If there’s a position an undrafted free agent might be able to make the 53-man roster for the Denver Broncos in 2026, it’s almost certainly at off-ball linebacker.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport predicts 1 highly-valued UDFA for the Broncos will do just that in Taurean York, who received a franchise-record $325,000 after going undrafted — the most money the Broncos have ever paid for a UDFA.
“There is a path to the 53-man roster for the talented but undersized former Texas A&M standout,” Davenport wrote on July 23. “If there’s a weak spot on Denver’s stout defense this year, it’s at off-ball linebacker, where Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are the projected starters. York isn’t going to push those veterans, but if he can show some special teams chops, he has a solid chance to be on Denver’s Week 1 roster.”
For the Broncos, York providing depth at a position group where none currently exists would be invaluable.
‘Monster’ Taurean York Popular Pick to Make Roster
The Broncos may have landed a couple of gems at off-ball linebacker in the final round of the 2026 NFL Draft and their group of undrafted rookie free agents shortly after.
Not only have the Broncos received praise for the final pick of the 2026 NFL draft — “Mr. Irrelevant” at No. 257 overall — with Buffalo inside linebacker Red Murdock, but also for signing York.
Davenport singled York out as 1 of the NFL’s “Most Exciting” undrafted free agents in May.
York signed a 3-year, $3.125 million contract that included a $25,000 bonus and $325,000 in guaranteed money — the most guaranteed money for any UDFA in the NFL in 2026.
“York is on the small side, but in all three of his seasons with the Aggies, he had at least 70 tackles and averaged 8.5 tackles for loss in college,” Davenport wrote. “At the very least, York has considerable special teams appeal, and current Denver ‘green dot’ linebacker Alex Singleton was also a UDFA.”
York Chose Denver Broncos Over Detroit Lions
York had options as a priority free agent after he went undrafted, picking the Broncos over the Detroit Lions.
The 5-foot-10, 226-pound York was a stats machine in 3 seasons at Texas A&M. The Temple, Texas, native racked up 229 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 7 pass deflections, and a whopping 25.5 tackles for loss on the way to being named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2023 and an All-SEC pick in 2025.
He also put up solid numbers at the NFL scouting combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds and knocked out 25 reps in the 225-pound bench press — to the uninitiated, that means he’s a very, very strong human.
In college, York was also a teammate of the Broncos’ 1st pick in the draft and a possible plug-and-play starter as a rookie with 3rd-round pick Tyler Onyedim.
“Oh man,” KOA Denver’s Alex Rodriguez wrote on his official X account. “Broncos may have gotten a monster in Texas A&M LB Taurean York. Denver may have done it again in the UDFA game.”
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein predicted York as a 6th or 7th round pick in his pre-draft analysis.
“York is a defensive quarterback who aligns the front and leads by example with all-day urgency,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s compact with thick thighs and good play strength … he’s in constant ‘trigger and close’ mode but needs better diagnostic patience to avoid missed run fits … Linebackers with York’s size/length typically face uphill roster climbs, but his tape appears good enough to warrant a backup role with instant special-teams value.”
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