The Denver Broncos have finished their 2025 NFL Draft, and the class they brought along sends a clear message to a few players. The draft can be a diverse thing for teams, as in many instances, teams draft for immediate production, but in other instances, they draft players who might need multiple years to develop to perhaps takeover for a veteran in the long-term.
Denver brought an interesting draft class to the team, and only time will tell how it pans out, but they did send an unmistakable message to a few players with the class itself.
Did the Denver Broncos send a message to these three players with their draft choices?
Audric Estime, RB
Unless the Denver Broncos make a notable RB addition, the team clearly has a ton of faith in Audric Estime, as they didn't use a first-round pick on a running back, but instead took RJ Harvey in Round 2. Harvey has some flaws to his game and does profile as more of a "1a" back, with Estime perhaps being the 1b.
And when you think about it - Harvey and Estime can complement each other nicely in the offense, as Harvey is definitely a lot faster and more explosive, while Estime has more of a power-running profile. It's clear that the Denver Broncos are hoping that the second-year back from Notre Dame can take a leap in year two.
John Franklin-Myers, DE
What's actually really interesting is that the Broncos took Sai'vion Jones in the 2025 NFL Draft, who profiles similarly and plays similarly to John Franklin-Myers. If this is not an obvious replacement for JFM, I have no idea who would be.
Jones and Franklin-Myers are both around 6'5" and 285 pounds. Both players have 10-inch hands and an arm length separated by less than one inch. Heck, even their vertical jumps are the same.
This could be a clear indication that the Denver Broncos do not plan on pursing an extension with John Franklin-Myers and could allow him to hit free agency in 2025, but I can't help but wonder if the Broncos could change their tune if JFM has another insane season this upcoming campaign.
Matt Haack, P
I am sure Matt Haack expected the Denver Broncos to add a punter. Haack is a veteran who has never really stuck with a team for the long-term. He did once play four years for the Miami Dolphins. Well, the Denver Broncos drafted Florida punter Jeremy Crawshaw in the NFL Draft, so that is as clear of a message as any that the Broncos probably don't think all that highly of Matt Haack and his ability to be the team's starting punter.