RUNNING BACK OR BUST? Broncos Poised to Make Bold Draft Move to Fill “1A Position”

The 2025 NFL draft is right around the corner, with Day 1 now less than two weeks away. And with just one glaring weakness on the Denver Broncos’ depth chart — the running back position — a majority of the fanbase is frothing at the mouth to put the cherry on top of this roster build and give the team a much-needed talent boost in the backfield.

The connection to the Broncos and running back at pick 20 isn’t without substance. Outside of the position being an obvious need on paper, 9NEWS' Mike Klis has also been banging that drum repeatedly since talking with Broncos GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton at the annual owners meetings recently. 

Klis doubled and tripled down on his expectation that the Broncos would be taking a running back early in the draft in a recent episode of his podcast.

“For the most part, free agency is over. They got their haul there with [Dre] Greenlaw, [Talanoa] Hufanga, and [Evan] Engram. Now they need a running back, and that’s what this draft is all about," Klis said. "Will they take a running back at 20? Will they take one at 51 in the second round? Or will it be somewhere in between: trading back from the first or trading up in the second? But it’s going to be in the first or second round. There's too big a void there in their 1A position.” 

Klis tapped North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton to Denver in his one and only mock draft, calling it the “chalk pick” that “everyone has had (mocked to 20) since the Broncos signed Evan Engram," noting that Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty would likely cost too much to trade up into the top 10.

Prior to free agency, Jeanty often slipped to Denver at pick 20 in many mocks, but as the offseason has progressed, it seems unlikely he will fall past the Las Vegas Raiders at 6, the Chicago Bears at 10, or the Cowboys at 12. If Jeanty does fall past Vegas, though, it wouldn’t be shocking for Denver to get a tad itchy pondering a trade up for the top running back in the class.

The Broncos might trade for a running back, but instead of trading up, Klis hinted at the Broncos moving down from pick 20 into a later portion of Round 1 and targeting Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson.

“I really think the Broncos are going to trade back (from 20) in the first round and I like TreVeyon Henderson from Ohio State. I think he would be a great value later in the first round, maybe not 20, but later in the first round," Klis said. "I think he’s the type of running back, both catch the ball, run, and pass protect that would fit Sean Payton’s offensive system.”

One could argue the Broncos have their early-down, between-the-tackles thumper in Audric Estime as well as a change-of-pace style back in Jaleel McLaughlin. However, the team is lacking a back who can hold up in pass protection, create as a receiver in the pass game, and do enough as a runner to not be a complete pre-snap tell for the opposing defense.

Henderson does have limitations. He’ll likely never be a back who can completely carry the load. His injury history of a broken sesamoid bone in his left foot caused him to miss time and diminished his ability over multiple seasons for the Buckeyes.

Henderson also does not always display the best vision as a between-the-tackles runner. He can also be a dynamic after-the-catch back in the screen or checkdown portion of the pass game, but actually flexing out and beating linebackers or safeties in space as a route runner in a true joker role is simply not something he was asked to do on tape during his time at Ohio State.

While not likely a true three-down back, Henderson can be an explosive, well-rounded back in a committee and has an obvious fit on the Broncos’ offense as a passing-down back for Payton. Henderson can pass protect as well as any other back in the game, does not fumble the football (one in his entire career), and creates explosive plays in both the run and pass games.

20 may be a tad rich for Henderson, and 51 might be too late. A trade down from 20, though, or even a trade up for 51? That seems to be what Klis is hinting at as the Broncos’ motivation depending on the picks leading up to when they're on the clock.