Yes, the Broncos still need a running back. But what they have done in free agency will give them plenty of flexibility in the NFL draft.

The Broncos entered free agency with glaring needs at inside linebacker, safety, tight end and running back. They filled the first three with the signings of Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Evan Engram, but have been in no hurry to land a runner.

That’s because the April 24-26 draft will be loaded with quality backs. The Broncos would figure to grab Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty in the unlikely event he is still around with their No. 20 pick and also could select North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton at that spot. But the depth at running back and how they did in the first week of free agency has put them in a good spot entering the draft.

“You don’t have to jam yourself into a running back (early),’’ said Mark Schlereth, a Fox NFL analyst who was a Broncos guard from 1995-2000. “You have the freedom to take the quote, unquote, best player available because you filled the needs that you had in free agency and this draft is loaded at running back.”

Schlereth, co-cost of “Breakfast Ball” on Fox Sports 1 and a game analyst for the network, sure likes how the Broncos have done in free agency.

“I really thought they did a great job,’’ he said.

SiriusXM NFL Radio analyst Ryan Harris, a Broncos tackle from 2007-10 and on their Super Bowl winning team in 2015, also lauded what Denver has done.

“I think it addressed some major needs,’’ said Harris, also a Westwood One NFL radio analyst and television analyst for Broncos preseason games. “I think it was targeted. I think it was exactly what you needed to find.”

Perhaps the only concerns with Denver’s marquee signings involve health. Greenlaw suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Super Bowl LVIII for San Francisco in February 2024 and returned to play two games last December for the 49ers. Then he missed the final two games of the season with a calf injury.

Hufanga suffered a torn ACL in Week 11 for San Francisco in 2023 before returning to play two games early last season for the 49ers and then suffering a torn ligament in his wrist. He did return to full health for the final five games.

Engram had a hamstring issue early last season for Jacksonville that cost him four games. He later underwent shoulder surgery and missed the final four games.

Despite their injury histories, Greenlaw got a three-year, $35 million deal, Hufanga a three-year, $45 million contract and Engram a two-year, $23 million deal. Assuming they stay healthy, all are expected to play major roles.

Schlereth called the 6-foot, 230-pound Greenlaw an “absolute maniac” with his ability to tackle and cover. He will replace Cody Barton, who signed a three-year, $21 million deal with Tennessee, and be paired as a starting linebacker with Alex Singleton, who was lost for the season after suffering a torn ACL in Week 3 of 2024 at Tampa Bay.

“You needed to find a linebacker,’’ Harris said. “Every organization looked at how you attack the middle of this (Broncos) defense. Dre Greenlaw is going to be able to change the throwing windows that quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes (of Kansas City) like so much, five to 10 yards off the ball.”

Greenlaw played for the 49ers the last six seasons and Hufanga the past four. Both were part of a unit that ranked No. 1 in the NFL in scoring and total defense in 2022.

Hufanga, a first-team All-Pro in 2022, is in line to be paired alongside safety Brandon Jones and replace in the lineup P.J. Locke, who remains under contract to Denver.

“He can bring guys down and cover tight ends,’’ said Nick Ferguson, a Broncos safety from 2003-07 and 49ers defensive assistant from 2018-19 who has followed Hufanga’s career closely. “He can fill the gap on running plays. He can blitz off the edge. He’ll give (defensive coordinator) Vance Joseph the versatility to do a lot of things.”

The Broncos reached agreement on deals with Greenlaw and Hufanga on Monday and they signed Thursday. Engram visited Denver on Monday, visited the Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday, committed to the Broncos on Wednesday and signed Thursday. Denver also signed a fourth outside free agent Thursday in wide receiver Trent Sherfield, brought in primarily for his ability on special teams.

Engram, an eight-year veteran, made his second career Pro Bowl in 2023 when he caught 114 passes, the second most by a tight end in NFL history, for 963 yards for the Jaguars. His statistics dipped to 47 catches for 365 yards in nine games during his injury-riddled 2024.

“(Broncos coach) Sean Payton always talks about the ‘Joker’ position, and I look at Evan Engram as a guy who fits that role,’’ Schlereth said of Payton having talked about the need to acquire a versatile playmaker. “He’s phenomenal across the board. He can literally line up at wide receiver. He can run the jet sweep.”

Harris expects Engram to “make a big impact” and said the Broncos “really haven’t had a tight end since Noah Fant.” Fant, after three solid years with the Broncos, was traded after the 2021 season to Seattle as part of the deal for quarterback Russell Wilson, who lasted two seasons with Denver. The Broncos dug out of the Wilson hole in 2024 with rookie quarterback Bo Nix, but all their tight ends combined to catch a meager 52 passes for 483 yards.

There was ample speculation before the landing of Engram that the Broncos could take a tight end in the first round of the draft. But now, with the free-agent signings and the depth available at running back, the Broncos, with seven overall picks, will have plenty of flexibility entering the draft.

“They can go into the draft and take the best player available, and they’ve got a lot of capital in the draft that can be used to make different moves,’’ Harris said.

What I’m hearing

–When the Broncos signed their three marquee free agents, Greenlaw was handed No. 57, which is what he wore with San Francisco. Hufanga was given No. 9 after having worn No. 29 for the 49ers and Engram got No. 1 after having No. 17 with the Jaguars. It remains to be seen if Hufanga might look into a possible deal with Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian, who currently has No. 29, or Engram might do the same with wide receiver Devaughn Vele, who has No. 17. One source called it a situation in which players “will work it out.”

–The Broncos last year reached a deal on a minimum contract to re-sign fullback Michael Burton before the start of the NFL’s new league year. Burton, 33, now is still a free agent after the new league year got underway last Wednesday. It remains to be seen if Burton, a 10-year veteran who played the past two years with Denver, will return. If Burton doesn’t, a source close to the situation expressed confidence tight end Nate Adkins could fill his role. Adkins, entering his third season, lined up at fullback on some occasions last season. If Adkins also has a fullback role in 2025, that could make it easier for the Broncos to keep four tight ends on the roster.

What I’m seeing

–Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers has been active on social media expressing a desire for a contract extension. When a reporter wrote on X not to forget extending outside linebacker Nik Bonitto this offseason, Franklin-Myers replied, “Or JFM.” He also has reposted messages related to other players getting extensions. After being acquired last April from the New York Jets, Franklin-Myers signed a new two-year, $15 million contract. In the last year of the deal, he on the books in 2025 for a $7.39 million base salary with a cap number of $10 million.

–Nix and wide receiver Courtland Sutton were among several Broncos players who watched the Nuggets’ 131-126 win Friday over the Los Angeles Lakers from a suite at Ball Arena. After the game, center DeAndre Jordan presented Nix and Sutton with Nuggets jerseys with their names on the back. Altitude Sports interviewed Nix during the game, and he made note of being in touch with Engram during the free agency process. “We were in contact throughout the whole deal,’’ Nix said. “But we’re excited for all of them (free agents).”

Top tight ends

A look at the most catches in a season by NFL tight ends:

Rank Year Player Catches Yards Team

1. 2018 Zach Ertz 118 1,163 Philadelphia

2. 2023 Evan Engram 114 963 Jacksonville

3. 2024 Brock Bowers 112 1,194 Las Vegas

4. 2024 Trey McBride 111 1,146 Arizona

T5. 2022 Travis Kelce 110 1,338 Kansas City

T5. 2012 Jason Witten 110 1,039 Dallas