One way or another, the NFL Draft always has a way of sending a message to holdovers on NFL rosters. The NFL is very much a "what have you done for me lately?" kind of league, and teams will not hesitate to move on to the next player when jobs are on the line.
The Denver Broncos are no different. While the Broncos addressed needs and holes in the roster through the 2025 NFL Draft, they also put a number of players on notice with some of the picks that were made.
For three players, in particular, the message should be loud and clear.
3 obvious Broncos players on thin ice after 2025 NFL Draft
1. Jaleel McLaughlin, running back
This offseason has been extremely telling for Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who was an undrafted free agent gem back in 2023 for the team. McLaughlin has exceeded expectations as an undrafted player, but there are a few reasons to believe the Broncos probably aren't banking on him playing a major role in 2024.
First and foremost, the team's selection of RJ Harvey in the 2025 NFL Draft. Whatever value McLaughlin brought to the offense as a change of pace type of back is less than redundant with Harvey on the roster. McLaughlin's snap count increased in 2024 and so did his workload in terms of overall touches, but he only had two more yards from scrimmage than he did as a rookie in 2023.
Less effectiveness per touch is not good for a player who doesn't play special teams and doesn't have "joker" qualities in Sean Payton's offense. It wouldn't be shocking if McLaughlin was not kept on the Broncos' 53-man roster this season after the RJ Harvey pick.
2. Troy Franklin, wide receiver
This is a tough one, because the Broncos made it very clear that they are actually buying Troy Franklin stock with the way they approached this offseason. The only substantial move made at the receiver position is the recent selection of Pat Bryant with the 74th overall pick in this year's draft.
Last year, the Broncos said they had a 2nd-round grade on Franklin. I still believe the team is going to buy into him for this season, but Franklin also doesn't play special teams, which could ultimately hurt his case. The same could be said for Devaughn Vele, but Vele was more productive as a rookie than Franklin.
The addition of Pat Bryant is going to make the Broncos' plans for Franklin interesting. They can't really afford to cut Franklin because they need the upside play at the position, but Franklin might not be guaranteed snaps offensively, which means he'll have to prove his worth to Darren Rizzi quickly on special teams or be more consistent on offense to beat out Bryant and Vele for snaps.
3. Ja'Quan McMillian, cornerback
The Broncos, for the time being, seem prepared to enjoy their embarrassment of riches in the secondary. We've gotten no indication that the team is going to cut or trade players like safety PJ Locke or cornerback Damarri Mathis. And from what the team was saying after the 2025 NFL Draft, it also sounds like slot corner Ja'Quan McMillian is still going to be in the team's plans this coming season.
McMillian has worked his way from being an undrafted free agent in Denver to starting in the slot for the team. But despite some big splash plays over the last two years, the team obviously felt like they could upgrade in the slot and couldn't pass on the chance to add Jahdae Barron in the 2025 NFL Draft.
McMillian isn't going to just go away quietly, but the investment made in Barron certainly puts McMillian on thin ice. We could have a big and unexpected change up in the staritng secondary for the Broncos after Barron surprisingly fell into their laps with the 20th overall pick.
What would that mean for McMillian going forward? Well, he has obvious value to this team as depth as well as playing in their dime looks defensively. Even though the Broncos couldn't pass on Barron's talent, McMillian still has tremendous ball skills and can blitz. He should have a role going forward but it will likely be significantly diminished thanks to the arrival of Barron.