The 2025 NFL Draft is just over a month away. Let's dive into why the Denver Broncos should trade up in the first round. Picking with the 20th overall selection, the Broncos might be on the cusp of vaulting their team to contender status.
This team is close, and with their aggressive free agency moves, they clearly believe that. I would not expect Denver to make multiple free agency moves at this point. They may see who they come away with in the 2025 NFL Draft and perhaps then dip into the free agency market one last time.
We truly won't know what happens with Denver in Round 1 of the NFL Draft until it actually happens, but let's cover a few reasons why the team should trade up in the first round.
2025 NFL Draft: 3 reasons why Broncos should trade up in the first round
Reason no. 1: Talent drop-off could be huge
We truly have no idea how the Denver Broncos have the top prospects ranked in the 2025 NFL Draft. If they have them ranked a certain way, a position they could target in Round 1 could have a huge talent drop-off after certain players.
Maybe the Broncos are eye-balling a running back, and maybe they see a huge drop-off in talent after Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton. Denver may then think that if they want one of those players, they'd have to move up into the teens.
This is just one example - but it would not shock me if this was the case at multiple position groups. The only downside about being a good team in a given year is the lower first-round pick in the following NFL Draft.
Denver's first-round pick is the 20th overall selection. If they hold firm, they should end up with a great prospect, but in their eyes, the best value could be higher up in the first round.
Reason no. 2: Team is right on the cusp of being a contender
This is a fact. I understand that some Broncos fans may think that the team is still another year away, but I don't see why the team can't make the leap in 2025. They hit on the QB and have one of the best OL/DL combinations in the NFL.
Denver is strong in the trenches, they have the best pass rush in the NFL, and they might already have a top-10 QB in Bo Nix. There isn't a lot missing from this roster to propel them to contender status. They even addressed a few crucial needs in free agency, so the front office may even think that this team is approaching contender status.
This could give them more of a reason to make an aggressive push up the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to land a prospect they believe can further take their roster to the next level.
Reason no. 3: Broncos have full cupboard of draft picks (finally)
For the first time since the 2021 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos have their own first and second-round picks. They also have a third, fourth, and three sixth-round picks. The 'standard' pick count in the NFL Draft is seven - one pick in each round, and the Broncos do have seven picks total.
You might personally think that now that Denver has their own draft picks again, they should keep them under any circumstances, but the opposite can also be true. Denver now has some ammo to move up in the first round for a blue-chip prospect, and with there not being many blue-chip prospects, as mentioned above, that could give them even more reason to move up.
Denver's front office does love their draft picks, but they can make a strong offer to move up in the first round if they wanted to.