The Denver Broncos have to ensure both sides of the ball are addressed in the 2025 NFL Draft. Here is our latest mock draft for the team. The Broncos really have a shot in the 2025 NFL Offseason to do something special. They are not short in either cap space or draft capital.
And being that Bo Nix is turning out to be a massive home run for the franchise, Denver now has something legitimate to build around. This is one of the biggest advantages in all of sports - a QB on their rookie deal.
Nix and the Broncos won 10 games in the 2024 NFL Season and made the playoffs, proving most people wrong. Denver is now in a position to be smart but aggressive in the coming offseason to put a contender on the field.
And in this Broncos 2025 NFL Mock Draft, they look to address hidden needs on defense to build that contender.
Broncos Mock Draft: Addressing hidden needs on defense to build contender
27th pick (via BAL) - Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
In 2024, Jihaad Campbell had 117 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, and an interception. Campbell may be the best true ILB in the entire NFL Draft class, and it's a huge need for the Denver Broncos, as the team has really only fielded average units at the position for years now.
And the best defenses in the NFL all have a stud ILB in the middle of the defense. This is the offseason where Denver needs to make a splash at this position. They trade down in the first round to get Campbell.
51st pick - Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami (FL)
Xavier Restrepo from Miami (FL) could be a wide receiver that the Denver Broncos are missing. He's an excellent route-runner and can separate at a high level. He's been in school for five years and had 11 receiving touchdowns in 2024. The Broncos might not want to pursue a big-name free agent WR like Chris Godwin or Tee Higgins.
Sean Payton has never been one to invest a ton of FA money into the position, so the team could look to address the unit further in the 2025 NFL Draft.
59th pick (via BAL) - Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky
Shoring up the middle of the defensive line, Deone Walker heads to Denver with the 59th overall pick in the second trade-down pick with the Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos could bring back DJ Jones, but he is pretty much only a run stuffer and plays less than half the snaps. Denver has a huge need at DT in my opinion.
85th pick - Gunnar Helm, TE, Texas
And with their final pick in the top-100, the Denver Broncos take Gunnar Helm, one of the best tight ends in the country. In these first four picks, the Broncos have made a deliberate effort to draft for need, which is what a team like them needs to do now. They've got a good roster and something special building, so this is the part of the rebuild where the needs have to be shored up.
121st pick - Ollie Gordon IV, RB, Oklahoma State
The Broncos grab their first running back of this 2025 NFL mock draft and take Ollie Gordon IV from Oklahoma State. There does seem to be some debate in Broncos Country about what kind of RB rotation Sean Payton likes. We do know that the team tried to sign Josh Jacobs last offseason, so it's not wrong to think that Payton desires to acquire a bell-cow back.
193rd pick - Jacob Gideon, OC, Western Michigan
Another hidden need could be at center, so at pick 193, the Broncos take Jacob Gideon from Western Michigan. Luke Wattenberg is very good in pass blocking situations, but the same cannot be said for his run blocking, and the Broncos may not want to pursue a free agent at center in the offseason, as they already have four big-time OL contracts.
199th pick - Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Devin Neal is a name that has come up a lot in various Denver Broncos' mock drafts this year, and in what some may consider a shocking move, the Broncos double-dip at RB in their effort to field a top-tier room.
Sean Payton has invested a ton of resources into the RB position during his HC tenure. Them trying to sign Josh Jacobs last offseason also lines up with when Sean Payton invested a ton of resources into his last notable RB room with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.
209th pick - Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State
To wrap up this NFL mock draft, the Denver Broncos take Joshua Farmer from Florida State in another effort to shore up their defensive line. Guys like Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, and Malcolm Roach would all currently hit the FA market in 2026 if their contracts were not touched.