With their top pick in the NFL Draft for 2025, the Denver Broncos did not address their biggest need for the team. Instead, they doubled down on their best asset. Finishing the 2024 season with the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos went with another cornerback for their first pick. Jahdae Barron, a cornerback from Texas, got the call with the 20th pick in the draft, a pick that shocked mock draft prognosticators across the board.

Attention was set on the running back position after the lack of a complimentary running game, a glaring weakness for the rookie quarterback Bo Nix. The position had never produced a 100-yard game rusher or a clear-cut starter throughout the season. Running back Javonte Williams, now with the Dallas Cowboys, never returned to form after an ACL injury two years earlier. He was a second-round draft pick for the Broncos in 2021.

With no trade to move up in the 2025 Draft to get the first running back taken, Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos did use their second-round pick to address the need for a running back. RJ Harvey of the University of Central Florida was chosen with the 60th overall pick. He was the fifth running back taken in the draft. He set a school record at UCF with 48 touchdowns in one season.

After a series of trades, the Broncos again stayed with the offense in the third round, selecting wide receiver Pat Bryant from Illinois as the 74th pick. The remaining four players included two defensive players, one punter, and a tight end, rounding out the seven players selected.

Defensive end Sai’vion Jones of LSU was also taken in the third round at pick No. 101; OLB Que Robinson was the 134th pick in the fourth round; punter Jeremy Crawshaw of Florida, was taken in the round No. 216 overall; and Caleb Lohner, a tight end was taken with the Broncos’ final pick at No. 241.

“We’re going to go by what we see,” Payton said. “… This is a process. We’re trying to secure in order the best way to get the most for our draft. But once they’re here, it’s up to them to earn their stripes.” Payton goes into his third season as head coach of the Broncos after returning the team to playoff caliber in his second season.

On defense, the Broncos finished third overall in the NFL and led the league in sacks in 2024. In free agency, key players were added with the Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga signings from the San Francisco 49ers. With Patrick Surtain II getting Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and adding Jahdae Barron at the bookend cornerback position in the draft, the Broncos have made a significant bid to climb to the top.  

“I bring a lot of versatility to the defense,” Barron said after being drafted by the Broncos. “I’m going to play my role. I’m going to master a position. I’m going to learn from the vets. I can’t wait to learn from Patrick Surtain [II]. I can’t wait to learn from Coach [Vance] Joseph. It’s going to be amazing. … I’m just going to embrace the opportunity, and I’m going to live up to the opportunity. I’m truly blessed to be in this position, and I’m very thankful right now.”

The first look at the 2025 Broncos on the field will come when OTA (Organized Team Activity) and minicamps start in May: Rookie minicamp May 9-11, Mandatory minicamp June 10-12, and OTA workouts May 27-29, and June 3-5.  The 2025 NFL schedule will be released on May 14, 2025.

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