The expectation for a long time has been that the Denver Broncos will take a playmaker early in the 2025 NFL Draft, but most of the talk this offseason has centered around the running back and tight end positions. Should we be talking more about the wide receiver position?
Earlier in the offseason, head coach Sean Payton said that a veteran receiver was in the "need" bucket, but the Broncos haven't done anything to add to that position other than bringing in a special teams ace like Trent Sherfield. Could it be that they are shaping up to address that position early in the NFL Draft?
The team recently brought in Luther Burden for a top-30 pre-draft visit, and Mike Klis of 9News in Denver is now reporting that the team is visiting with Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden.
Golden measured 5-11, 191 at Combine. Fastest offensive player in draft with 4.29/40.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) April 9, 2025
In NCAA playoffs he had 2-49 vs Clemson, 7-149-1 vs Arizona State, 2-51 vs Ohio State.
Broncos already have 2 major deep threats in Mims, Troy Franklin.
Would they add a third? https://t.co/Ulb9Dj11xZ
Broncos bringing in Texas star WR Matthew Golden for pre-draft visit
Although Matthew Golden might be a similar size profile to Marvin Mims Jr. with the Broncos, they are not the same type of player exactly. Mims is obviously a tremendous deep threat with outstanding ball tracking skills and after-the-catch creativity. Golden is much more of a refined all-around receiver with toughness, strong hands, and three-level effectiveness.
The hope will be for Mims to develop into that in the very near future, but someone like Golden is already at a position in his development process that Mims wasn't coming out of Oklahoma.
We could see the Broncos take an unconventional approach to a first-round receiver because Sean Payton talked about the "triangle" in the passing game with running back, tight end, and a third receiver. Golden and Luther Burden -- guys who have come in for pre-draft visits -- are players who work best out of the slot.
The Broncos have guys like Courtland Sutton, Mims, and Troy Franklin who work well on the outside, but they might be looking for someone to bring the same type of impact as we saw last year from Ladd McConkey with the Chargers.
Regardless of what ends up happening, the receiver position is clearly in play for the Broncos as early as the first round and they are making sure they have all their bases covered by bringing these players in for visits.
It's not a foregone conclusion for teams to take a player in the first round when they've brought guys in for pre-draft visits, but the Broncos were very hands-on with Bo Nix in the pre-draft process last year but it's not always the pre-draft visit guys that the team ends up picking in the top few rounds. At this point, though, it's worth keeping a close eye on the receiver position.