Much like a grizzled detective in an old '70s cop show, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton played a hunch during the 2025 NFL draft. Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron's arrival showed that Payton was prepared to stick to the Broncos' big board and draft the best player available; the former Longhorn's star recently won the Jim Thorpe trophy, after all.
Considering the Broncos' roster needs, adopting such a strategy might not have flown if the 2025 draft class hadn't been so deep at the running back position. Payton got to have his cake and eat it too, as the draft still delivered game-changing UCF running back RJ Harvey in the second round. Harvey's blazing 4.4 speed gets the juices flowing.
NFL.com's Gennaro Filice graded the Broncos' draft class, ranking them only at the No. 22 spot.
Even so, Filice pointed toward how Payton's unflinching approach delivered his favorite pick in Harvey, and pegged sixth-round punter Jeremy Crawshaw as a "sleeper" to do damage in the thin air of the Mile High City.
"For months, we wondered if Sean Payton would get a 'Joker.' Ultimately, he did -- for Vance Joseph’s defense. Denver’s D emerged as one of the league’s elite units last season, with shutdown corner Patrick Surtain II taking home Defensive Player of the Year. And now the Broncos have added Jahdae Barron, who just won the Jim Thorpe Award as college football’s top defensive back," Filice wrote. "Barron excelled in numerous roles as a starter for Texas over the past three seasons, displaying the kind of inside/outside versatility that’s all the rage in today’s NFL. Immediately following this first-round selection that took many by surprise -- just given Denver’s perceived needs entering the draft -- Daniel Jeremiah compared Barron to Cooper DeJean. That’ll play! Another pick that took many by surprise: Pat Bryant. The Broncos had a need at the receiver position, but they drafted Bryant far earlier than most anticipated. For what it’s worth, Payton says the Illinois product reminds him of Michael Thomas."
Filice sounds modestly intrigued by the Bryant selection, but if Payton's comparisons to Thomas, aka the 'Slant God,' hold some water, the NFL should be on notice. Understanding that Payton wasn't undertaking a full engine rebuild this time around is pivotal to providing the correct context.
Payton was searching for specific pieces.
"We always talk about, ‘Who does he remind [you of]?’ We try to find comps," Payton said of Bryant after the draft. "There were so many things about his game that reminded me of [Saints WR] Mike Thomas. With respect to Mike, who became… I mean, holy cow. You don’t ever want to put pressure on a rookie like that. We’re just talking about traits. But really explosive off the line of scrimmage, he’s very competitive, very tough."
Payton attacked this draft to add the kind of weapons he plans to fit into the unique jigsaw puzzle he's putting together. It was always going to have draftniks scratching their heads more than a little bit.
Furthermore, the plan to add another talented cornerback in Barron proves that the Broncos understand that they have to prevail in a seriously quarterback-loaded AFC West that features Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and now Geno Smith.
All the talk about finding a joker on the offensive side of the ball, in all fairness, lost a little bit of momentum after the Broncos signed veteran tight end Evan Engram in free agency, but Harvey might mature into just such a role at running back.
Waiting until pick 60 to draft a new back probably led to Filice rendering a Broncos draft grade of B- . But if Payton can pick his moments with Harvey, the quarterback-turned-ball-carrier could become a genuine home-run hitter.
It's the fine-tuning process just needs a little road-testing first.
