Broncos Undrafted Rookie Spotlight: Luke Basso brings fresh competition to special teams spot

The Denver Broncos have been keen on adding players who spent their college days at Oregon since drafting quarterback Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Since then, former Nix teammates Alex Forsyth and Troy Franklin have also been drafted. 

Following the 2026 draft, the Broncos added another former Duck in long snapper Luke Basso. Basso put together a solid career at Oregon after starring in high school in Oregon. He came out of high school as one of the top-rated long snappers in the country. 

Long snappers are almost never going to be drafted, but it is a position that can't be overlooked. These are the players charged with snapping the ball on every field goal and punt and though you rarely hear their names called by the announcers, it is a specific trait that a player has to be really good at. 

Source says long snapper Luke Basso, an undrafted free agent from Oregon, has signed his deal with the #Broncos. He gets a $7,500 signing bonus as well as a $20,000 contract guarantee for a total guarantee of $27,500

The Broncos have not given Mitchell Fraboni much in the way of competition during his time with the team, but he will be pushed this summer. Fraboni joined the Broncos in 2022 and has been the team's full-time long snapper for the past three seasons. The Broncos signed him to a three-year extension last March. 

Basso has youth on his side as he is six years younger than Fraboni, but Fraboni's experience at the professional level will be difficult to edge out. This is a competition that will largely take place behind the scenes, in the heat of practices at training camp, but it's a true competition nonetheless. 

Chances to make final 53-man roster (1-10 scale): 4

The fact that Basso is competing against just one other player, rather than multiple, gives him one of the best chances of any undrafted rookie to make this year's team. But with that said, we can't sell Fraboni short. 

Fraboni has been a steady long snapper for the Broncos and has not missed a game in the last three seasons, playoffs included. It's often a thankless position, but he does the little things that factor in greatly towards the big things. 

Basso will have a legitimate chance to come in and take his job, but he will have to routinely outperform him in practices and preseason games. He will have to clearly win the competition, as the team will almost certainly just ride with Fraboni if it's even close. 

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If nothing else, Basso can get his name out there and be a future option for the Broncos or any other team in the league looking to improve their long snapper position. 

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