Kendell's Denver Broncos 3-Round Mock Draft | Version 2.0

It's time to mock the first three rounds of the Denver Broncos' 2025 draft.

Nick Kendell | Feb 13, 2025

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) catches a pass against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Denver Broncos

Another week, another three-round mock draft. The offseason is officially here with the conclusion of the Super Bowl and the Kansas City Chiefs' three-peat hopes dashed by an incredible defensive performance by the Philadelphia Eagles.

No matter what schemes are popular and what year it is in the NFL, getting home by rushing only four players defensively and covering with seven with excellent tackling plays across all levels and all time in perpetuity.

Is the Eagles' model of elite trench play, along with scalping former first-round picks at the skill positions, a viable path toward team building? There probably is something there about Philadelphia's resource allocation, having 10 of 15 first-round picks being used on the trenches (seven on the defensive line) and zero round-one selections on running back, tight end, linebacker, or safety.

Attempting to follow the Eagles' positional value model while also helping out Bo Nix, the pathway points toward a position Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has appeared to play down with his public comments this offseason: the wide receiver.

With that said, let's dive into this week's three-round mock draft.

Round 1, Pick 20: Emeka Egbuka | WR | Ohio State

The run of great pass-catchers the Ohio State Buckeyes have put out in recent seasons is only rivaled by that of LSU. With such superstar profiles over the past three seasons, such as last year’s No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr., and this year’s super freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith (whom many have claimed would be in the discussion to be the No. 1 overall pick this year if eligible) the overshadowed but always productive Egbuka has not received the national notoriety he probably deserves.

A former highly-rated recruit in his own right, ranking as a five-star coming out of Steilacoom, Washington, Egbuka has been nothing but serviceable. After a fantastic playoff run, Egbuka stands alone as the Buckeyes’ all-time receiving yards leader with 2,867 yards.

Despite playing second fiddle to superstar pass-catchers at Ohio State, Egubka has made himself useful and invaluable no matter what role he played. As a versatile inside-outside pass-catcher with soft hands, he has functioned as a good outlet for his quarterbacks vs. zone coverage.

Egbuka is a solid weapon after the catch, a good route runner who can separate vs. man coverage, and he has the ability to stress defenses vertically, especially from the slot. Egbuka is solid or better in nearly every aspect necessary to the demands of a modern-day Z/slot receiver.

Egbuka did have an ankle sprain that required tightrope surgery following Ohio State’s 2023 Week 6 game vs. Maryland. He missed time and wasn’t 100% following that injury the rest of that season.

Egbuka rebounded in 2024, though, and once again became an integral part of the offense. He also, despite great numbers testing in high school, doesn't appear to be a special athlete in space with the ability to throttle into different gears to create separation before or after the catch.

One aspect teams will love about Egbuka is, despite his modest stature at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, he's a player who executes his assignments to the maximum of his capability, and until the whistle blows. Even if the play isn’t designed to go his way, he runs his routes hard or blocks his tail off. There are even instances of Ohio State utilizing Egbuka inline as a blocker. He simply competes.

Favorably compared to the likes of Detroit's Amon Ra St. Brown or Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin, Egbuka may never wind up a top 10 receiver in the entire league, but with how many ways he can win and his football character, it’s hard to imagine him not being a major contributor to whichever offense lands him.

Given the cost of receivers on the open market and the need for an all-around Z/slot type of Egbuka’s skill set, he's as safe of a pick as Broncos Country could hope for at No. 20.

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Round 2, Pick 51: TreVeyon Henderson | RB | Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) carries the ball on a run against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) carries the ball on a run against Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Gabriel Rubio (97) in the third quarter during the College Football Playoff championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025. / Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Let’s address the elephant in the room: Henderson’s medicals could completely make or break his stock as a prospect. After an incredibly explosive freshman season in Columbus, he missed chunks of 2022 and 2023 with injuries.

Specifically, Henderson’s foot will be of great interest to teams at the NFL Combine. If the Broncos’ medical staff, which is quickly gaining a reputation as being one of the best in the NFL, red flags Henderson, then it’s possible he’s completely off their board. We just won’t know that or have access to that information.

For the sake of this mock, we will operate like the Broncos gave the okay on Henderson’s medicals. Folks better hope that’s possible because he, outside of Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, is perhaps the most dynamic running back in the entire 2025 class and could perhaps fulfill Sean Payton’s demands of a “joker."

Henderson has not truly been utilized as an isolation weapon in the passing game, but he brings receiving value all the same because, even in simple check-downs, he's explosive after the catch. Furthermore, he's probably the singularly best pass-protecting back in the draft. He will plant free rushers into the ground and take joy in doing so.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 208 pounds, Henderson is not diminutive by any means and has the ability to tote the rock. Given how physical he is as a pass protector, one does wish he ran behind his pads a bit more often and offered a bit more physicality with the ball in his hands. To this point, he would much rather run away from defenders than through them. It’s worked in the Big Ten, but will it work in the NFL?

Henderson has the potential to continue to grow as a receiver and the ability to be an excellent complement to a more downhill between-the-tackles physical runner. In a league where it's imperative to create explosive plays on low-risk passes or via the run game, Henderson has a chance to be one of the most impactful backs in the entire 2025 draft class.

Round 3, Pick 85: Joshua Farmer | IDL | Florida State

Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Joshua Farmer (44) sacks Syracuse Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader (6).

Oct 14, 2023; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Joshua Farmer (44) sacks Syracuse Orange quarterback Garrett Shrader (6) during the first half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Outside of Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II, the strength of the Broncos defense came from the depth and talent along the defensive front. However, with most of the players along the defensive line set to hit free agency this season or next, the Broncos would be wise to use premium resources on a player who can rotate in 2025 and start in 2026 and beyond.

Also, given the depth of the interior defensive line in this draft class and the lesson taught by the Eagles this year, it would border on negligence not to add talent upfront. When it comes to the interior defensive line, it isn't a question of when and where but rather who and what flavor.

Should the Broncos look for a massive nose tackle? A 1-tech who can play the run but is more of a gap-shooter? What about a 4i tech who replaces Jordan Jackson and develops behind John Franklin-Myers for a year? Expect a defensive lineman in nearly every one of these mock draft exercises going forward.

One of the more slept-on prospects on the defensive line, likely due to a bad year from the program and the depth of the class, is Farmer. With a very thick build at 6-foot-3 and 314 pounds with an exceptional 35-¼-inch arm length, Farmer is a twitched-up lineman with the mass, power, and leverage to jar blockers against the run and the athleticism to shoot gaps.

For the Seminoles, Farmer lined up all across the interior defensive line and created chaos penetrating. Given that the Broncos blitzed more than any team in football last season and Vance Joseph’s one-gap-centric defensive fronts, a player that can handle a multitude of different gaps while still threatening as a disruptor is a great fit and valuable player both immediately in rotation as well as long-term as a future starter.

Farmer will need to work on his pad levels to play with more consistent leverage despite his natural advantage there at 6-foot-3. Seeming him off the hoof, his build and flashes scream quality NFL starter.

However, the consistency in technique and his motor draw questions. It will be up to the Broncos' scouting department to analyze Farmer's football character and intelligence because his raw gifts are unquestionable.

Round 1, Pick 20: Emeka Egbuka | WR | Ohio State

Round 2, Pick 51: TreVeyon Henderson | RB | Ohio State

Round 3, Pick 85: Joshua Farmer | IDL | Florida State

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