The Denver Broncos are just over one week away from assembling a brand-new NFL Draft class here in 2025, so it's the perfect time to take a look back at the 2024 class and reflect on not only what they've already brought to the team, but dream about the vision for what roles they could play going forward.
The 2024 NFL Draft was the second class of players assembled in Denver by the duo of head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton. Although Payton has final say on the roster and has heavy influence during the NFL Draft, Paton is not a puppet in the process. He's proven over time that he has a great eye for talent in the draft and the two have developed a great working relationship in their time together with the Broncos.
How did they do in the 2024 NFL Draft?
Broncos get awesome grades with high picks in 2024 NFL Draft
1. Bo Nix, QB, Oregon (12th overall)
The selection of Bo Nix was not unanimously well-received last year, to say the very least. The Broncos were criticized substantially for selecting Nix, who was thought by some in the NFL Draft world to be a 2nd or even 3rd-round type of player at the position. People didn't think Nix had the arm talent to play in the NFL nor did they feel like he could push the ball effectively to all three levels.
He was labeled a checkdown merchant before ever really getting a shot to prove himself. The reality is, Nix was more than ready for the challenge of playing in the NFL and if it weren't for Jayden Daniels also having an incredible year, Nix probably would have been a unanimous NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year with one of the greatest rookie quarterback performances we've ever seen.
It looks like the Broncos have found their franchise QB.
Pick Grade: A+
2. Jonah Elliss, EDGE, Utah (76th overall)
Nobody really talks about it, but the Denver Broncos actually had two rookies last year tie for third in the NFL among rookies in sacks. Both Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman had 5.0 sacks for the Broncos last year, which was third-most among rookie pass rushers behind only Braden Fiske (Rams) and Chop Robinson (Dolphins).
The impressive aspect of it is that neither Elliss nor Tillman played a full-time role last season. It was perhaps a "quiet" 5.0 sacks for Elliss, but it was a great indicator of what he brings to the table for the future. He was also one of the youngest players in the NFL last season, so the sky is really the limit for what he can do going forward.
Well, truthfully, injuries might be the limit. Elliss came into the NFL with a shoulder issue and he ended his rookie season with a shoulder issue. We'll be monitoring that closely over the offseason program. If he's 100 percent, he will see more snaps in 2025 and could be a starter in 2026.
Pick Grade: B+
3. Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon (102nd overall)
It was borderline cathartic when the Broncos traded up to draft Troy Franklin last year. After already selecting Bo Nix, many folks wanted the team to turn around and take Franklin with that 76th overall pick, but the Broncos had a higher grade on Elliss at that point.
Still, Sean Payton revealed last year that the team also had a 2nd-round grade on Franklin, and they felt they had to have him, so they moved up to get him. That detail shouldn't be ignored now in 2025 as we look at what the Broncos are planning to do at receiver.
It also can't be ignored that Franklin had a rough rookie year. Between drops and missed assignments, it was a frustrating year for Franklin that culminated in him finally catching a deep ball from Bo Nix in the playoffs against the Bills. Hopefully, that was a sign of things to come.
Pick Grade: C
4. Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri (145th overall)
The Broncos never let an NFL Draft go by without taking at least one defensive back, and Kris Abrams-Draine is a big reason why they do that. Although Abrams-Draine was said to be one of the roughest-looking rookies early on in the offseason program (according to George Paton), he ended up playing a significant role for the team down the stretch.
After Riley Moss was injured late in the year against the Raiders, the Broncos threw veteran Levi Wallace into the mix, and he got absolutely destroyed on national TV by Jerry Jeudy and the Browns. Kris Abrams-Draine took his place late in that game and played well. He also played well in the next game, his first start against the Chargers, where he picked off Justin Herbert.
Abrams-Draine looks like valuable depth at the very least, and perhaps a future starter if he keeps growing.
Pick Grade: A
5. Audric Estimé, RB, Notre Dame (147th overall)
Audric Estimé was a battering ram at Notre Dame and brought some of that to the table as a rookie in the NFL. Out of all the Broncos running backs last year, it feels like Estimé gave the best hope for the future, despite his fumbling issues.
But those fumbling issues got him into some hot water with the coaching staff, and he was carrying the ball around the facility as penance. The performance Estimé had against the Kansas City Chiefs was the type of output we all had expected from him based on what NFL Draft folks who were really high on him had been saying, and hopefully we see more of that in the future.
I still view Estimé as the Broncos' possible leader in carries this coming season with a rookie coming in as the position group's leader in overall touches.
Pick Grade: C+
6. Devaughn Vele, WR, Utah (235th overall)
Outside of big fans of the Utah program, pretty much everyone had to look up Devaughn Vele when the Broncos selected him. He wasn't really on anyone's radar. But he turned out to be a great 7th-round pick.
Although Vele gets graded on a curve for where he was selected, he really was a nice steal for Denver in the final picks of the draft. Vele finished just three receptions outside the top 10 rookies in receiving yards last year (475) and was outstanding in some big moments for the Broncos.
With increased responsibility comes increased expectations. Vele will need to take his game to the next level and limit drops in 2025, as well as limit the stretches of inconsistent/ineffective play.
Pick Grade: A
7. Nick Gargiulo, OL, South Carolina
Everything with 7th-round pick Nick Gargiulo happened behind the scenes last year for the Broncos. He was placed on the practice squad for the majority of the year and elevated late in the season. It's fair to say that the Broncos like him a good amount considering he was elevated to the active roster but scratched from the lineup.
They were basically rewarding him for his work in practices.
With offensive line coach Zach Strief already proving his weight in gold so far in Denver, I have high hopes that Gargiulo -- who can play anywhere on the interior offensive line -- will develop into a role player in the near future and possibly a starter at center in 2026.