Broncos' New Worst-Case Draft Scenario has Been Foreseen

Is this a scenario that's keeping Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton up at night?

Chad Jensen | Mar 20, 2025

Dec 28, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton takes the field before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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Denver Broncos

As the first wave of NFL free agency has crested and ebbed away, so has the accompanying glow for Denver Broncos fans. It was a great haul, no doubt, and it filled most of the key roster holes, but a few needs remain.

With the splash free-agent signings officially in the books, the league's attention is once again turning to the NFL draft. The Broncos hold the No. 20 overall pick in the first round, and after two-plus months of one running back or tight end after another getting mocked to Denver, it's been wide receivers of late.

Sean Payton claimed at the Super Bowl that he's very happy with Denver's wideout room — the implication being that receiver is not viewed internally as a need. That wouldn't preclude the Broncos from drafting one, however, especially within the scope of the best-player-available philosophy, which is exactly the prerogative this free-agent haul has afforded the team.

But how does that apply to the first round, where several wideouts are projected to be drafted? Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker sees three of the top-4 receivers being off the board by the time the Broncos go on the clock, which, oddly, he views as a worst-case scenario for the Broncos. He must have missed Payton's Super Bowl interview.

"The Broncos seemingly have their Week 1 starter at tight end after signing Evan Engram. That leaves wide receiver next to Courtland Sutton as an apparent hole, even though Marvin Mims Jr. and Devaughn Vele both eclipsed the 70.0 PFF receiving grade mark in 2024," Locker wrote. "A few weeks ago, Broncos brass likely felt more comfortable with one of the draft’s top receivers — Tetairoa McMillan, Matthew Golden, Emeka Embuka or Luther Burden III — being around at Pick No. 20. Now, that seems a bit more dubious following a strong NFL Combine from Golden and more teams (e.g., Jets, Seahawks ) in pursuit of receivers. At least three of those names being crossed off by Denver’s first-round pick could make general manager George Paton desperate to select another one or cause him to pivot to a running back."

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All due respect to Locker, but if the Broncos "pivot," it's likely be away from a running back at pick 20 and to another premium position, which could, in fairness, be a wide receiver. From the outside looking in, I would have thought that wide receiver would be viewed internally as a bonafide priority need, but after Payton's remarks to Kay Adams, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Golden has been mocked to the Broncos recently, and since, say, March started, so has McMillan. I haven't seen Burden mocked to Denver, although, Embuka was the one receiver garnering Broncos links in January and February.

The Broncos landed Payton's joker in Engram, but he's also a big slot. Engram checks multiple need boxes for Denver.

I still expect the Broncos to draft a wide receiver, but I'm thinking Day 2 at the soonest. But it is the NFL. Never say never. After covering the Broncos for 12 years, I've learned that anything is possible in the NFL, and we're still getting to know Payton, after all.

So none of this is to eviscerate Locker's take. But I think he might have it backwards relative to the pivot and the top priority.

But if the Broncos are going to take the BPA approach, any of the premium positions are possible at pick 20. The fanbase should be ready for anything, including defensive tackle, linebacker, tight end, running back, and, last but not necessarily least, wide receiver.

I wouldn't rule out a safety either. The one aspect with which I will emphatically disagree with Locker is that only one of the first-round-graded wideouts ends up being available at pick 20. There are much worse possible outcomes if we're thinking of the-sky-is-falling scenarios.

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