The Denver Broncos knew they had to get skinny on the salary cap last season, and rely upon the youth of the roster. That was the price of releasing Russell Wilson, which came with an NFL-record $85 million dead-money hit to the salary cap.
Fortunately, the Broncos drafted well, with quarterback Bo Nix leading an impactful 2024 draft class. In tandem with the first-ever draft collaboration between Broncos GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton — the 2023 class — the young squad was able to win 10 games and snap the clubs preceding eight-year playoff drought.
Paton and Payton could be on a roll, as the Broncos drafted seven additional players in 2025, three of whom have been tapped as "way too early" selections to NFL.com's All-Rookie Team. With elevated expectations in 2025, the Broncos will once again be relying on a few rookies to help light the way forward.
Let's examine each.
Jahdae Barron | CB
Denver's first-round pick still has to sing for his supper, but it's assumed that he will be installed on the first-team defense. Now, whether that's at the nickel or on the boundary remains to be seen, but it's likely to be the former.
Barron is a versatile, physical cornerback with a nose for the football. He can line up anywhere in the secondary and thrive, but the Broncos have ruled out playing their first-round pick at safety.
In all likelihood, Barron will supplant Ja'Quan McMillian at the nickel slot. McMillian had an emergent 2023 campaign as an undrafted rookie, getting his fingerprints on multiple takeaways.
Alas, McMillian wasn't able to translate that success into his second year, and he became an obvious weak link in the secondary as opposing quarterbacks singled him out to great success in coverage. Barron will stanch the bleeding from the slot, which should, ostensibly, buy even more time for Denver's league-leading pass rush to get home.
Barron is a star in the making. That's why even Riley Moss can't fully rest easy.
RJ Harvey | RB
Harvey was drafted to be Denver's No. 1 running back out of the gates. Just like Nix last year, Harvey has had to start out lower on the positional depth chart and earn his way up the pecking order, but by the time we get to the regular season, he'll be one half of the Broncos' one-two punch at running back, alongside veteran newcomer J.K. Dobbins.
Harvey not only brings explosiveness, speed, and vision to Denver's floundering rushing attack, but he's also has 'joker' traits that Payton will try to nurture and use to devastating effect in the passing game. Payton's 'joker' players are either a tight end or a running back (or both), who can be used as a mismatch weapon in the passing game.
Harvey's receiving chops were underutilized and, thus, underdeveloped at UCF, but the tools are there. And the Broncos are already working to build something with them.
Bucky Brooks, a former NFL scout, tapped Harvey as a "darkhorse" Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate last week. Harvey could have the single most obvious impact of Denver's entire draft class in Year 1.
Pat Bryant | WR
The third-rounder out of Illinois currently finds himself buried on the Broncos' young wide receiver depth chart, but Payton is obviously excited to play with his new toy come the fall. Bryant will have to earn his opportunities, but like several Broncos wideouts, he offers outside/inside ability.
Whether it's working on the boundary as an X or a Z receiver or the slot, Bryant can add great size, reliability, and attitude to the Broncos' burgeoning offense. Payton was particularly impressed by Bryant's explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and the reliability of his hands in traffic.
This unit finished as a top-10 scoring offense in 2024, and the offseason improvements the team made, combined with the continuing development of young incumbents like Nix, Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele, and Troy Franklin, could see it crack into the top five.
Sai'vion Jones | DL
The Broncos' starting defensive line is as good as any team's, but what the unit lacked last year was impactful depth, outside of Malcolm Roach. Enter Jones, who arrived as a late third-round pick whom the Broncos traded up for.
At LSU, Jones often worked as an edge rusher in a two-point stance, and the Broncos will definitely look to capitalize on his pass-rushing prowess as a rookie. He might not see the field much beyond obvious passing situations, but he gives the Broncos an additional weapon and depth to throw at opponents in 2025.
Maybe Zach Allen will be afforded an occasional breather this year, thanks to Jones.
Jeremy Crawshaw | P
You thought I was just going for the low-hanging fruit by laying out Denver's first four draft picks. Although punter isn't exactly a sexy position to analyze, we can't overlook Crawshaw's impact.
As a specialist, he's basically a starter, and the Broncos plan to use his big leg and precision-point accuracy to pin opponents deep in their own territory. I watched Crawshaw compete at the Senior Bowl nearly six months ago, and let me tell you: the kid's talent is palpable.
It's not easy for a punter to stand out in an All-Star Game setting over three days of practices, but Crawshaw made into my notebook each day in Mobile. His power is one thing, but the most compelling aspect of his game is the accuracy.
