Over the last week, the Denver Broncos have made some critical free-agent additions that targeted specific areas of need. The Broncos upgraded at safety with Talanoa Hufanga and brought in Dre Greenlaw as a cover linebacker and Evan Engram as their big slot/joker, which head coach Sean Payton has long been searching for to complement Bo Nix.
Even retaining defensive tackle D.J. Jones preempted a possible roster hole. The Broncos are going into the 2025 NFL draft without any significant needs.
While one can argue that running back remains a need, the Broncos could be comfortable with Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, and Tyler Badie and see if they can find consistency. The team will likely add a running back in the draft, but with a deep class, Denver doesn't have to force the pick early.
The Broncos have given themselves the freedom to go any which way in the draft. With the stage set thusly, let's get to this week's seven-round Broncos mock draft.
As always, these mocks use a simulator to make the picks for the other teams.
Round 1, Pick 20: Derrick Harmon | IDL | Oregon
The aforementioned Jones and Harmon are two different players on the defensive line, and Jones being re-signed shouldn’t keep the Duck from being an option for Denver. Jones is a nose tackle, while Harmon can play 3-technique to 5-technique. Harmon would be upgrading the depth behind John Frankjlin-Myers and Zach Allen while giving the Broncos a replacement option if they can’t extend both.
Right now, every Broncos 3-4 defensive end except one is set to be a free agent after the 2025 season. Franklin-Myers, Allen, Jordan Jackson, and Matt Henningsen are those defensive ends, with Eyioma Uwazurike still under contract due to his suspension. Malcolm Roach is a nose tackle, along with Jones and Jordan Miller.
Harmon has excellent versatility and can play all over the line. He has great size and an excellent build, plenty of power to handle double teams, and the quickness to shoot gaps. His movement skills make him a threat as a stunter, and he can generate push up the middle to make the quarterback uncomfortable.
Concentrated efforts will need to be made in Harmon's footwork to keep him driving his lower half when working as a pass rusher. He has too many instances of stagnancy within a rep, leaving opportunities on the field.
Harmon's pad level can also create issues. He has been called for nine penalties in the last two years, and they're all avoidable penalties.
With Denver focusing on improving run defense, Harmon is an excellent option. He's a stout run defender, and his versatility to move around the front, even with the ability to play as a 0/1 technique occasionally, raises his value. Over the past week, Harmon has been moving up public boards, with many comments about his low point being in his mid-20s.
Round 2, Pick 51: Carson Schwesinger | LB | UCLA
It's great that the Broncos brought in Greenlaw, but the position still needs help. Not only do the Broncos need to upgrade the depth and find someone who can step in if Greenlaw gets hurt, but they need an option to replace Alex Singleton after the season. Schwesinger has the traits to back up Greenlaw as a rookie and to develop into a starter for 2026 and beyond.
The instincts and football IQ with Schwesinger are off the charts and it's easy to see when he's working in coverage. He's rarely caught out of position and seldom bites on play-action fakes.
Schwesinger's reads are quick, and he's a good athlete with the speed to react promptly. On the rare occasions he does get caught looking, his athleticism allows him to recover and get back into position.
When working as a downhill run defender, Schwesinger needs to be better at sorting through the trash and disengaging from blocks. There are too many instances of getting caught and being unable to get off, which essentially takes him out of the play.
Schwesinger also doesn’t have the size and build to be a tone-setter as a tackler and had 11 missed tackles at UCLA. He also has just one season as a starter in college.
Schwesinger is a cover linebacker who works well sideline-to-sideline. His deficiencies come from working between the tackles.
Singleton is more of a sideline-to-sideline and between-the-tackles run defender, which could raise concerns about Schwesinger being the option to replace the veteran in 2026. Still, it isn’t like Schwesinger doesn’t have the traits to develop to be effective between the tackles, which is why he works as a backup to Greenlaw as a rookie, with the characteristics to develop to start next to him, replacing Singleton in 2026.
Round 3, Pick 85: DJ Giddens | RB | Kansas State
Over the past two seasons, the Broncos' run game has been lackluster at best, while Giddens has thrived at the collegiate level. With nearly 2,600 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns to two fumbles, Giddens has been one of the more productive collegiate backs. While his receiving leaves a lot to be desired, he can fill a specific role that Payton has used frequently as a head coach.
One of Giddens's best traits is his vision as a runner — how he sees running lanes as they're developing and finding the open lane is a sixth sense. When you add how agile and elusive he is in tight quarters, he can be that ideal back to pound the rock between the tackles. His ball security, with only one fumble in two seasons, only adds to his value as a between-the-tackles runner.
Work will need to be done to develop Giddens' blocking, as he can be a bit too complacent in pass protection. When you watch a running back block, they need to take the fight to the linebacker, and Giddens doesn’t do that. His technique is poor, which leads to a lot of unnecessary contact on the quarterback.
When watching the Broncos' run game last year, ball security, vision, and patience were the big three detriments to finding consistency. Giddens checks all three of those boxes and would give Denver an option to replace what they lost in Javonte Williams.
Giddens would compete for the role with Audric Estime. While Giddens hasn’t shown much as a receiver, what we have seen out of him is better than what we have seen of Estime.
Round 4, Pick 122: Nohl Williams | CB | California
There are some concerns over Riley Moss, who has missed games in the last two seasons and only has two years left on his rookie contract. Ja’Quan McMillian is also running out of cost-controlled years.
Kris Abrams-Draine did well stepping up when needed, but he has some inside/out versatility. Broncos GM George Paton loves corners, and Williams would be a great schematic fit.
First off, Williams has plenty of value for special teams. He can step into a gunner role or offer up returner ability to back up Pro Bowler Marvin Mims Jr. as the returner. For depth players, which Williams would be at least for the first year or two, special teams matter, and he may have more value on special teams than Abrams-Draine.
Williams is an outstanding presence in coverage and in making plays on the ball. He doubled his career interceptions, entering 2024 with seven, to bring his total to 14, and added 21 pass break-ups, nine of them last season. He's a clean technician when it comes to attacking the ball in the air, which leads to his playmaking.
In the 2022 season, Williams had some issues with being grabby in coverage, but he put in the work and showed improvement there in 2023 and 2024, with seven total penalties. His strength as a tackler isn’t great, which was an issue in 2023 with 14 missed tackles, but he cut down to three last season.
There are also concerns about Williams' run defense. His ability to be sticky in coverage and read the quarterback makes him a threat in coverage.
Round 6, Pick 191: Jo’quavioius “Woody” Marks | RB | USC
Again, the Broncos need to rebuild their running back room, even with McLaughlin and Estime. Even with McLaughlin's strong ending to the season, he has lacked consistency to bet on for a significant role in the offense. Estime has much growing to do before he can be relied upon, and neither has shown the work needed as a pass protector or receiver.
Marks is one of the best receiving backs in the draft and could help cut into the loss of Williams as a receiving back, who was among the leading backs in the NFL in targets. Marks has shown the ability to be a threat out of the backfield, work in the slot, or even out on the boundary, giving Payton a running back he can move around the formation.
Not only would Marks help fill the void as a receiving back, but he's also a capable pass protector. Is he among the best backs in the draft in this aspect? No, but he's more than serviceable in providing that third-down ability without it being obvious what's happening in the backfield.
As a runner, Marks can struggle with grabbers when working behind the tackles and doesn’t have the home-run speed to stretch things out. He can still be effective as a runner, at least effective enough to be that three-phase player in the NFL.
There is also no concern about Marks entering the NFL over ball security, which is a significant factor as average possessions are dropping, and such an emphasis is made on defense stealing extra possessions.
Round 6, Pick 197: Roc Taylor | WR | Memphis
Multiple reports have indicated the Broncos' interest in Taylor, a big and physical receiver. He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 213 pounds, and works quite well underneath. He knows how to present an open target for the quarterback and could develop into a slot merchant for the Broncos.
Despite a physical playstyle, Taylor struggles with physical corners, especially when they press at the line of scrimmage. It might be a problem for him to find a living on the boundary, but he could see a role in the slot in the NFL.
While Taylor isn’t as tall (two inches shorter) and not as heavy (12 pounds lighter) than Lil’Jordan Humphrey, that is the type of role he plays. Taylor also has room on his frame to add extra bulk for that role.
Taylor has a bad habit of 'body catching,' and he doesn’t have natural hands to pluck the ball outside his frame. Over his collegiate career, he has had 13 drops, with nine of them in the last two years. Now, he was a high-volume target in the Memphis offense, with those nine drops in the previous two years coming on 209 targets.
Taylor lacks great speed and isn’t a great route runner, which will limit his route tree in the NFL. However, he does quite well on a few routes and brings his physicality as a blocker. These traits make him a candidate to compete for the specific role Payton loves.
Round Six, Pick 208: Taylor Elgersma | QB | Wilfrid Laurier (Canadian)
The Canadian football player broke onto the scene at the Senior Bowl and recently threw at the University of Buffalo’s Pro Day, where he met with the Broncos. The Broncos gushed about him and could have him on their radar.
There obviously isn’t a need for a top quarterback with Nix, but Payton and the Broncos could be looking for a developmental quarterback. It's such a valued position that you should always draft one and see what can become of it. Elgersma could sit on the practice squad for a couple of years to develop the traits and adjust to the NFL game, which the Broncos should look for in a quarterback this year.
Nix is the unquestioned starter, and the Broncos brought Jarrett Stidham back to be the backup quarterback. There's a chance Elgersma could make the roster as the third quarterback like Zach Wilson did last year.
That would give the Broncos an emergency quarterback for the season while securing the developmental quarterback instead of opening up the door for Elgersma to be signed off the practice squad. Of course, his showing in training camp and the preseason will determine where he will end up for the season.
There are plenty of traits to develop with Elgersma, including a strong arm capable of making all the NFL throws you may need. However, he does have to adjust to the differences in the way the NFL plays the game compared to Canada. At the Senior Bowl, there was praise for how well he adapted and did with picking up the game and the calls.
Mock: What Went Wrong
I hoped to land a tight end in Round 4 after passing on one the round prior for Giddens. The target at tight end went with pick 119, but the fallback option at running back also went before.
So it was a lose/lose situation. Ideally, a tight end would be added at some point in the draft, as Engram is only on a two-year deal, but the board didn’t fall that way.
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