Broncos Boost Roster in BPA-Disciplined 3-Round Mock Draft

The Denver Broncos' free-agent approach has freed them up to stay disciplined to the best-player-available approach in the NFL draft.

Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton (RB09) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos have done what every team builder in the league aspires to do every offseason: fill out a roster so that it has nearly zero immediate needs prior to the NFL draft. There are always teams with drastic needs so abhorrent that they can sink a season, resulting in the firing of a front office and coaching staff.

Some squads are desperate for a quarterback. Others have horrifying holes across the offensive line. Looking at some depth charts around the league, it's impossible to imagine some of their defensive lines can hold up this coming season, while other defenses have weaknesses in the secondary that any average passing offense can exploit.

The Broncos, by and large, are not one of these teams with glaring faults scattered across their roster that could tank their playoff aspirations, leaving them open to flexibility in the draft. That is, outside of the blinking check engine light that is Denver's current running back room.

The Broncos were linked with free agent running back Aaron Jones this offseason, with reports they were very interested in acquiring his services. There are still free-agent options out there, such as J.K. Dobbins and Nick Chubb, but Denver is likely to wait until the draft to address the position.

The Broncos could find their running back as early as the first round as well. With the stage being set, let's dive into this week's three-round Broncos mock draft.

Round 1, Pick 20: Omarion Hampton | RB | North Carolina

By no means are the Broncos forced to go with running back with their first-round selection. This running back class is likely the most talented since 2008, a group that had five backs taken in the first round, with the likes of Matt Forte and Jamaal Charles taken on Day 2.

So Denver will have options to take running backs after pick 20 and potentially select multiple. However, if the Broncos love a running back available at pick 20, they shouldn’t be completely scared off by the perceived positional value given where the team build currently sits.

Outside of Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, the next consensus back off the board is North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton. With Hampton's mock selections ranging from 10 overall to the bottom of the first round, he has a real chance of being the highest-graded player on the Broncos' board when they're on the clock.

Measuring in at 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds, Hampton tested exceptionally well in Indianapolis with his 40-yard dash at 4.46 seconds and his broad and vertical jumps all coming out in the 90th percentile or better compared to historical metrics for the running back position.

Hampton is a true do-it-all running back. He doesn’t possess true game-breaking speed with the ball in his hands and won’t be confusing anyone for the upper-echelon receiving backs in the game, but he can do a bit of everything within a fantastic frame that indicates he shouldn’t limit your offense in any way as a three-down option.

Hampton is a physical runner who continuously bounces off would-be tacklers and can turn negative plays into runs of 10-20 yards. His physicality and explosiveness would give Denver a much-needed bump to a run game that already has the offensive line and infrastructure in place to be a great rushing offense but simply lacks quality options at running back.

Outside of lacking true game-breaking speed or mismatch receiving ability, Hampton also is not the most crafty runner in the open field. He tends to lack creativity with the ball in his hands and is more of a one-speed downhill rusher than someone who can vary tempo.

That one-speed downhill style also lends itself to missed gaps and pacing behind the line of scrimmage. Oftentimes, watching Hampton and his aggressive style can lead to missed opportunities and questions about his overall vision.

Regardless, with Hampton's athletic profile, size, and overall well-rounded game, he's sure to hear his name called on Day 1 and could be a massive boost to the Broncos. It can be argued the Broncos can wait until later to find a back, but given that the position is the last remaining hole for a team obviously going for it right now in Bo Nix’s rookie contract window, an early pick on a running back like Hampton is very much a viable option at pick 20.

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Round 2, Pick 51: Tyleik Williams | DL | Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Tyleik Williams (91) celebrates the tackle of Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) on a run during the first quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium on Oct 26, 2024, in Columbus. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Perhaps one of the most explosive and violent defensive linemen in the 2025 NFL draft, the Broncos stop the slide of Williams in this mock, who falls due to his lack of pass-rushing output during his time playing for the Buckeyes.

It’s true, despite his athletic traits, Williams did not possess great pass-rushing statistics, which could easily push him down the board. However, his combination of size, fluidity, explosiveness, and disruption (and perhaps the heaviest hands in this class) make him a high-floor run defender with pass-rushing potential still on the table.

Measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 338 pounds with 32-inch arm length, Williams’ get-off does suggest he can play some 4i reps behind the likes of Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers when Denver wants to be heavy up front, but his ideal role will be the 3 technique down to 1 technique playing with D.J. Jones and Malcolm Roach (with the latter being a free agent after this season). Williams is arguably one of the best run defenders in this class, specifically as a pocket pusher and disruptor.

Indeed, Williams is an exceedingly talented run defender who can knock back blockers and chase down ball carries in the backfield. He isn’t always elite at anchoring and can get too high from time to time when engaged, but in a Broncos scheme that emphasizes penetration and manufacturing one-on-ones, he can be a force against guards.

Williams will need to continue to work on his hands and develop pass-rush plans, but his raw ability playing rotationally early on a line like Denver’s would give him time to develop and display his gifts early.

There is no such thing as having too many good players up front, and an investment in the top 100 in such a talented defensive line class with the Broncos set to lose three of their four top starters on the interior this season should be the plan in the draft.

Round 3, Pick 8:. Jacob Parrish | CB | Kansas State

Dec 28, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Kansas State cornerback Jacob Parrish (10) celebrates an interception against NC State in the fourth quarter at Camping World Stadium. / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Do the Broncos necessarily need a cornerback? No.

However, given the fragility and volatility of the position, if the Broncos identify a corner they love sometime in the draft, they absolutely should look to add talent to the room at one of the more valuable positions, especially given Riley Moss’ injury history, missing games in college and both of his years in the NFL so far. The Broncos could get thin and fast at a position that could sink an otherwise outstanding defense on paper.

Parrish, in this writer’s opinion, is one of the more underrated prospects in the 2025 class and has a chance to become a quality starting cornerback either on the perimeter or slot in the league. He won’t be every team’s favorite player at 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds with 30-⅞-inch arm length, but he is incredibly feisty and fluid on tape and plays with tenacity to match up with receivers much bigger than him on paper.

Kansas State asked Parrish to play on an island often the past two seasons, and he was up for the challenge and perhaps one of the most competitive players at his position this season. He has the fluidity and short-area quickness to stay in the receivers' hips, is aggressive with his hands, and is athletic enough to make up distance between him and his assignment when the ball is thrown.

Parrish's lack of size will always be a limiting factor as much larger receivers can simply out-reach him on well-run routes and throws, but he will be in position to make a play and will not let it be easy for any receiver he matches up against.

Despite his size, Parrish has an appetite for physicality as a tackler and run defender. He isn’t afraid to come downhill and hit in the quick game and will lower his shoulder matchup versus blockers in space.

This propensity for contact lends itself well to Parrish’s projection as an inside-outside cornerback because, in today’s NFL, slot defenders must be physical and take on contact versus the tight ends and big slots now defining offensive personnel.

After an excellent Combine athletic testing-wise, outside of his diminutive frame, there’s a chance Parrish is picked closer to the Broncos’ second-round pick at 51 as opposed to falling to 85. However, with his current consensus spot being closer to the top of Round 4, projecting an excellent and aggressive versatile man corner like Parrish to Denver in Round 3 makes a lot of sense for the Broncos should they want to fortify their secondary further.

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