The Denver Broncos landed 2 compensatory picks in the 7th round of the 2026 NFL draft thanks to losing a pair of free agents — running back Javonte Williams and punter Riley Dixon — in 2025.
That those picks are the final 2 in the 7th round means they’ll have this year’s “Mr. Irrelevant” pick — the nickname given to the final pick in the draft since 1976.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter predicts the Broncos will think way, way outside the box with the final pick — No. 257 overall — by taking Kenyan rugby star Josh Weru, who has never played American football.
Weru, 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, projects as an edge rusher. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds and recorded a 41-inch vertical leap at an HBCU Pro Day Showcase.
“Skyler Fulton, the head of the NFL’s IPP program, told The Athletic this week that he anticipates that both (Uar) Bernard and another IPP D-lineman, Josh Weru, a 6-4 1/2, 244-pound edge rusher who jumped 41 1/2 inches and broad-jumped 11-2, will get picked on the draft’s third day,” The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman wrote on April 3.
NFL Draft Analyst Tags Weru as 7th Round or UDFA
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicts Weru will be either a 7th-round pick or land with an NFL team as an undrafted free agent.
“Weru’s pro day results and field workout should capture the attention of evaluators hungry to mold an explosive athlete,” Zierlein wrote. “While the former rugby player has no football background, his time in rugby should give him a bit of a head-start on making the transition. He was very fluid in his workout, with loose hips and quick feet. He’s a natural bender with excellent speed and rare explosiveness in his hips. Teams won’t get a full sense of Weru’s potential until he’s competing in pads during camp, but given his athletic ability, it might take a late draft pick to get a seat at the table.”
The Broncos hosted Weru for an in-person visit on April 9.
“The Broncos will host the NFL International Player Pathway program’s Uar Bernard + Josh Weru on a 30 visit this week, per trainer Javon Gopie,” The Denver Post’s Luca Evans wrote on X on April 2. “The two worked out for a Broncos coach today in Florida. Denver doing a lot of homework on draft sleepers. Weru is doing pre-draft work with Javon Gopie, who trained Que Robinson pre-draft last year and works with Nik Bonitto every offseason. Weru has been watching Bonitto’s tape ‘all year,’ Gopie told me yesterday.”
Broncos Could Benefit From NFL Loophole
The Broncos could end up being the beneficiaries of an NFL loophole set up to funnel international players to the league as commissioner Roger Goodell continues his quest to make American football an international success.
“Similar to Bernard, Weru seems to be viewed as a late-round prospect (Denver holds three picks in the seventh round of this year’s draft),” Broncos Wire’s Jon Heath wrote on April 9. “As part of the NFL’s international player pathway program, clubs can carry an extra international player who does not count against the 90-man offseason roster limit. During the regular season, clubs can carry an international player who does not count against the 16-player practice squad limit.”
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