What would make this year’s draft a success for the Denver Broncos?

Broncos Country—it’s officially NFL Draft Week and you know what that means. Our annual Mile High Report NFL Draft Roundtable discussions are back!

We’ve covered a lot of bases and questions in our first four installments. The discussion and commentary from both the staff and our readers has been tremendous. I’d like to thank all of you who participated once again this year.

With our fifth and final installment of our draft discussions, I asked the staff “What would make this year’s draft a success for the Denver Broncos?”

Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann

Playmakers everywhere. The first-round pick is easily the easiest pick because no matter who it is, he will make the team better. Finding guys in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds who can be contributors their rookie year? Those are the gems and prove the worth of the scouts and draft board.

Adam Malnati

Success is so difficult to measure. Immediate draft grades are generally useless, which is why people like going back in time and redrafting different years. That’s why it’s hard to determine success. Overall, adding a weapon, depth, and impact players will be the deciding factors for the success of this year’s draft. I think about that George Paton video when they picked Nik Bonitto with the 64th pick and he knew he got a steal. That’s the kind of moment I’m hoping to see again.

Scotty Payne

Drafting good players that will help the Broncos become Super Bowl contenders again.

Taylor Kothe

Adding a running back who can wake the rushing offense up while offering value as a blocker and receiver as well. Then adding at least one more talented skill position player to build around Bo Nix. And finally, making smart picks in the later rounds to keep the roster competitive two, three, and four years down the road.

Tim Lynch

This question has plenty of different answers that could result in a successful outcome for the Denver Broncos. If they get a dynamic running back and a playmaker at wide receiver or tight end, then I think we could certainly say that was successful. We’ll have to wait and see how it plays out!

Joe Mahoney

Double-dipping on positions with loads of talent in this draft like running back and defensive tackle.

Ian St. Clair

Getting players who consistently contribute on the field. Paton has done a wonderful job the last few years in the NFL Draft, now he has the weight of not having to get a quarterback of his back. I have a feeling the Broncos will have another stellar class, especially if they get a top running back.

Christopher Hart

We won’t know how successful this year’s draft endeavors truly were until a few years down the road. It takes time to evaluate the development and growth of players entering the National Football League. But as far as an immediate success? There are a few things they need to address to earn that designation.

As others have mentioned, getting a top-notch running back to raise the performance of their offense is an absolute must. The Broncos’ rushing attack has to get better. On top of that, adding to their defensive line is essential. It’s a deep class and three of their top four contributors from last season are scheduled to hit free agency after the 2025 season. They need to take advantage of deep classes at both positions.

On Day 3, if they can get a few special teams' contributors and depth pieces, that would be ideal. With just a fourth-round selection and three sixth round picks, it’s not necessarily fair to expect immediate impact. I’m confident Payton and Paton will put together a quality draft.