but the Broncos signed him as a college free agent out of Nebraska. He had five sacks as a senior last season, and Payton once coached his father, Deland McCullough, who was a running back.

Of Dasan, Payton said, "We're excited."

It's a tough year to try breaking into the Broncos' rush linebacker depth chart, but that's what Dondrea Tillman did two years back. McCullough wasn't drafted but he has a pedigree, and landed with a head coach who has a connection to his father. It's up to Dasan to make the most of it.

Tyler Onyedim | DL

Payton would be the first one to say that the format of rookie minicamp doesn't favor defensive or offensive linemen, but Onyedim — the Broncos' first draft pick this year — has made a good impression thus far.

“Good. Good size, real good personality. Those guys have the toughest job," Payton said of Onyedim. "The offensive and defensive linemen in these camps, we talk about staying up. The closer to the ball you are, the more challenging this kind of practice format is. They are the ones that it just gets easier when the pads get on.”

Onyedim is a high-floor defensive lineman who could project right away as a first and second-down replacement for John Franklin-Myers in the starting lineup, though he'll face competition from incumbents Eyioma Uwazurike and Sai'vion Jones, not to mention Malcolm Roach. Onyedim was one of the elite run-defending trenchmen of this draft class.

Nathan Peterman & E.J. Warner | QB

Both quarterbacks made a great impression over the weekend, plying their wares on a tryout basis as Broncos rookie minicamp. It's unclear whether the Broncos plan to sign either of them, but there could be a need for one more quarterback with Bo Nix's injury timeline expected to stretch into June's OTAs.

The Broncos will need an extra quarterback, if Nix indeed misses any on-field work, during OTAs to keep the third-team offense fed. To be clear, though, Payton said that there's a good chance Nix will be out on the grass at some point in June, but he stopped short of guaranteeing a specific date.

Peterman is a vet who's been in the NFL since 2017, though he spent all of 2025 out of the NFL. Warner is an undrafted rookie and is the son of Hall-of-Fame quarterback Kurt Warner. Peterman was impressive, as he should be, over the weekend, but Payton also said some really complimentary things about Warner.

For Denver, it really comes down to need. If the Broncos don't sign one of Peterman or Warner, it means they're not really expecting Nix to miss any time in June, so Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger will be enough to facilitate reps across the roster.

If the Broncos do sign one of them, we can safely surmise that Nix will miss a few reps in June.

Michael Woods II | WR

Woods was in Denver for a tryout, and the Broncos liked what they saw, signing the former Cleveland Browns draft pick on Monday. Woods will get the chance to compete in OTAs and training camp, barring something unforeseen.

Keep an eye on the 6-foot-1, 204-pound Woods, who spent 2025 on the Green Bay Packers' practice squad.

Paul Manning | CB

The undrafted rookie out of Henderson State was invited to Broncos rookie minicamp for a tryout, and he was equal to his opportunity. The Broncos signed Manning on Monday, per 9NEWS' Mike Klis, and in a corresponding move, waived undrafted rookie William Wright.

Manning stands at 6-foot-0 and 188 pounds.

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