The Denver Broncos have some urgent needs as we creep closer to the 2025 NFL Draft. Could their first-round pick be used on one of those positions? Denver being where they are is insane, and it shows just how much higher this team can go in 2025 and beyond.
They're playing with house money in 2025 and clearly have multiple long-term needs on offense. They could also afford to add some more pieces on defense as well. However you slice it, it's clear that this team is far from a finished product, so them being 8-5 through 13 games is just wild.
The future is bright in Broncos country, and it could get brighter depending on who they take in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Could they target one of these three urgent positions?
3 urgent positions Broncos could target in first round of 2025 NFL Draft
Tight End
Maybe the worst tight end room in the NFL, I can only imagine what a viable tight end, heck, even an average tight end would do for this offense. It's odd that the Broncos did not sign Jonnu Smith this past offseason. The veteran tight end has been good for years and is having a great year for the Miami Dolphins.
Anyway,. the top tight ends in the 2025 NFL Draft are clearly Tyler Warren from Penn State and Colston Loveland from Michigan. Both are going in the first round, and if Denver felt comfortable using their first-round pick on a tight end, it would be for one of these two studs.
Both can profile into elite TE1s at the next level, and that's precisely what Denver is looking for.
Running Back
The most obvious potential pick here is Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty of Boise State, who has been, objectively speaking, the best running back in the country. Jeanty could be a true workhorse back at the next level and is very clearly going in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Broncos may actually be picking too low right now to come away with Jeanty, and with them having both Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin, it may not be likely that they also take a first-round RB. As we know, taking a running back in the first round is just not always the best practice, so Denver would be taking a risk here.
But the team does not have a consistent run game at all, so the need is there for someone like Jeanty.
Left Tackle
Garett Bolles is a free agent in 2025 and is also going to be in his age-33 season in 2025. The Broncos can very easily let him hit the open market and have a gaping hole at left tackle. That is, unless they'd consider moving Mike McGlinchey over to LT, which I guess is possible. The Broncos have also not taken a tackle in the NFL Draft since... Garett Bolles in 2017.
We're now approaching eight years since the Broncos drafted a tackle.
That is flat-out insane, so even if the team does take a tackle, they could also re-sign Bolles before that. Nonetheless, the LT position could be one of huge need if they do indeed let Bolles leave in free agency.