No, Denver is probably not drafting a TE or a LB with pick 30. I have data to back it up.

I scraped pro football reference and aggregated each lick by round in the Sean Payton era - both NO and DEN. The trends obvious and intentional. We will not be taking a tight end and probably will not be taking a LB.

Saints (2006–11, 2013–21)

Broncos (2023–25)

108 total picks

|Position|R1 |R2 |R3 |R4 |R5 |R6 |R7 |Total |

|:-------|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:----:|

|DB |5 |5 |5 |2 |4 |4 |0 |**25**|

|OL |3 |2 |2 |3 |2 |2 |4 |**18**|

|LB |1 |2 |5 |3 |2 |0 |3 |**16**|

|DL |5 |0 |3 |1 |3 |2 |1 |**15**|

|WR |2 |2 |2 |1 |1 |1 |4 |**13**|

|RB |2 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |2 |**9** |

|QB |1 |0 |1 |1 |0 |0 |2 |**5** |

|**TE** |0 |0 |2 |0 |0 |0 |2 |**4** |

|K/P |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |2 |0 |**3** |

TE note: In 18 seasons he has never drafted a tight end before round 3. The two R3 picks are Jimmy Graham (2010) and Adam Trautman (2020). R7 picks are Alize Mack and Caleb Lohner.

LB note: The lone R1 LB is Stephone Anthony (2015, #31 overall) — out of the league in 3 years. Both R2 LBs came from that same 2015 draft: Hau’oli Kikaha (tore his ACL three times, barely played) and Pete Werner (2021, functional but unremarkable). That draft almost certainly explains why he’s stayed away from premium LB capital ever since. His R3 approach has aged far better — Hendrickson and Baun are both R3 Saints picks who became elite pass rushers.