Assuming head coach Sean Payton doesn’t go big, picking at No. 20 means sitting for a little while.
It’s been a few years since Denver Broncos fans had to wait beyond the first hour to find out who will be their first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
But with the 20th pick, fans could be waiting for more than two to see which player joins the team tonight.
The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off at 6 p.m. MT tonight (Thursday, April 24), and it cannot come soon enough.
The Tennessee Titans will lead off this year’s festivities in Green Bay, Wisconsin, followed by the Cleveland Browns. Both are expected to take the obvious picks — Miami’s Cam Ward to Tennessee and Colorado’s Travis Hunter to Cleveland.
Things could get interesting after that as several teams have their eye on Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, including Denver.
For that reason, Broncos Country better tune in to the Draft at the start…just in case. Plus, the Raiders are picking at No. 6, so at the very least, get your voodoo dolls ready.
But even if Denver isn’t going for Jeanty, Sean Payton may still be aggressive to move up and get whatever “joker” player he sees and wants. Or perhaps that guy will be available still at 20. Various mocks have the Broncos staying at 20 and going for either running back Omarion Hampton, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka or tight end Colston Loveland.
As always, there is a little smoke that Sean Payton may be looking to move back, gain some draft capital and get any number of good running backs or defensive linemen in later rounds, but that’s an unlikely scenario in my opinion.
If the Broncos do stay put at 20, the pick could happen between 8-8:30 p.m. MT. But Payton’s M.O. is to be aggressive, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few fireworks around Denver in the early picks. Probably want to just plan to pay attention for the long haul.
Either way, we expect you all to be on here sharing your thoughts on all the picks, but especially on whoever becomes a Bronco tonight.