The Denver Broncos have a few players who may end up playing bigger roles in the 2025 NFL Season. Who are they? It is a good thing when players end up playing bigger roles than the year prior, as that is usually indicative of them developing and hitting their stride.
Denver may have a few players on the roster right now who are on pace to have insanely huge roles in the 2025 NFL Season, and there is a great chance that they thrive in these larger roles. The Broncos as a team are also on the cusp of being great, as they went 10-7 in 2024 and loaded up in free agency this year.
Let's look at three players who will play bigger roles in 2025.
3 Broncos players who will have to play bigger roles in the 2025 season
Marvin Mims Jr, WR
We really saw Marvin Mims Jr come on toward the end of the 2024 NFL Season, but more is necessary in year three. Mims is only set to enter his age-23 season in the NFL, but he does have these two years under his belt. The ideal scenario for Mims is that he develops more as a wide receiver and is less seen as this gadget player.
Now yes, Marvin Mims Jr can be deployed in a number of different ways, but in my opinion, him becoming a well-rounded wide receiver who can become a consistent part of the passing offense is what he needs to turn into. I am kind of willing this into existence - Marvin Mims Jr should hopefully have a lot on his plate in 2025 as a wide receiver and less as a gadget player.
Bo Nix, QB
This is obvious, right? Bo Nix now has 18 NFL games under his belt and has already experienced the playoffs. He and others on the offensive side of the ball, as mentioned above, will have to take a step forward in 2025 if this team wants to hit contender status. I am sure Sean Payton dialed some things back at the beginning of the 2024 NFL Season to help Nix get used to the rigors of playing in the NFL.
Well, all of the training wheels should be off, and with it being very likely that the Broncos are going to add another offensive weapon or two, there are almost no excuses for Bo Nix, but in a good way - he'll likely have everything he needs to become an elite QB and should have more put on his plate.
Nik Bonitto, OLB
Nik Bonitto hit his stride in 2024. He scored two defensive touchdowns and notched a whopping 13.5 sacks, 24 QB hits, and 16 tackles for loss. He also played in 61% of the defensive snaps, which was up from 52% in 2023 and 35% during his rookie season.
I understand that defenses are changing their packages constantly, so virtually no player is going to be on the field for 90% of the snaps, but with how good Bonitto was in 2024 and how much of a well-rounded player he developed into, you'd have to think that Denver and Vance Joseph want to and will put more on his plate.
He is also likely to sign a mega-contract extension this offseason, so that would be even more reason for Bonitto to have an even bigger role on defense in 2025. Back when Bonitto was drafted, George Paton was captured in a state of shock that they were able to get him at the bottom of the second round.
Well, it took a few years to figure out what Paton was talking about, so now it's time for the young player to continue the insane pace he was on next season.