Future Broncos: 3 Prospects To Watch In Week 10 Of Ncaa Football Season

Week 10 of the NCAA Football season is upon us. After a multi-week hiatus from talking prospects to give my thoughts on the NFL trade deadline and last week’s mock draft—it’s back to the grind to highlight some options for the Denver Broncos in the 2027 NFL Draft. For this installment, I decided to make it focused on defense.

Jaylen McClain — Safety — Ohio State

The Broncos have gone through a lot of injuries in their secondary this season. Multiple starters at cornerback and safety have missed a few games. They’ve had to really embrace the next man up mentality in their defensive backfield.

Even so, they have performed well as a unit. However, the future of the group is uncertain with a handful of players scheduled to be free agents at the end of the season. We all know General Manager George Paton loves drafting defensive backs. With nine picks in this year’s draft, I have no doubt at least one of them will go to the backend of the Broncos’ defense.

Just to be clear, I’m not advocating for drafting a safety with a premium selection. However, Future Broncos serves as an exercise to highlight good prospects that fit the team at any position of need. One player that is flying up draft boards is Ohio State safety Jaylen McClain.

As a freshman, McClain (6’0”, 203 pounds) appeared in fifteen games for the National Champion Buckeyes and posted 15 tackles. Last season as a sophomore, he earned a starting role in their secondary. He didn’t disappoint and notched 53 tackles and allowed just a 67-percent passer rating when targeted.

This season, he has improved even more. Through eight games, the junior safety has posted 37 tackles, 1 sack, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. The big play aspect of the game [forcing turnovers] that was missing earlier in his career finally has started to show out.

Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia deploys McClain in a variety of fashions. He has the athleticism and talent to be a true centerfield type safety in the NFL. He doesn’t just excel in coverage; McClain is aggressive against the run and has been disruptive when used on blitzes.

Does that sound like a player that would fit Denver’s’ defense? Absolutely. Though I question whether or not Denver would make the premium investment it would take to select him if he declares. He seems like a sure-fire Top 50 pick. You can catch McClain in action when the #11 ranked Buckeyes host Oregon this afternoon.

Sebastian Cheeks — Edge Rusher — Wisconsin

Prospect development certainly isn’t linear. Sometimes it takes a few seasons for players to hit their stride to showcase their potential to play at the next level. Wisconsin fifth-year senior edge rusher Sebastian Cheeks is one of those players.

Cheeks (6’3”, 243 pounds) spent his first two years at North Carolina where his impact was limited to just 11 games due to a shoulder injury. In 2024, he transferred to the Badgers in order to get more playing time and try to revitalize his collegiate career. He played in 23 games in his first two seasons with Wisconsin but was still mostly a backup.

This season, Cheeks has been dominant after earning a starting role. In fact, he is looking like one of the best pass rushers in the entire nation. In eight games, Cheeks has notched 31 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He is currently posting an impressive 23.9% pressure rate—the best of any draft eligible defender in this class.

My biggest question mark with him is how well he set the edge as a run defender in the pros at his size. It’s not necessarily a liability now, but it may be going up against NFL talent every Sunday. While I do think the Broncos have much larger and immediate needs than edge rusher, but you can never have enough pass rushers. If Cheeks keeps dominating, he will easily be a Day 2 pick half a year down the road. You can catch Cheeks in action this afternoon when the Badgers host Rutgers.

A.J. Holmes Jr. — Defensive Lineman — Texas Tech

The Broncos certainly have one of the deepest defensive lines in the National Football League. Whether or not Denver opts to invest significant draft capital next Spring remains to be seen. They have utilized third-round picks the past two drafts to bolster the unit’s long-term potential.

However, Eyioma Uwazurike is a free agent and D.J. Jones carries a hefty cap hit for a player that sees only 40-percent of the defensive snaps. Winning in the trenches is a formula for success. I’m a strong advocate of always adding firepower to the offensive and defensive lines. A prospect that has made a monumental impact this collegie season is Texas Tech defensive lineman A.J. Holmes Jr.

Holmes Jr. (6’3”, 300 pounds) spent his first three seasons at Houston. A reserve and depth player for his first two years, he was 12-game starter for them in 2024 and posted 40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. In 2025, he transferred to Texas Tech for more exposure and to get on the radar of NFL scouts and general managers.

He started the season as a backup for Joey McGuire’s squad but finished out the last eight games of the year as a starter in the Red Raiders’ defense. He had a quality season and posted 38 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, with 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble.

This season, Holmes is playing the best ball of his life with the Red Raiders. At the midway point of the season, he already has 25 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. He leads all interior defensive lineman in the nation with a whopping 33 quarterback pressures.

His physical traits may not be elite. Though he makes up for them with an incredible motor, feisty demeanor on the field, and having a wide variety of pass rushing moves. He lines up all over their defensive front and is just as disruptive going up against tackles as he is interior offensive linemen.

If Holmes Jr. continues to play this great, he will certainly be an All-American and a good bet to be selected in the Top 50 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. You can catch Holmes in action tonight when the 13th ranked Red Raiders host West Virginia.