The Denver Broncos are 5-3 thus far in the 2024 NFL Season and could use the next NFL Draft to creep closer toward contention. Don't look now, but the Broncos are also in a playoff spot in the AFC. It's been an enjoyable season thus far for the Broncos and for Broncos Country, but there is still half the season left.
The team is actually on pace to win 11 games this season, but I believe they'll hit either 9 or 10 wins. Anyway, as long as this thing does not crash and burn, the team may be in a great position to go all-in and surround Bo Nix with as much talent as possible for 2025 and the future.
One area they can do this with is in the 2025 NFL Draft. Let's roll out our latest mock draft as the Broncos creep closer toward contention.
Denver Broncos 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Team creeps closer to contention
22nd Overall: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
The first round could be a great one for the Denver Broncos, as they have first-round needs at wide receiver and tackle, but instead, they elect to take the best running back in the country in Ashton Jeanty from Boise State, who may end up winning the Heisman Trophy this season. Taking a RB in the first round might not be great practice, but both George Paton and Sean Payton have their own history in investing a ton of resources into the position.
53rd Overall: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
The team desperately needs some production at tight end, and Tyler Warren from Penn State may be the best TE in the country in 2024. With the team's second-round pick, they elect to take Warren and all of a sudden infuse the offense with a load of young talent from the 2025 NFL Draft. In this scenario, I would expect Denver to have already addressed the WR position in free agency.
For example, the team could sign Tee Higgins, which would give them some flexibility in the NFL Draft.
87th Overall: Earnest Greene, OT, Georgia
The team may need to prioritize taking a tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft, as the last time they drafted one was Garett Bolles in 2017, and he's set to be a free agent this coming offseason. Earnest Greene from Georgia is the team's selection in this NFL mock draft.
123rd Overall: Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
Transferring from Nevada to Colorado State, Tory Horton has caught 265 passes for 3,615 yards and 27 touchdowns in his collegiate career, which is now into year five. Horton is 6'2" and 175lbs, so while he does profile similarily to wide receivers Denver already has, they can't ignore his production in the middle of the NFL Draft and make the move.
199th Overall: Anthony Lucas, DL, USC
The team may not elect to re-sign DJ Jones; the defensive tackle is a free agent following the 2024 NFL Season. While it would make some sense to bring him back for another year or two, the team could still benefit to bolster their DT room either way, so I went with Anthony Lucas from USC with the Broncos' second-to-last pick in this 2025 NFL mock draft.
200th Overall: Charles Grant, iOL, William & Mary
At this point, when a team picks this late in the NFL Draft, they're just hoping that these players can breakthrough as a depth option at the bottom of their roster. Well, the Denver Broncos may have a top-10 offensive line coach in the NFL in Zach Strief, who has done an amazing job with the unit this year, so giving him some prospects to develop would be a wise idea.
Charles Grant is an interior offensive lineman from William & Mary, so I went with him with the 200th overall pick in the NFL Draft.
For the first time since the 2021 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos have their own first and second-round picks, so if you couple that with the mountain of cap space they are projected to have, this team could make a ton of noise next offseason.