The Denver Broncos have a tough decision to make when it comes to the first round of the 2025 NFL draft on a binary level — do they take a running back or do they take another position?
From a big picture standpoint, it’s not as complicated. Whichever player gets brought into that spot is done so with the central thought of what role they will play in helping second-year quarterback Bo Nix. Doing that is the main goal.
While taking a running back is a much flashier move, it might not be the most prudent for the Broncos in terms of Nix’s long term health — that would be adding an offensive lineman, of which there should be plenty of available to
ESPN’s Matt Miller warned the Broncos against drafting a running back and especially the apple of their fans’ eye in record-setting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
Jeanty led the nation with 2,601 rushing yards in 2024 to go with 7.0 yards per carry and 30 total touchdowns. He was also the Heisman Trophy runner-up and led Boise State to the College Football Playoff for the first time.
“I LOVE Ashton Jeanty, but you have to think about stacking your picks given the depth at RB this year,” Miller wrote on his official X account on January 20. “Jeanty Rd1 + a Rd OT or DE vs. Rd1 OT or DE + (Quinshon) Judkins, (Kaleb) Johnson, (Omarion) Hampton Rd2 Team needs will obviously factor in, but if I’m a Cowboys or Broncos fan I’m probably hoping we go RB in the 2nd and check a bigger box in Round 1.”
Broncos Could Use Same Template as Bucs at OT
If the Broncos are looking for a template on how to draft and develop an offensive tackle they should look at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 3-time NFL All-Pro Tristan Wirfs, who became the first player to earn All-Pro honors at both right offensive tackle and left offensive tackle.
Wirfs, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, was a plug-and-play starter at right offensive tackle as a rookie, helped lead the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl that season and developed into an All-Pro at right tackle before moving to left tackle.
Now protecting quarterback Baker Mayfield’s blind side, Wirfs signed a 5-year, $140.6 million contract before the 2024 season that made him the NFL’s highest paid offensive lineman of all time. He’s also arguably the NFL’s most dominant offensive lineman.
The Broncos have a roster that could foster that same type of progress for a player taken in the first round. Denver has a veteran incumbent with left offensive tackle Garrett Bolles, who just signed a 4-year, $82 million contract extension and at right tackle have another elite player in Mike McGlinchey, who still has 3 seasons left on a 5-year, $87.5 million contract extension he signed in March 2023.
The Broncos also have arguably the NFL’s best guard with NFL All-Pro Quinn Meinerz, who signed a 4-year, $80 million contract extension in July 2024. That means the Broncos can add an elite rookie to play around proven veterans and develop into a star over the next few years while learning from some of the NFL’s elite offensive linemen.
