Draft season in Denver always feels like a high-stakes poker game. Especially lately. After the 2024 season showed some serious flashes of a Bo Nix-led resurgence, everyone was looking at George Paton and Sean Payton to see how they'd bolster the roster. They had seven picks. People expected big things. But once the dust settled on the broncos 2025 nfl draft pick list, the "reach" labels started flying around faster than a pass from Nix. Honestly? Most of those snap judgments were pretty lazy.
If you just look at the big boards from the draft experts, you’ll see a lot of C+ grades. But Denver wasn't drafting for the media. They were drafting for a very specific Sean Payton system.
The First-Round Shocker: Jahdae Barron at 20
Let’s talk about the big one. With the 20th overall selection, Denver grabbed Jahdae Barron out of Texas. If you're a casual fan, you might’ve been asking "Who?" at your TV screen. But if you watch Big 12 or SEC tape, you know this kid was the Jim Thorpe Award winner. He’s basically a Swiss Army knife in the secondary.
The Broncos already have Patrick Surtain II, the gold standard. So, why a corner? Because Vance Joseph loves versatility. Barron isn't just a boundary guy. He played the "Big Nickel" role at Texas, which is basically a hybrid of corner, safety, and linebacker. He’s 5-10, 194 pounds, but he plays like he’s 215.
During his rookie year in 2025, Barron appeared in every single game. He didn't start every one, but he played about 30% of the defensive snaps. He picked off a pass, broke up five more, and recovered a fumble. Critics pointed to his struggles in deep coverage—he got burned a few times—but as a rookie "big nickel," his impact was felt. He’s the type of player who allows a defensive coordinator to get creative with blitzes and disguised coverages.
Trading Down to Get the Home Run Hitter
Round two was where things got chaotic. Denver had pick 51. They traded it away to Carolina. Then they traded again with Detroit. By the time they actually turned in a card, they were at pick 60.
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The pick: RJ Harvey, RB, UCF.
This was arguably the most "Sean Payton" pick of the entire weekend. Harvey is small—5-8, 205 pounds—but he is a touchdown machine. At UCF, he set a school record with 48 total touchdowns. In Denver’s 2025 season, he proved that wasn't a fluke. He ended up leading all NFL rookies with 12 total touchdowns.
- 540 rushing yards
- 146 attempts
- 7 rushing TDs
- 47 receptions
- 5 receiving TDs
Those 47 catches are the stat that matters. Payton has been looking for his next Alvin Kamara since he stepped foot in Colorado. Harvey isn't Kamara yet, but he’s the closest thing the Broncos have had. He struggled with vision early on, missing some holes that a veteran would’ve hit, but his "home run" ability is real. If he settles down in 2026, he could legitimately become the featured back.
Addressing the Perimeter and the Edge
In the third round, Denver went back to the offense with Pat Bryant from Illinois at pick 74. At 6-2, Bryant is a big-bodied receiver who reminds some folks of the receivers Payton had in New Orleans. He didn't light the world on fire immediately, but he grabbed 31 balls for 378 yards and a score.
What’s interesting about Bryant is how his playing time grew. By December, he was playing nearly half the offensive snaps. He’s reliable. Not flashy, just reliable.
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Then came the trades for defense. The Broncos sent a package to Philadelphia to move around and secure two edge rushers:
- Sai’vion Jones (LSU) at pick 101.
- Que Robinson (Alabama) at pick 134.
Jones is a 4-3 defensive end prototype with a massive frame (6-5, 280 lbs). Robinson is more of a developmental project who made his bones on special teams at Alabama before exploding in 2024. Both players represent the Broncos trying to find "value" in the middle rounds. Jones, in particular, is being groomed to take over a starting spot in 2026 as the veteran defensive line depth starts to thin out.
The Specialists and the Wildcards
You don't usually see teams draft punters, but the Broncos weren't messing around after Riley Dixon left. They took Jeremy Crawshaw from Florida in the sixth round. He’s got a cannon for a leg. He’s one of those guys who can flip the field, which is vital when you’re playing in the thin air of Mile High.
Finally, at 241, they took Caleb Lohner. This is the "Sean Payton special." Lohner was a basketball player at BYU and Baylor before switching to football at Utah as a tight end. He’s huge. He’s athletic. He’s also a total project. He spent most of 2025 learning how to block, but the team is high on his "basketball-to-NFL" upside. Think Mo Alie-Cox or Antonio Gates—that's the dream, anyway.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Class
The common narrative is that the Broncos reached. They took Harvey higher than some mocks had him. They took Bryant when "better" names were on the board.
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But look at the 2025 season results. The team won games because they had specific players for specific roles. Harvey provided the receiving threat out of the backfield that Jaleel McLaughlin couldn't fully shoulder due to his size in pass protection. Barron provided the versatility to handle the shifty slot receivers in the AFC West.
A draft grade given in April is just a guess. A draft grade given after the 2025 season shows a team that knew exactly what it needed to compete.
Real Insight for 2026:
If you're watching the Broncos this coming season, keep an eye on the "Year 2 Jump." Specifically, watch RJ Harvey’s vision. If he stops dancing behind the line and starts hitting the gaps the way he did at UCF, he’s a Pro Bowl candidate. Also, watch Jahdae Barron’s snaps. If Riley Moss is healthy, Barron might move into a more permanent "Joker" role in the secondary where he can hunt the ball rather than just cover a man.
The broncos 2025 nfl draft pick strategy was about fit over fame. It was about finding players who wouldn't just sit on the bench, but would actually play 30-50% of the snaps as rookies. By that metric, George Paton and Sean Payton actually knocked it out of the park, even if the draft gurus didn't give them an 'A' at the time.
To truly understand where this roster is going, you should track the development of Sai'vion Jones this offseason. If he bulks up another 10 pounds without losing his bend, the Broncos' pass rush—which has been a question mark—might finally have its answer. Check the training camp reports in July; that's where the 2025 class will either cement themselves as starters or remain "rotational" pieces.