There's just something about the Denver Broncos and the Utah Utes.
On Saturday, Utah tight end Dallen Bentley became the latest Ute to join the Broncos after being selected with the second-to-last pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In Colorado, Bentley will feel right at home. Not only will he join four former Utes — offensive tackle Garett Bolles , outside linebacker Jonah Elliss , linebacker Karene Reid and fellow tight end Caleb Lohner — but he'll also be returning to the state where he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A late bloomer, Bentley played only five snaps of varsity football at Taylorsville High during his senior season before suffering an injury that ended his high school career.
Post-high school, he served his mission and when he returned, he decided he wanted to give football another shot, walking onto Snow College's team.
"Served an LDS mission, I come back, my cousin said, 'Hey, you want to go try out?' And so I said, 'Might as well, might as well try,' so we both went over there. Walked on over there, coaches loved us," Bentley said in 2025.
Bentley quickly earned a scholarship at Snow, where he snagged eight receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns in his lone season in Ephraim. A look at the film revealed his potential at the tight end position, and Utah, the school he grew up a fan of, was interested. So were Colorado, Washington and Louisville.
Bentley chose to stay home and be developed by tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham, but before he had his breakout season at the Power Four level, there were a few more bumps along the way.
In 2023, Bentley suffered an injury that kept him off the field for the majority of the season, and he didn't catch his first pass until the Las Vegas Bowl.
In 2024, expectations were that Bentley would have an increased role in the offense as TE2 behind Brant Kuithe , but he had only two receptions for 15 yards the entire season.
In 2025, everything came together for the tight end who has had anything but a typical football journey. Bentley emerged as Utah's top tight end, catching 48 passes for 620 yards and six touchdowns, and he also grew as a blocker.
He polished off his college career with his most productive game of the season — six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown — in Utah's Las Vegas Bowl win over Nebraska.
"He's just kept taking steps forward and becoming more and more familiar and comfortable in the position, playing with a lot of confidence, catching the ball well, running great routes, blocking well," tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham said in 2025 . "So I just think for him it's been opportunity mixed with additional experience."
Bentley built on his positive 2025 season with a good showing at the NFL combine and Utah's pro day, including a 4.62-second 40-yard dash time that ranked eighth among tight ends.
While he had to sweat it out until the second-to-last selection Saturday, Bentley accomplished his goal of being drafted, becoming the third Ute to be selected in the 2026 draft (fourth if you count former Ute tight end Carsen Ryan, who transferred to BYU ahead of the 2025 season).
"With Bentley, there's a more inline 'Y' (tight end), bigger. He does a great job down the field," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Saturday.
The path to sticking on the Broncos active roster is a tough one for Bentley, as Evan Engram , Adam Trautman and 2026 fifth-round pick Justin Joly will start the offseason ahead of him on the depth chart.
The Broncos had the final two picks of the draft, and were deciding who to make "Mr. Irrelevant," the title given to the final draft selection, out of Bentley and Buffalo linebacker Red Murdock.
Each year, "Mr Irrelevant" is treated to a week in Newport Beach, California, including a trip to Disneyland and a banquet in their honor.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is the most famous "Mr. Irrelevant," proving that even the last pick of the draft can go on to have a great career.
In the end, the Broncos decided to make Murdock "Mr. Irrelevant," though Bentley could also participate in festivities, as Denver general manager George Paton said that "Irrelevant Week" will fly both players out.
"When we talked to Bentley, he's vice president Mr. Irrelevant, so if there's anything that Murdock can't handle, then the two of them," Payton said.
Dane Brugler, The Athletic : "A zone monster, Bentley has a great feel for urgently sitting down, securing the catch and then finding hidden yards as a tough-to-finish runner. He is highly efficient in his snatch-and-go body mechanics, although that focus doesn't carry over to crowded catch points (low success rate in contested windows).
"He did a better job playing to his size as a run blocker in 2025, but his uneven technique leads to sustain issues and execution lapses."
Jeff Legwold, ESPN: "The second tight end in the Broncos' draft class, Bentley went from three receptions in his first two seasons combined at Utah to 48 this past season. He's a physical player who has the length at 6-foot-4 to make things difficult for defenders and did not have a drop in 2025.
"Bentley is a willing blocker with good strength and his ability to hold the edge should improve with better technique with his hands and in his footwork."
Josh Edwards, CBS Sports : "Grade: B. Bentley has good size and will try to run over anyone in his path post-catch."
