The Denver Broncos could target a playmaker in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and this mock draft gives Bo Nix an elite weapon. It's no secret that the Broncos need another playmaker or two, and the fact that Bo Nix is producing at this level with Courtland Sutton and a bunch of other guys is flat-out amazing.
Just imagine the improved production if the team can keep him an alpha playmaker...
Anyway, this recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft has the Denver Broncos taking Luther Burden III from Missouri. Burden is a wide receiver, who, in my opinion, seems to profile closely to Ja'Marr Chase and Deebo Samuel:
Updated NFL Mock Draft (11/19/24) pic.twitter.com/gJh6ZqHLPg
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 19, 2024
Do the Denver Broncos need Luther Burden?
The one thing here in this mock that I may take issue with is that Denver passes on both Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren, who are the two best tight ends in this coming class, and in my opinion, it is harder to find a stud TE than it is a stud WR. I mean, Tee Higgins is slated to be a free agent, and there are other quality wide receivers out there as well.
However, you can't really complain about Burden. In 2024, he's caught 53 passes for 574 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. In 2023, he caught 86 touchdowns for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns, so his production has taken a hit.
With that said, Burden is very much a top, first-round talent in the coming NFL Draft, and there aren't a ton of slam-dunk wide receivers in the coming class. Burden has also added 115 rushing yards and two rushing scores on nine carries, so the Deebo Samuel-aspect of his game as a runner is there as well.
I also do believe there is a chance that the Broncos could swing a huge WR trade this coming offseason. I mean, what if the Dallas Cowboys want to blow it up and CeeDee Lamb becomes available...?
What if the same is true for the Cincinnati Bengals if they do not want to pay Ja'Marr Chase...? It may sound unlikely, but my goodness, the Kansas City Chiefs traded a future Hall of Famer in Tyreek Hill to another team in the AFC! A major WR move is not out of the question, but Denver can obviously not rely on that.
I would most certainly have faith in Sean Payton and George Paton to find a way to come out of the 2025 offseason with at least two notable playmakers added to the offense, at least one at WR and one at TE. This would give the Broncos a workable unit for Bo Nix to use for a hopeful year-two leap.