The Denver Broncos have the unfortunate task of watching their division rivals -- the Kansas City Chiefs -- play in and potentially win yet another Super Bowl on Sunday. The Chiefs have already built and established a dynasty at this point, so while nobody in Broncos Country should be rooting for the Chiefs, another win at this point feels like more white noise.
The legacy is already established. Losing this game does nothing to change the task at hand for the Broncos, which is to take these Chiefs down some way, somehow.
The Broncos have all of their first four picks in the 2025 NFL Draft as well as three selections in the sixth round. Armed with the 20th overall pick in the first round, how could the Broncos maybe take a bit of a surprising approach to the draft to not only keep up with Kansas City, but surpass them as early as next season?
2025 NFL Mock Draft: Broncos surprisingly go defense in 1st round
1st round: Walter Nolen, defensive line, Ole Miss
The Denver Broncos have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL right now, but there are some major question marks this year and beyond. The first question is -- will DJ Jones be back on the team? Although Jones didn't play even 40 percent of the snaps this past season, he's one of the best early-down defensive linemen in the league.
The rest of the line that dominated most of last season will be back, but not a single one of them is under contract for 2026. That includes Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, and Malcolm Roach.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind with this kind of a pick. Walter Nolen is an outstanding player, which is the most important thing. He has the look of a very disruptive every-down player for years to come. There's also nothing wrong with looking two years out regarding team needs when it comes to the NFL Draft. The defensive line could be an area of need in 2026 even though I would expect the trio of Allen, Franklin-Myers, and Roach to be retained in some way.
You want to bring waves of pass rush in the NFL. And the defensive line might be the best bang for your buck quality-wise in this year's rookie crop. There are so many good players there that the value could be simply too good to pass on.
2nd round: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
The Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton are in search for the team's next potential Joker in 2025 and Elijah Arroyo is one of a wide variety of candidates who could fit the bill.
Hey, Sean Payton found himself a Joker from Miami once before (Jimmy Graham). Maybe he'll go to the well once again.
What should Broncos fans love about Arroyo, in particular? He led all tight ends in college football with 30 or more targets last season with 9.1 yards after the catch per reception. He's an absolute monster in space and at over 250 pounds, he can create separation like a wide receiver. This is the type of weapon Sean Payton is seeking.
3rd round: Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Seeing the suddenness of Devin Neal's game will appeal to Denver Broncos fans who have been struggling through watching lead backs the last handful of years who are more plodders and road graders than anything else.
The frustrating aspect of watching the Broncos over the last handful of seasons has been the top backs on the team inviting contact. There's a huge difference between backs who excel at creating yards after contact while also being elusive and having good vision, and then guys who simply bully their way to extra yardage after getting a full head of steam.
Neal is a different type of back than Broncos fans will be used to over the last couple of seasons and he can give Sean Payton another dart on the potential Joker board.
4th round: Demetrius Knight, LB, South Carolina
The Broncos undoubtedly have a need this offseason at the linebacker position given the fact that Alex Singleton is going to be 32 and coming off of a major injury, Justin Strnad is a free agent, and Cody Barton is a free agent.
Demetrius Knight has the look of a potential starter at the off-ball linebacker position and he made a lot of plays last season at South Carolina. He capped off his college career with 57 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. He had a really nice week at the Reese's Senior Bowl as well and impressed with his speed, range, and coverage ability.
You're not exactly fishing for starters in the 4th round of the draft, but the Broncos might get one in this instance.
6th round (1st pick): Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa
I'm not sure we'll see the Broncos go after two tight ends in this year's NFL Draft, but it wouldn't be a terrible idea at all. The Broncos could very well move Nate Adkins to a full-time fullback/hybrid role in 2025 and while Adam Trautman will still play a role, I think you're looking for a new Joker here as well as guys who can really round out the position.
And perhaps Luke Lachey is someone who could really replace Trautman in the future for Denver. Lachey is a fantastic blocker at the position with unrealized potential as a receiver thanks to the offense he played in at Iowa.
6th round (2nd pick): Miles Frazier, OL, LSU
You can never have too many players on the offensive line in today's NFL, and if you look at this Broncos roster right now, the weakness on the offensive line is on the interior with the depth behind Quinn Meinerz and Ben Powers at guard.
We saw Alex Palczewski get some run at right guard when Quinn Meinerz had to come off the field for a bit, and while Palczewski could be a nice swing option for the Broncos, they would be wise to draft someone on the interior for 2025 and beyond. There's a chance we could see center prioritized earlier in the draft as well considering Luke Wattenberg is a free agent in 2026 and might be upgraded on anyway.
6th round (3rd pick): Rayuan Lane, S, Navy
It feels sacrilegious at this point to do a Broncos mock draft without including a wide receiver, but here we are. The Broncos proved this past season that they need better depth at the safety position. They could be set to lose some key players on special teams in free agency this offseason and with Darren Rizzi potentially coming in to coach that unit, maybe we see the Broncos go after some of his favorites in this class to give him the most possible snaps.
Rayuan Lane has been a playmaker for Navy and has done his part to prove he has translatable traits to the NFL by clocking nearly 22 mph on the in-game GPS last season on a pick-six.