As a lead-up to the 2025 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Denver Broncos.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2025 NFL Draft Hub.
Denver Broncos Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2025
- Running Back
- Wide Receiver
- Cornerback
What Picks Do the Denver Broncos Have in 2025?
The Denver Broncos have 7 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (20)
- Round 2 (51)
- Round 3 (85)
- Round 4 (122)
- Round 6 (191)
- Round 6 (197)
- Round 6 (208)
Preorder The Best Analytical 2025 Football Preview
Don't miss out on Warren Sharp's 500+ page preview of the 2025 NFL season.
The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.
This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to get you prepared for the 2025 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.
Preorder the 2025 Football Preview now!
Denver Broncos 2025 Draft Capital Stats
The Broncos have the 22nd-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.
Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
Denver Broncos Draft Value vs. Other Teams:
The Broncos’ draft value is 14% lower than the league average of all 32 teams.
Denver Broncos Draft Prediction:
Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Broncos to draft:
- Brendan Donahue's 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
- Ryan McCrystal's 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #8 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
Denver Broncos Strength of Schedule, 2025
The Denver Broncos have the 14th-easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2025 NFL season.
Denver Broncos Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Denver Broncos, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Depth Chart, Broncos:
- Bo Nix
- Jarrett Stidham
- Sam Ehlinger
Bo Nix closed his rookie year by throwing 29 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, adding 430 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground.
He capped a stellar rookie season by completing over 70% of his passes in each of the final three games and throwing multiple passing touchdowns in seven of the final eight games.
Sean Payton targeted Nix to mold in a proxy of his new version of Drew Brees with athleticism, and he set that plan in motion in year one.
There was an emphasis on having Nix get rid of the football.
28.7% of his throws were at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Only Patrick Mahomes (30.8%) and Tua Tagovailoa (31.1%) had a higher rate.
Nix led the NFL with 7 passing touchdowns on those throws at or behind the line.
When Nix got rid of the football within 2.5 seconds of the snap, he was 10th in rating (103.9), throwing 15 touchdowns and 1 interception.
His 5.6% touchdown rate on those throws was ninth in the league.
Some rookie-season warts cropped up when he was forced to hold the football.
When holding the ball for over 2.5 seconds, Nix dipped to 21st in rating (84.1), throwing 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
His 4.7% touchdown rate on those throws dipped to 20th in the league, and his 3.7% interception rate was 24th.
Behind Nix, Jarrett Stidham is signed through 2026, while Sam Ehlinger is signed for 2025.
Running Back Depth Chart, Broncos:
- Jaleel McLaughlin
- Audric Estime
- Tyler Badie
- Blake Watson
Denver's lackluster backfield rotation last season resulted in the team reverting to Javonte Williams as the lead back more often than not.
As a result, the top-down Denver rushing production did not match their offensive line metrics.
| RB | Rush | YPC | EPA/Att | 10+% | Stuff% | YBC/Att | YAC/Att |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaleel McLaughlin | 113 | 4.4 | -0.04 | 14.2% | 17.7% | 1.81 | 2.58 |
| Javonte Williams | 139 | 3.7 | -0.18 | 9.4% | 20.1% | 1.31 | 2.38 |
| Audric Estime | 76 | 4.1 | -0.06 | 6.6% | 10.5% | 1.00 | 3.08 |
The team hopes to increase rushing efficiency through Williams' subtraction this offseason, but this depth chart is wide open for a rookie to compete for opportunities and potentially take over.
Both Jaleel McLaughlin (39.8%) and Audric Estime (39.5%) posted a higher success rate than Williams (35.3%) on their rushes.
McLaughlin has flashed in each of his first two seasons in the NFL, but his size and lack of pass protection have limited his playing time, keeping him primarily in a change-of-pace role as a runner.
Out of 46 running backs with 100 or more rushes last season, McLaughlin had a run of 10 or more yards on 14.3% of his attempts (113), which was fifth.
He did that with a light box rate on 20.4% of his runs, which was 39th in the league.
But at 5-foot-7 and 187 pounds, McLaughlin’s size has prevented him from having a more significant role.
He had only 8 snaps in pass protection last year after only 6 snaps in protection as a rookie.
That issue led to how much playing time Williams controlled, and it remains something they need to replace.
Williams was also second on the team with 52 receptions, so a passing-game back should firmly be on the radar here, with Williams leaving a void in those areas.
McLaughlin has not shown much as a pass catcher, either.
He has averaged only 5.2 and 3.2 yards per catch in his first two years in the league.
Signed for only 2025, McLaughlin is set up to be a restricted free agent after the season.
Estime was only used as a short-yardage thumper as a rookie.
He turned 81 touches into 337 yards and 2 touchdowns.
50% of his runs came with 8 or more defenders in the box.
Payton has often deployed a compartmentalized backfield centered around specific roles.
McLaughlin and Estime could still be part of a rotation, but they are not players holding Denver back from looking to upgrade at the position.
We have a good idea that Denver will add a rookie running back in this draft.
It is just a matter of when and what archetype of a player that is.
So far, the team has used top-30 visits on Jaydon Blue, Kaleb Johnson, Quinshon Judkins, and D.J. Giddens.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Broncos:
- Courtland Sutton
- Marvin Mims
- Devaughn Vele
- Troy Franklin
- Trent Sherfield
- A.T. Perry
- Michael Bandy
Courtland Sutton had the best season of his career in 2024, setting career-best marks in targets (135), receptions (81), and yards (1,081) while adding 8 touchdowns.
He caught at least five passes in nine of the final 10 games.
Over that span, Sutton tallied 26.5% of the Denver targets (WR12) and a league-high 48.7% of the team’s air yards.
Sutton was the team’s primary red zone threat, accounting for 31.8% of the red zone targets (WR5) and 45.9% of the throws into the end zone (WR3).
Sutton is the only feature receiver on this roster and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
After Sutton, Denver has a handful of players on their rookie contracts who have primarily served in isolated roles in the offense.
No other wide receiver after Sutton was on the field for 50% of the team's dropbacks.
Marvin Mims has been productive per opportunity through two seasons but has yet to find a way to get on the field as a full-field pass catcher.
Mims caught 39 passes for 503 yards and 6 touchdowns in his second season.
He only played 27% of the offensive snaps and ran a route on 32% of the team's dropbacks.
If looking for a positive in that regard, Mims did play more to end the season, running a route on over 40% of the team dropbacks in five of the final six games.
However, he only cleared a 50% rate in one game all season because the team produced so many touches for him.
57.7% of his targets were at or behind the line of scrimmage, the highest rate for a wide receiver in the league.
Devaughn Vele was third on the team with 41 receptions as a rookie, turning those into 475 yards and 3 touchdowns.
He led the team with 61.3% of his snaps from the slot.
Troy Franklin caught 28 of 53 targets for 263 yards (9.4 yards per catch) and 2 touchdowns as a rookie.
He found the field for 41.2% of the team dropbacks but also had the lowest yards per route run (0.99) among their receiving unit.
There is some potential upside here based on the number of young players shaping up the depth chart, but also not enough talent to restrict Denver from upgrading or searching for a full-time player.
Especially if they were to lose Sutton after the season.
Tight End Depth Chart, Broncos:
- Evan Engram
- Adam Trautman
- Nate Adkins
- Lucas Krull
- Thomas Yassmin
Denver tight ends were used in the run game over being used as part of the passing game last season.
The Broncos targeted their tight ends 13.1% of the time, which was 31st in the league.
Their tight ends combined to catch 51 passes (29th) for 483 yards (30th) and 5 touchdowns (13th).
That is set to change with the team adding Evan Engram in free agency on a two-year contract.
Engram may not be a traditional tight end (he only played 39.7% of his snaps last season inline), but he was still a target earner.
He was targeted on 26.6% of his routes, third at his position last season.
Engram will be 31 at the start of the season, and his addition has not stopped Denver from using a handful of pre-draft visits on tight ends.
They have used top-30 visits on Harold Fannin and Terrance Ferguson, who also fit in the same type of “slot tight end” archetype as Engram.
Engram is the only tight end on the roster signed after 2025, with Denver holding restricted rights on Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull and exclusive rights on Thomas Yassmin.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Broncos:
LT: Garrett Bolles, Matt Pearl
LG: Ben Powers, Calvin Throckmorton
C: Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth
RG: Quinn Meinerz, Nick Gargiulo, Will Sherman
RT: Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum
Denver was the highest-ranked team in ESPN’s pass block win rate (74%) and run block win rate (75%) last season.
At Pro Football Focus, they were first in pass blocking grade and 11th in run blocking grade.
The core of their line was able to stay on the field.
Quinn Meinerz, Garrett Bolles, and Ben Powers played in all 17 games.
Mike McGlinchey and Luke Wattenberg missed four games each with injuries
Meinerz was the standout from this unit last year.
He finished second in overall grade among guards per Pro Football Focus.
He allowed a position-low 1.7% pressure rate.
Denver has their entire starting line returning this season.
Not only that, but all of their starting spots outside of center are locked up for multiple seasons.
Wattenberg is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, but Alex Forsyth does have two seasons remaining.
Forsyth played 279 snaps at center last season.
Denver Broncos Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Denver Broncos, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Defensive Line Depth Chart, Broncos:
- Zach Allen
- D.J. Jones
- John Franklin-Myers
- Malcolm Roach
- Jordan Jackson
- Eyioma Uwazurike
- Matt Henningsen
- Jordan Miller
The Broncos were strong against the run in 2024, allowing just 3.9 yards per carry to running backs (3rd).
They were seventh in yards before contact allowed per RB carry and sixth in yards allowed after contact on those runs.
The entire core of the defensive line from last season is back after D.J. Jones signed a three-year extension.
Jones had 12 run stuffs, 14th among qualified defensive linemen, and recorded a tackle on 18.6% of his run defense snaps, which ranked eighth among that group.
Zach Allen was more productive against the run, logging 20 run stuffs (2nd), and he contributed 8.5 sacks with a 12.7% pressure rate.
John Franklin-Myers finished with 7 sacks, but his 15.2% pressure rate ranked 10th among all qualified pass rushers, including players who play primarily on the edge.
Malcolm Roach also made plays in the backfield when he was on the field, logging 13 run stuffs.
Long-term contracts are the only question with this unit.
All three of Allen, Franklin-Myers, and Roach are heading into the final year of their deals.
That could prompt the Broncos to add some youth in the draft, but there are no concerns about this unit heading into 2025.
EDGE Depth Chart, Broncos:
- Nik Bonitto
- Jonathon Cooper
- Jonah Elliss
- Dondrea Tillman
- Andrew Farmer
The Broncos consistently harassed the quarterback in 2024, finishing second in pressure rate (40%) and first with a massive 63 total sacks.
The defensive line group above played a big role in those numbers, but the group on the edge was even better.
Nik Bonitto erupted in his third season, logging 13.5 sacks on a 15% pressure rate.
That pressure rate ranked 11th among all qualified pass rushers.
Jonathon Cooper was not far behind with a 14.1% pressure rate (21st) and had 10.5 sacks of his own.
Cooper earned a long-term extension during the season, but Bonitto is heading into the final year of his deal.
The Broncos could take a similar approach with Bonitto as they did with Cooper, asking him to show it again before giving out a long-term deal.
Both 2024 third-round pick Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman finished with 5 sacks a season ago, but Tillman did it on fewer attempts and a much better pressure rate, albeit on a small sample.
A former UFL player, it will be interesting to see if Tillman can earn a bigger role and continue to produce moving forward.
The contract issue for Bonitto adds some longer-term concerns, but this top four performed as well as any group last season.
Linebacker Depth Chart, Broncos:
- Dre Greenlaw
- Alex Singleton
- Justin Strnad
- Drew Sanders
- Levelle Bailey
- K.J. Cloyd
Denver made a big addition at linebacker this offseason, signing Dre Greenlaw away from the 49ers.
Greenlaw missed almost all of last season after suffering a freak Achilles injury in the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss, but he has been one of the top linebackers in the league when healthy.
He should upgrade the defense, assuming he gets back to that level, but there is at least some injury concern.
Cody Barton led the team in snaps a year ago but left in free agency.
Alex Singleton only played in three games thanks to a torn ACL that ended his season.
The timing of the injury means Singleton should be good to go for the start of the season, but it is another injury question for this unit.
Justin Strnad got a lot of work in Singleton’s absence last season and re-signed on a one-year deal this offseason.
He was not great, but he offers good depth along with 2023 third-round pick Drew Sanders, who missed most of last season with an Achilles injury.
Both Singleton and Strand will be free agents after this season, so there is not a lot of long-term stability here, and there are injury questions for three of the top four names, as well.
That does increase Denver’s need at linebacker more than it appears at first glance, but overall, they are probably fine for 2025.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Broncos:
- Pat Surtain II
- Riley Moss
- Ja’Quan McMillian
- Kris Abrams-Draine
- Damarri Mathis
- Quinton Newsome
- Reese Taylor
- Keidron Smith
- Tanner McCalister
Denver allowed 6.8 yards per pass attempt in 2024, the sixth best rate in the league.
They finished fifth in touchdown rate allowed (3.6%), fourth in big play rate allowed (7.0%), and eighth with 15 interceptions.
As it turns out, Pat Surtain is pretty good at football.
He finished first among all qualified corners in yards allowed per coverage snap last season.
Unfortunately, the other primary options at corner did not live up to that benchmark.
In his first extended playing time on defense, Riley Moss allowed a 95.4 quarterback rating in coverage including 4 touchdowns.
Slot corner Ja’Quan McMillian allowed a 94.4 rating in his coverage and allowed 3 touchdowns, though that was an improvement over the 7 he gave up in 2023.
The unknown in this group is 2024 fifth-round pick Kris Abrams-Draine, who got some run late in the season and allowed just 5.3 yards per target, albeit on a very small sample.
Denver also has 2022 fourth-round pick Damarri Mathis, who has starting experience even if he contributed mostly on special teams last season.
The Broncos could bet on Moss taking a step forward in year three or Abrams-Draine earning the No. 2 job, but an addition here makes sense.
Safety Depth Chart, Broncos:
- Brandon Jones
- Talanoa Hufanga
- P.J. Locke
- Devon Key
- Delarrin Turner-Yell
- JL Skinner
- Sam Franklin Jr.
Not done raiding the 49ers after acquiring Dre Greenlaw, the Broncos also added Talanoa Hufanga at safety.
Hufanga has struggled to stay on the field, playing 17 games over the last two seasons, but he was a deserved All Pro back in 2022 when he played 17 games.
It is a risky signing, but it could pay off if Hufanga stays healthy.
Added last offseason, Brandon Jones had a great first season with the Broncos and will pair with Hufanga if everything works out the way Denver hopes.
P.J. Locke did not have as good of a season, but he should slot in well as the No. 3 option who can help out in sub packages.
The Broncos also have decent experience behind the top three, putting them in a good spot at safety heading into 2025.