The Denver Broncos took a big leap in their second season under head coach Sean Payton, going from an eight-win team with no franchise quarterback to one that won 10 games and reached the Wild Card round behind Bo Nix’s leadership.
Now, the Broncos are back at it, trying to find more ways to upgrade the roster. Chances are, they won’t find another first-round rookie who can have as big an impact as Nix did, especially since they’re positioned to select 20th instead of 12th.
While projecting the Broncos’ first-round pick will be more difficult this year, NFL Draft experts are starting to get a better picture of the Broncos’ plans.
Related: 2025 NFL mock draft: Latest Round 1 projections in April
Safety Nick Emmanwori named ‘wild card’ target for Denver Broncos in Round 1
While the Denver Broncos will have to wait a couple of hours before they’re on the clock on April 24, they’ll have to be ready for several unique scenarios. Naturally, the Broncos will need to have a short list of several draft targets with their first-round pick.
Recently, ESPN’s NFL Draft expert Jordan Reid examined the Broncos’ potential draft plans and while doing so, he tossed out a “wild card” target for fans to watch out for.
“What we’re hearing about the Broncos’ draft: The Broncos have been linked to the running backs in Round 1, but the depth of this RB class makes it more likely that they’ll wait until Day 2 to grab a player such as TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) or Kaleb Johnson (Iowa). Instead, league sources have told us that Denver might use its first-round pick to add to what is already one of the NFL’s best defenses. Safety Nick Emmanwori is a wild card to keep an eye on there.”
ESPN’s Jordan Reid on Denver Broncos
Being that Ashton Jeanty will be long gone by the time the Broncos are on the clock, it makes more sense for Denver to address more urgent needs right away and circle back to what’s being sold as a deep class of RB talent.
Related: NFL defense rankings 2025: Best, worst defenses ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft
