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9NEWS’ Mike Klis writes that Joly “clearly” could use a redshirt year, which isn’t exactly great news for his dynasty prospects. We’ll see if another team wants to take a chance on him rather than letting him join Denver’s practice squad. Joly was a fifth-round pick this past year and it’s rare for teams to cut picks this early, but Denver’s roster is loaded.

Joly earned first-team All-ACC honors while leading NC State with 49 receptions and seven receiving touchdowns last year. It will be tough for him to earn snaps in year one, with veteran TE Evan Engram in-house, but Joly could compete for a starting role in the long run.

Joly (6’4/241) spent two years at UConn, breaking out in the second with a 52/578/2 receiving line. He then transferred to NC State and upped the ante again with 661 yards and four scores on 43 catches as a junior. Joly’s efficiency plummeted in 2025 and he turned six extra catches into 172 fewer yards, though he did score a career-high seven times. Joly doesn’t have one trait that sticks out as elite, but he can do a lot of things well. He navigates traffic after the catch well but is also aggressive at the catch point, having brought down 66 percent of his career contested targets. The Broncos add Joly as a potential long-term starter in a busy tight end room.

He will meet with the Panthers today and the other two teams next week. Joly has already had top-30 visits with the Bills, Broncos and Chiefs. Joly, 21, was an efficient player at both UConn (2022-2023) and NC State (2024-2025). He caught 47-of-66 targets for 468 yards and seven touchdowns last year, leading his team in both targets and receptions. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranks him fifth in the 2026 rookie class, positionally.

The Broncos’ endless quest to find a Joker tight end for head coach Sean Payton continues. Joly, 21, caught 47-of-66 targets for 468 yards and seven touchdowns in his final college season. He played for UConn from 2022 to 2023 before transferring to NC State in 2024. Joly intriguingly demonstrated remarkable consistency on a per-route basis, averaging between 1.80 and 1.93 yards per route run in regular season play each year. Denver Post’s Luca Evans notes that the Broncos are “doing work” on the incoming tight end class.