The last NFL season couldn’t have gone better for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos swallowed their medicine in the form of a sizable cap hit by moving on from the disastrous Russell Wilson experiment and, in turn, found a quarterback to build around in rookie Bo Nix.

Now, Sean Payton’s tenure in Denver can really start to pick up steam. With a quarterback in place and much more financial flexibility than a year ago, it is time for the proud franchise to build a team capable of challenging the kings of the AFC West for the past nine consecutive seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs.

With their own first-round pick, slated at 20th overall, and seven picks in total, the Broncos are positioned to address needs and add further talent to a young roster. Read on for an outlook on the Denver Broncos’ 2025 NFL Draft.

Denver Broncos Needs & Draft Strategy

Due to financial restraints following Russell Wilson’s release and draft limitations after the initial haul of picks sent to the Seattle Seahawks to acquire the former Pro Bowl passer, the Denver Broncos’ roster is lacking some foundational pieces.

They have a few on both sides of the ball, including the Defensive Player of the Year in Patrick Surtain II, but the state of the Broncos’ roster suggests they should take the “best player available” approach. That said, a few needs stand out above the rest.

Chief among those needs is a position Sean Payton has utilized to historic heights previously. After Greg Dulcich’s mid-season trade and Adam Trautman’s pending free agency, the Broncos will be eag

er to find a starting caliber tight end to pair with Bo Nix.

Denver’s patchwork tight end corps, with Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull rounding out the quartet, combined to total just 51 catches, 283 yards, and five touchdowns in 2024. If it successfully identifies a successor at tight end in the draft, that rookie could very well surpass those numbers on their own.

Sticking with the offense and the idea of bolstering the talent around Nix, wide receiver becomes Denver’s second-biggest need. Cortland Sutton had a strong season and remains underrated, but he’s best served as a No. 2 option. Headed into his age-30 season and with a history of injuries, the downturn of Sutton’s career seems closer than anticipated.

Counting on further development from Marvin Mims — who finally emerged down the stretch of his sophomore year — and Troy Franklin, who showed little as a rookie, would be a disservice to Nix. Expect the Broncos to be aggressive in adding a receiver to the mix.

Third on the list of Denver’s draft needs is on the other side of the ball, at safety, where they have yet to replace the departed Justin Simmons. With a glaring hole at strong safety and free safety Brandon Jones headed into free agency, the Broncos can freely scout the position and take the best player available — regardless of role.

With Surtain locking down one side of the field, a rookie safety’s life would be made considerably easier. Adding a high-level rookie to one of the league’s best defenses in 2024 would be a major boost for a Broncos team eager to take the next step forward.

Potential Denver Broncos Draft Picks 2025

There’s a clear ideal first pick for the Denver Broncos: Penn State’s Tyler Warren. He’s the best tight end in the draft by a wide margin and the latest in a line of pro-ready tight ends entering the league.

Pairing Warren with not only a dynamic quarterback in Bo Nix but also a head coach who has consistently maximized tight end production in Sean Payton would be a home-run way to kick off the draft for Denver.

At receiver, we know Payton values versatile talents capable of filling multiple roles across the position. In that mold, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka seems like a natural fit—an experienced, polished rookie who could make an immediate impact, much like Nix did at quarterback last year.

If Denver gets jumped for Warren and pivots to wide receiver in the first round, Missouri’s Luther Burden III represents an incredibly tantalizing prospect for Payton to develop.

Finally, at safety, it’s likely that the top prospects will be off the board by the time Denver shifts focus from offense to defense. That’s perfectly fine, as a trio of physical players — Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts, Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman Jr., and Penn State’s Kevin Winston Jr. — should still be available on Day Two and could step in as rookie starters.