The Denver Broncos largely brought in a solid NFL Draft class in late-April, but they tried pulling off the unthinkable in Round 1. As the 2025 NFL Draft got closer, the rumors got more intense, and it seemed like Denver was truly prepared to pull off a major move.
Some rumors starting swirling that the team was wanting to trade up in the first round for tight end Colston Loveland, who went at pick 10 to the Chicago Bears.
And well, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN recently reported that the Denver Broncos did indeed consider moving up in the first round, but it would have not been for Loveland...
Definitive proof that the Broncos tried to trade up for Ashton Jeanty
A post-draft blurb from Jeremy Fowler revealed that the Denver Broncos gave some thought to trading up in Round 1 for Ashton Jeanty, the talented RB from Boise State who went at pick six to the Las Vegas Raiders:
#Broncos post Draft blurb from @JFowlerESPN pic.twitter.com/TLiOwqJhg8
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) May 7, 2025
I can only imagine what it would have cost the Denver Broncos to trade up for Ashton Jeanty...
Fowler continues in this and indicates that Denver could have pursued a trade-down with the Houston Texans to potentially take TreVeyon Henderson, who went early in the second round to the New England Patriots. It honestly does seem like at running back and even tight end, the board did not fall the Broncos way.
Rumors also swirled about this team wanting Mason Taylor from LSU, but that did not happen. Overall, I do believe the Broncos would have liked their NFL Draft class to look a bit different, but we may never know for sure. The team did give some thought to trade up for Ashton Jeanty, and if they had been able to pull that off, the offense would have been in a great spot to explode big-time in 2025.