The Denver Broncos are going to bring in a ton of change next offseason, and these three players currently not on the team could help save the franchise. The team has some clear needs on both sides of the ball that they could end up addressing next offseason in the 2025 NFL Draft and in free agency.
Luckily, the Broncos should have a good bit of cap space and should also have their first and second-round picks as well, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. Between the 2025 free agency period and the NFL Draft, could these three players not on the roster save the Broncos in 2025?
3 players not on the roster who could save the Denver Broncos in 2025
Connor Williams, C
The Denver Broncos may need to again invest big-time in their offensive line. The team could lose left tackle Garett Bolles in free agency in 2025. At that point, he'd be entering his age-33 season, so the writing is probably on the wall for the Broncos to go in a different direction.
The team lost Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency and are currently starting Luke Wattenberg, who has been serviceable through two games in the 2024 NFL Season. However, I will again keep beating the Connor Williams horse here. The Broncos should have signed him this offseason, but he ended up going to the Seattle Seahawks.
He's set to be a free agent right now unless the Seahawks would lock him up for the long-term. To me, Williams is a top-10 center in the NFL and could really elevate the play of the interior offensive line with Cushenberry long gone.
And with the Broncos likely not bringing Bolles back, they could end up starting a rookie at left tackle in 2025. This may force them to invest a bit more into the offensive line, and the clear place to improve is at center. Connor Williams makes a lot of sense for the Broncos.
Luther Burden, WR
Arguably the best wide receiver in college football at the moment, Luther Burden from Missouri may just go in the top-10 of the 2025 NFL Draft. At this rate, the Denver Broncos are certainly picking inside the top-10. Denver has not had a true WR1 for several years now, and from the digging I was able to do on Burden, he seems to profile similarly to Ja'Marr Chase.
If the Denver Broncos could draft the next Ja'Marr Chase, that would be amazing. In 2023, Burden caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. Thus far in 2024, he's caught 13 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He's going to be the first or second wide receiver to come off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft, and if rookie QB Bo Nix ends up coming on a bit as the season goes on, Denver could come into the NFL Draft with a huge chance to get a game-changer at wide receiver.
Burden might be the juice that is missing from the Denver Broncos wide receiver room.
Osa Odighizuwa, DT
One of the better defensive tackles you probably have never heard of is Osa Odighizuwa of the Dallas Cowboys, who is set to be a free agent in 2025. The Broncos have a very good pair of defensive tackles in Zach Allen, who is on fire this season, and John Franklin-Myers, who has been above-average for years now.
Odighizuwa could be the cherry on top of what could end up being a top-10 defensive line. Across 52 career games for the Dallas Cowboys thus far, he's racked up nine sacks, 130 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss, and 37 QB hits. He's had double-digit QB hits in each year of his career and is just a force along the Dallas Cowboys interior DL.
The Broncos signed DJ Jones a few offseasons ago, but he hasn't really brought much to the Denver Broncos during his time with the team. Denver needs more juice along the defensive interior, and Osa Odighizuwa is someone who could be that player.
Denver's defensive line has actually played quite good thus far, but you can tell that at least one impact player is still missing from this unit. Denver should seek to find that impact player next offseason, whether it is free agency or in the NFL Draft.