Predicting an all-in NFL Draft and free agency pick

Like it or not, the Denver Broncos are likely going “all-in” on Bo Nix for 2025, so let’s do an all-in NFL Draft and free agency pick. The recovering Denver Broncos are 3-3 after six games and have a realistic chance of being 5-3 in about two weeks. They are certainly ahead of schedule as they are starting a rookie quarterback and have plenty of holes on the roster offensively.

The defense has taken a big leap this year and the special teams are still pretty solid so don’t look now, but the offense is really the only part the team is missing from a complete team. Since the team is resetting at QB with Bo Nix, who has shown flashes, the team will not only give him the entire 2024 season, but potentially the entire 2025 season as well.

I wouldn’t expect a rookie quarterback to be able to develop properly on offense under these conditions, as the team simply doesn’t have a viable playmaking unit at all. So with the Broncos expected to have a mountain of player cap space and also have their first and second round picks in 2025, it’s likely that this team will make a strong offensive push in the offseason while keeping the defense strong.

Let’s put together an all-in offseason selection using free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft.

This is the big fish in free agency and unless something wild changes, Tee Higgins will be a free agent and the best WR on the market. He’s a no. 1 wide receiver and someone the Denver Broncos need to make a legitimate offer to. It would almost be a disappointment if he didn’t sign with the team next March.

Why not? Darius Slayton has been a top WR in the NFL for years with the New York Giants. You might argue that signing two WRs in free agency is a bit excessive considering Denver still has Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, Josh Reynolds and Devaughn Vele, and you may be right, but this team desperately needs multiple playmakers. At some point an offense will happen.

Signing Tee Higgins and Darius Slayton would certainly force Denver to make one, maybe two, bold moves at WR as the roster-cutting deadline approaches, but this team will most likely go all-in next offseason, so hopefully they’ll get aggressive be.

The free agent TE market in 2025 isn’t particularly big at this point, but Tyler Conklin is a good receiving threat and could elevate the room for a few years. The TE position is also one that the Broncos need to reach in the 2025 NFL Draft as well.

Najee Harris seems like an interesting RB. He rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of the first three seasons of his career, but averaged 3.9 yards per carry over the course of his career. However, he has 158 receptions in 57 career regular season games and has never missed a single start in the NFL.

He’s a high-floor, low-ceiling running back who has performed every year of his career and is well on his way to breaking 1,000 yards rushing again. He would be a nice security blanket for Bo Nix and could form a deadly RB trio with Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin.

I was wrong about DJ Jones; I was sure the Broncos would cut him last offseason, but not only did they not, Jones is having a crazy year. I can’t imagine the Broncos not bringing him back for another year or two unless they have someone else in mind to take his place. I could well imagine that this team wanted to keep the current defense together for as long as possible.

This, along with tackling the WR room, should be a top priority for the Denver Broncos. Re-signing Jonathon Cooper needs to get done, and frankly the team should really start thinking about doing it now. It’s just getting more expensive.

I believe Denver traded for Zach Wilson last offseason to eventually move him into the QB2 role and give the Broncos a higher cap option as a backup. With Jarrett Stidham and Wilson set to be free agents in 2025, I don’t see how the Broncos would choose Stiddy over Wilson. Expect the return of Zach Wilson.

As a free agent with exclusive rights in 2025, the Denver Broncos should simply sign Ja’Quan McMillian to a multi-year free agent contract extension to keep him in Denver during his prime years. He has developed into one of the best slot CBs in the NFL.

Denver would have to do something with players like Mitchell Fraboni, Michael Burton, Lucas Krull, Quinn Bailey and others. Some of these plays are low end plays that may not take the team much time to execute. Therefore, I don’t think they are worth covering in the scope of this detailed article.

Now let’s move on to a hypothetical 2025 NFL Draft.

Emery Jones plays right tackle for LSU and could be someone to step inside at the NFL level, but since the Broncos don’t re-sign Garett Bolles in this scenario, Denver could be forced to take a potential tackle candidate in the first round to accept.

Personally, I am convinced that OL coach Zach Strief can develop Jones into a starting tackle

Tyler Warren is considered one of the top TE prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class and has already caught 40 passes for Penn State in 2024. The addition of Tyler Conklin and Tyler Warren completely revamps their TE room and also gives them two Tylers at the position.

The Denver Broncos have done a good job investing in the trenches over the last two offseasons, and I don’t expect that to change in the 2025 NFL Draft, so Oregon’s Derrick Harmon is the No. 1, 80th pick.

The Broncos now have one of the best secondaries in the NFL. The team will see safety PJ Locke III enter the final year of his contract in 2025, and beyond that, it can’t hurt to get another young defensive player back in the room.

How about this juicy selection? The Denver Broncos should continue to work on the QB position. To provide cap space protection and also the very slim chance that a late-round QB pick can turn into a franchise QB, the Broncos are selecting Kyle McCord with pick 192 in this scenario.

This pick is simply about adding some depth to the offensive line. Joshua Gray plays for Oregon State and would give Denver more youth on offense.

This blanket outlook for 2025 may prove to be completely inaccurate, but the idea that they will be aggressive next offseason will actually become true when the 2025 offseason officially begins in March of next year.