How the Broncos’ 2024 Rookie Class Helped Build a Playoff Contender

Earlier this week, head coach Sean Payton extolled the virtues of the Denver Broncos' 2024 rookie class while making the media rounds at the Super Bowl. Indeed, without the Herculean contributions of its rookie class, there's no way Denver wins 10 games and makes the playoffs.

"We felt like we had a good rookie class," Payton told Kay Adams.

As the Broncos enter a pivotal offseason looking to build on the foundational pieces laid last year, let's take a look back at the rookie class that Payton and the team is so proud of.

Nix started off a little slow, after winning the starting job in training camp and becoming the first Broncos rookie to start the season-opener since John Elway, but he eventually found his footing in the second frame.

Nix would win Rookie of the Month honors for October, going on a tear from there. He would finish the season with 3,775 passing yards and 29 touchdowns (the second-most by a rookie in NFL history), with 12 interceptions. He also rushed for four scores and even caught a touchdown, giving him 34 total from scrimmage.

Nix had more passing and total touchdowns than any NFL rookie quarterback, including the Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. Nix also posted the most games with 200-plus passing yards and two-plus touchdowns with zero interceptions in NFL history.

The most encouraging thing? Nix's prolific individual production translated to team success, as he led the Broncos to double-digit wins and a playoff berth. Named a team captain, even as a rookie, by season's end, he had completely earned the respect and leadership of the Broncos locker room.

Elliss started off his rookie season with a bang, but hit the dreaded rookie wall down the stretch. Even so, he finished with 31 defensive tackles (21 solo) and five sacks.

Among drafted rookies, Elliss finished with the third-most sacks in the NFL. He suffered an injury at the end of the season, but his rookie production is an optimistic harbinger of what's to come.

Nix's No. 1 target at Oregon also started off the season slow, but he began to ascend down the stretch. Franklin also caught Nix's only touchdown pass in the playoffs.

The pair became the first ever quarterback/receiver duo to connect for a touchdown in NFL playoff history. Franklin would finish the season with six starts, appearing in 16 games, and totaling 28 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns.

The future between this duo is bright.

The Broncos didn't turn to Abrams-Draine until the stretch run when Riley Moss went down with a knee injury, but boy did he answer the bell. Appearing in five games as a rookie with one start, 'KAD' brought some stability and playmaking prowess to the boundary opposite Patrick Surtain II when the Broncos absolutely needed him most.

Abrams-Draine's emergence led to the Broncos parting ways with veteran cornerback Levi Wallace. On the season, KAD would finish with nine tackles (five solo), two pass break-ups, and an interception. The Broncos will always look to bolster cornerback depth, but Abrams-Draine made it a much less dire directive.

Estime started off on thin ice, landing in the doghouse short-term due to fumbling issues. But after being made to walk the Broncos facility for weeks with a football always tucked in his arm, Payton eventually gave Estime another chance.

The former Notre Dame star would finish the season appearing in 13 games with one start. He rushed 76 times for 310 yards (4.1 avg.) and two touchdowns, while also catching five passes for 27 yards.

Estime could develop into something more, but at the very least, he showed signs of being a promising No. 2 back and a great short-yardage option.

One of the Broncos' most pleasant surprises of 2024 was Vele. The seventh-rounder out of Utah was viewed as merely an afterthought, until he beat out veterans like Tim Patrick and Lil'Jordan Humphrey for a role on offense.

The 6-foot-4 Vele would start six of the 13 games he appeared in as the Broncos' Z-receiver opposite Courtland Sutton. As a rookie, Vele was very reliable for Nix, catching multiple difficult passes that had a knack for moving the chains (26 first downs).

Vele finished his rookie season with 41 receptions on 55 targets for 475 yards and three touchdowns. The Broncos are very happy with the former Utah Ute.

Tillman was a UFL star the Broncos signed to compete in training camp, and he more than earned a spot on the roster. He became part of Denver's ferocious edge-rushing rotation, contributing five of the Broncos' league-high 63 sacks.

In tandem with Elliss, Tilman offers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper a formidable depth presence, and he was no slouch against the run either, totaling 23 tackles (13 solo) and five tackles for a loss. Tillman appeared in 12 games as a rookie.

The crown jewel of the Broncos' 2024 rookie class is Nix, but as you can see, Payton has ever reason to be happy with the group's contributions. The Broncos had to get skinny on the salary cap and lean on the youth of the roster last year thanks to the onerous impact of Russell Wilson's contract.

That can either pay off in spades for a team, or blow up in their face. In Denver's case, it paid off big time, springboarding the team into a new era, and setting the stage for the Broncos to "be a problem" for the NFL at large moving forward.