The 2025 NFL Combine kicks off next week. What are some things fans of the Denver Broncos should be focusing on? Let’s discuss.
The 2025 NFL Combine is right in front of us. Who doesn’t love the combine? It’s a focal point of the offseason for every team and one of the most important aspects of the draft board building process. Every team in the league will be present to watch the workouts, interview the players, and get more in-depth information on their medical reports.
While the official workouts begin on Thursday, February 27th teams and prospects will be there before hand. Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton and General Manager George Paton are scheduled to meet with the media on Tuesday afternoon.
With that in mind, I figured I’d offer up some pre-combine thoughts about the Broncos and what we might reasonably expect this week. As always, feel free to give your opinions in the comments section. Draft season is officially upon us!
It’s no secret, the Broncos will be scouting jokers for Sean Payton’s offense.
A few months separate us from the 2025 NFL Draft, but it isn’t a big surprise as to what one of the Broncos’ biggest missions this offseason is. Whether it’s a running back or a tight end, the franchise will make finding a joker capable of taking Denver’s offense to the next level is going to be a primary endeavor over the next few months.
And wouldn’t you know it? The stars have aligned for the Broncos in this regard. This year’s draft class boasts a plethora of top-tier options at both positions. Whether it’s Day 1 or Day 2, Denver should have no trouble finding contributors at either position that can make a difference for the team as rookies.
Running back is the position poised for the most immediate return on the investment. There could be upwards of 10 prospects selected at the position in the first three rounds. On top of that, there should even great value well into Day 3. From what draft analysts and scouts are saying, this could be a historic running back draft class. There’s no doubt Denver will be coming away with one of the best prospects at the position. The only question is who it will be—or maybe they snag a couple?
REALLY fun TE class. I have 6 TEs with starter-level grades.
And there are another handful after that who can carve out meaningful roles in an NFL offense. https://t.co/eDDB5IJdlC
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 23, 2025
As far as tight end goes, I would expect about five or six guys to make their way into Top 100 consideration. Is there a Brock Bowers level prospect in this class? Perhaps. Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland, the definitive top two at the position, certainly have the ability to be fixtures in any NFL offense.
If Payton and Co. believe either one of the aforementioned can be a fixture in the team’s passing attack immediately, I have no doubt they will be high on the Broncos’ wish list. Though perhaps the team feels confident in getting relative production from who is left on Day 2 considering the lack of historical success from first-round picks at tight end.
Maybe if we are lucky, we might get a few tidbits on who the Broncos might covet the most at either position group. Stay tuned!
Don’t forget adding depth! Day 3 draft planning for finding diamonds in the rough.
Finding a joker is mission critical for the Broncos, but also finding depth and role players for the future is too. Denver has a full slate of picks on Day 1 and 2 for the first time since 2021, but just one fourth round selection and three sixth round selections on Day 3.
It’s hard for me to imagine Denver waiting over 70 selections between their fourth-round pick and first sixth round pick to add talent to the roster. That’s a very long wait. Maybe there is a chance they trade back somewhere on Day 1 or Day 2 and acquire more Day 3 picks. Or perhaps they couple a few of those sixth rounders together to get a player dropping that they have ranked highly. I wouldn’t expect any movement on that front until the draft actually happens.
Nevertheless, when it comes to Day 3 players, I’m an advocate of rolling the dice on traits. Is there a calling card physically that a player has which is superior to other prospects on the board. Is it world-class speed? Is it unmatched size and strength? The workouts in Indianapolis will give us some much better insight in this regard and I’m interested to see how that plays out. Every year there are prospects that have high-level workouts that ignite their draft stock and the ‘25 NFL Combine will be no exception.
Additionally, being able to contribute on special teams is a big factor when it comes to being picked on Day 3. It’s not often those guys come in and take over starting positions routinely. Though if they want to make a roster and see playing time as a rookie, being able to offer grit and toughness in the game’s third phase is an absolute must. With new coaches on special teams in the mix, I expect this to be a major focus of Denver’s Day 3 draft plans.
Plans of attack for in-house players under contract and those scheduled to hit free agency
The combine isn’t just an area where teams will focus on the draft. It’s also a venue of opportunity to keep their in-house and outside evaluations of talent going. According to longtime inside Mike Klis, the Broncos will be meeting with the agents for their in-house players.
Of note, the future of Courtland Sutton [for a third offseason in a row] looms large. Klis mentions specifically that after Sutton’s performance last year, the team doesn’t believe he wants to play on just a one-year deal. Klis thinks there’s a good shot the Broncos meet with his agent to discuss his future and try to make the numbers work on an extension well ahead of the start of free agency.
Perhaps the two sides come up with a new agreement that will keep him in Denver for a few more seasons. On the other hand, if the sides end up being too far apart, it could be a signal that Sutton could be on the move elsewhere prior to the April’s draft. In my opinion, I think it would be foolish for the Broncos to move on from Sutton without having a viable replacement for him on the roster or a surefire plan to replace him.
But then again, potential trade talks and whispers of what a franchise may do in free agency will be prevalent over the course of the week. Where there is smoke, there is fire, and history has shown the combine is a place where a small spark can turn into a gigantic flame at a moment’s notice. Maybe there will be some exciting Broncos news in this regard. In my last Future Broncos segment, I discussed how I’d like to see defensive lineman Zach Allen extended. That could be something we see happen over the next week. We’ll just have to wait and see.