The Denver Broncos are out to get a "Joker" for Sean Payton's offense in the 2025 offense, a position that has been elusive for them to find a solution in the last two offseasons. The Broncos undoubtedly assumed that Greg Dulcich could be that guy when Payton was hired, but injuries and inconsistent play prevented Dulcich from reaching his potential in Denver.
If the Broncos want to find a mismatch player in the passing game at tight end or running back -- which is what the Joker position is -- then the 2025 NFL Draft is the place to look. They were looking at perhaps the ideal 2025 NFL Draft scenario in Daniel Jeremiah's latest NFL Mock Draft over at NFL.com, one which highlights the outstanding depth of this class on the defensive line as well as in the offensive playmaker department.
Jeremiah is as plugged in as they come when it comes to the NFL Draft and unlike many so-called experts, he's actually got a good grasp on where teams might actually rank these players and how things could end up going on draft night. That's not to say he's 100 percent accurate on his picks, but if the draft plays out the way Jeremiah has it in this mock draft, the Broncos will be happy campers.
Broncos land Michigan stud Colston Loveland in new Daniel Jeremiah mock draft
Jeremiah has the Broncos taking Michigan star tight end Colston Loveland with the 20th overall pick in his mock draft. Here's his analysis of the selection:
"The Broncos fill a huge need by selecting a tight end with great length, quickness and big-play ability. Sean Payton gets his “joker” on offense."Daniel Jeremiah
It's not just a "huge need" for the Broncos, but the joker role is something Payton has noted is the true "must have" of the offseason. And Loveland would be an absolutely perfect fit for the Broncos in round one. There's not much separating Loveland and Penn State's Tyler Warren when you consider their athletic traits and translatability to the next level in terms of their pass-catching skills.
What's really interesting about this mock draft from Daniel Jeremiah? The Broncos passed on Ashton Jeanty with the 20th pick to take Colston Loveland, and other guys like Emeka Egbuka, Luther Burden, and others were still on the board.
As a matter of fact, Jeremiah didn't even have Burden -- the star receiver out of Missouri -- going in the first round of his mock draft. That would be a wild development.
There were some other interesting pieces of this mock draft from Jeremiah that will be worth unpacking in a future post as well, but this is a clear indicator that the Broncos could fill their top "must have" in the 1st round of the 2025 NFL Draft in a variety of ways.