Broncos Predicted to Skip RB in Round 1, Still Flood Roster With Impact

The Denver Broncos don't have to draft a running back in the first round.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With the NFL draft quickly approaching, the Denver Broncos' options remain shockingly open. Yes, the Broncos desperately need to add additional running back talent to a room currently featuring Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, and Blake Watson, but that doesn't mean the Broncos are squarely in a “running back or bust” posture with their 20th selection.

It should be argued that never has there been a team in NFL history in any draft ever that has been in that specific position. As was shown in 2024, the league perhaps had jumped the shark on the value of the position that is now starting to trend back up, but running back is still a position with ample options and a short shelf life in the NFL.

It would fill the Broncos’ biggest need should they select Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty or North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton at 20 overall, but the draft is far beyond what the Broncos do with their first-round selection. With the ample talent available at the position, there will be excellent options throughout Day 2 and 3 as well.

Bypassing running back at 20 was exactly what NBC Sports and co-host of the NFL Stock Exchange Draft podcast Connor Rogers did in his recent three-round mock for the Broncos. Rogers mocked Texas wideout Matthew Golden to Denver at pick 20, Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson at 51, and Tennessee interior defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott at 85.

The Broncos addressed everything except their tight end room with positions of need at appropriate values for each position and prospect in Rogers' mock.

"This Broncos offense starts to look pretty loaded if they can add one more wide receiver and a home run hitting back, so that’s where we go here. Despite his sub 4.3 timed speed, I think Golden’s best ability is the detail in his routes," Rogers wrote. "Henderson is a nightmare in space, where he can destroy angles in outside zone, but also motion out as a wide receiver. After bringing back D.J. Jones before free agency to solidify the run defense, Norman-Lott brings interior pass rush burst and twitch."

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Mocking Hampton just one pick later to the Pittsburgh Steelers at pick 21 would likely send some Broncos fans into a panic before Friday’s selections start, but fret not, Broncos Country, as Henderson falls all the way to 51 and is arguably a better fit for the Broncos’ needs and Sean Payton’s offense.

The Broncos did a really good job in free agency addressing most of their pressing needs. Now the Broncos can look towards value positions and impending expiring contracts (on top of the need at running back) to help direct their allocation of resources in the draft.

With three of the top four interior defensive linemen on the roster set to hit free agency and third contracts in 2026 and wide receiver Courtland Sutton entering his age-30 season and likely in line for a contract that will pay him $25 million-plus per season, adding a dynamic pass-catcher in Round 1 such as Golden and adding a rotational developmental interior player like Norman-Lott would simply be smart roster construction for the Broncos.

Both prospects would have an obvious rookie role with ample snaps available to impact the field and give the Broncos insurance and potentially a soft landing should they be forced to let talent walk next offseason — a position Denver has not been in in quite some time and the reality of a talented depth chart, not everyone can be kept and paid. That’s why it's imperative to draft players a year before gaping roster holes appear.

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The Broncos did just that with Rogers’ three-round mock while also addressing their most glaring immediate weakness at running back. Should the Broncos walk away with the players and positions mocked in this scenario, fans should be excited about the now and future of the team as it enters an era of contention in the talented AFC West.

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