Denver Broncos

Cancer survivor to announce Broncos' first-round pick at NFL Draft

Published Apr. 28, 2016 7:07 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

When the Denver Broncos go on the clock with the 31st overall pick on Thursday night, it won't be Roger Goodell announcing the pick. It will be a high school student from the Denver area, who is also a cancer survivor.

Daniel Hailpern will take the stage with Goodell for the final pick of the first round thanks to the help of Make-A-Wish Colorado. Back in February, Hailpern was in attendance for the Broncos' Super Bowl win, as well.

The biggest hurdle in Hailpern's battle with cancer came in 2014 when he underwent a bone-marrow transplant to save his life. Now, he's an inspiration for the Broncos and will fulfill a lifelong dream on Thursday night in Chicago.

"Make-A-Wish Colorado is beyond excited for Daniel's opportunity at the 2016 NFL Draft," Make-A-Wish Colorado's president/CEO Joan Mazak said in a statement. "We are so fortunate to have the support of the Denver Broncos and to partner with such a great organization to help fulfill the wishes of our football-loving kids."