Broncos 2025 Season Preview

 With training camp behind us, the Broncos have finalized their roster and are looking forward to the beginning of the 2025 season and their Week 1 season opener at home against Tennessee. For the first time in almost ten seasons, the Broncos are coming off a playoff berth the season before. The expectations for the franchise have completely shifted. Just like last year, I'm doing a preview of the Broncos season as the 2025 season is about to get going. Here's this year's 2025 Denver Broncos Preview......

Where we left off?  The last time we saw the Broncos they were on the losing end of a 31-10 playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park in the Wild Card round. It was a disappointing way to go out on a great 10-7 turnaround season and their first playoff berth since 2015.

What changed? For the first time since 2014, the Broncos are returning the same head coach and quarterback from the previous season. Sean Payton and Bo Nix return in their respective roles, so there was not big changes in the two most important aspects of the team. Most of the coaching staff and both coordinators return to the team as well. The word stability has not been the norm in Denver for a while, but it is that way now.

New Faces in Denver: The Broncos added key free agents on defense with the addition of LB Dre Greenlaw and Safety Talanoa Hufanga. In the draft, Denver added CB Jahdae Barron and RB RJ Harvey. The additions of Greenlaw and Hufanga look to strengthen a defense that is already supposed to be a top unit in the league. Denver also added TE Evan Engram to the offensive side of the ball. Engram becomes the best TE option in Denver since Julius Thomas over 10 years ago.

Bo Nix Year 2: Bo Nix enters his second season as the Broncos QB, and he is coming off a very successful rookie year. Nix threw for 3,775 yards, 29 TDs and 12 INT last season. He also ran for four TDs and caught one. He accound for 34 total TDs and led Denver to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance,. His development in year two will be a major factor in what happens to the Broncos in 2025.

Rookies to Watch: Three rookies are poised to make a significant impact for the Broncos in 2025. First round pick Jahdae Barron is expected to become a nickel CB and help add to a loaded secondary. 2nd round pick RJ Harvey is expected to get a lot of carries this season and become a weapon for this offense. WR Pat Bryant was drafted in the 3rd round and he will be expected to help in the passing game-especially after the team traded Devaughn Vele to the Saints.

Impact Players: On offense, obviously you want Bo Nix to build on his rookie year and take the next step in his second year at QB. Courtland Sutton and Evan Engram are going to have to provide some big plays in the passing game. RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins are hopefully going to add juice from the running game as well. On defense, the Broncos have Zach Allen, Nik Bonnito, and Pat Surtain all coming back from All-Pro seasons. If Greenlaw can help in the middle of the defense at LB, and Hufanga can improve the backend of the secondary, then this defense can be special. 

Schedule Outlook: The Broncos have two very winnable games in the first two weeks of the season. In Week 1, they host the Titans and they head to Indy to take on the Colts in Week 2. They have to be 2-0 because they have a three game stretch that features at the Chargers, home against Cincy on MNF, and at Philly. 

Final Thoughts: After making the playoffs in 2024, the expectations in Denver have changed. We will see if the Broncos can take the next step. Denver is getting a lot of praise this summer as we head into the season. The overwhelming majority of national writers, insiders, and hosts are going big on the Broncos in 2025. That definitely scares me. I like to fly under the radar and surprise everyone when the season starts. I think this is a very talented roster with some really good depth in certain spots. I think the floor for this team is 7 wins, but I'm not sure Denver is in the 13/14 win range like a lot of people have predicted. I think they will be competitive and a solid team, but with the AFC West being so competitive, I think we need to temper the expectations in Denver in 2025

Denver Broncos 2025 Schedule

 

• Week 1 9/7/25: vs. Tennessee Titans, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox
• Week 2 9/14/25: at Indianapolis Colts, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 3 9/21/25: at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 4  9/29/25(MNF): vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
• Week 5 10/5/25: at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 6 10/12/25 (London): vs. New York Jets, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network
• Week 7 10/19/25: vs. New York Giants, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 8 10/26/25: vs. Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 9 11/2/25: at Houston Texans, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
• Week 10 11/6/25 (TNF): vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video
• Week 11 11/16/25: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 12: BYE
• Week 13 11/30/25(SNF): at Washington Commanders, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
• Week 14 12/7/25: at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 15 12/14/25: vs. Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
• Week 16 12/21/25: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox
• Week 17 12/25/25: at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 p.m. ET, Prime Video
• Week 18 1/3 0r 1/4/26: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, TBD, TBD

Schedule Analysis:

-I like the fact that Denver opens at home against the Titans and then goes to Indy in Week 2. We are looking at hosting Cam Ward in his NFL debut and then taking on either Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson in Indy the next week.

-The tough early stretch for Denver is Weeks 3-5. They go to LA to take on the Chargers, host the Bengals on MNF, then shorter week and road game on East coast against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.

-I like that the Broncos host a TNF game against the Raiders in Week 10.

-I don't like that Denver has to go to Arrowhead to take on the Chiefs on TNF on Christmas night in Week 17.

-I'm not thrilled about the London game against the Jets, and I don't like the early 9:30 am start, but I have a feeling a lot of Broncos fans will make the trip to London for this game.

-Outside of the London game, the Broncos only have two early window start times (Philly and Houston)

-From Week 7 when they host the Giants on 10/19, the Broncos only travel once in a span of six weeks. They host the Giants, Cowboys, travel to Houston, host the Raiders and Chiefs, have their bye week, and then travel to Washington for a SNF game in Week 13 on 11/30. 

Broncos 2025 Draft Picks

 Round 1 #20 overall: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas- I talked about this pick on Friday. Barron was a top player who fell to Denver at 20. He will have a chance to start at CB or play the slot CB spot right away. He can even play on the back end of the secondary as well.

Round 2 #60 overall: R.J. Harvey, RB, Central Florida- The Broncos needed a RB in this draft. Instead of getting Omarion Hampton or TreVeyon Henderson, they go with Harvey. He is explosive and should help right away, and hopefully he can become a three down back.

Round 3 #74 overall: Pat Bryant, WR, Illinois- The Broncos needed to add some weapons in the passing game, but this felt like a reach here. It feels like this pick is simply to replace the departing Lil'Jordan Humphrey and that role. 

Round 3 #101 overall: Sai'Vion Jones, DE, LSU- Another defensive player to add depth to that unit. He could be a rotational guy to start the season and eventually work his way into the lineup.

Round 4 #134 overall: Que Robinson, OLB, Alabama-Another defensive player who can pass rush. He will try to get into the rotation on the outside as he works his way in during his rookie year.

Round 6 #216 overall: Jeremy Crawshaw, P, Florida-The Broncos could use competition at punter, and perhaps Crawshaw can make the team this year.

Round 7 #241 overall: Caleb Lohner, TE, Utah:A former basketball player, who turned to football is a project. He is a practice squad candidate as he enters training camp in the summer.

Broncos Select CB Jahdae Barron

 The Broncos surprised a lot of fans and draft experts by selecting CB Jahdae Brown from Texas with their first round draft pick. The Broncos stayed at #20 overall and took the Texas secondary man. Here are my quick thoughts on the pick:

-The Broncos took the best player available. Barron was ranked in the top 10-15 players overall in the draft, and he was considered the second best CB behind Travis Hunter.

-The Broncos clearly felt like they couldn't pass up a great prospect-even though CB didn't seem to be a priority in the first round.

-This pick adds more depth not only to the secondary but the entire defense. Barron can play outside corner, nickel, slot and even some safety-which makes him a really key piece to the defense. 

-The surprising part of the pick is that the secondary has a lot of depth and talent already. Pat Surtain is your stud CB, Riley Moss had a very good season as the other CB, Jaquon McMillian has been a solid nickel CB for a few years, and even Kris Abrams-Draine looked impressive last year down the stretch. Did we really need to add another CB with a first round pick and plenty of offensive playmakers on the board? That will be the biggest question with this pick.

-Hopefully, Denver gets a RB in Round 2. I would love to see them get RBs TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins on night 2 of the draft to give us some juice out of the backfield. 

2025 NFL Mock Draft

Round 1

1) Tennessee Titans select Cam Ward, QB, Miami

2) Cleveland Browns select Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

3) New York Giants select Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State

4) New England Patriots select Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

5) Jacksonville Jaguars select Jalon Walker, Edge, Georgia

6) Las Vegas Raiders select Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

7) New York Jets select Will Campbell, OT, LSU

8) Carolina Panthers select Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

9) New Orleans Saints select Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

10) Chicago Bears select Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

11) San Francisco 49ers select Jihad Campbell, LB, Alabama

12) Dallas Cowboys select Omarrion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

13) Miami Dolphins select Kelvin Banks Tackle, Texas

14) Indianapolis Colts select Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

15) Atlanta Falcons select Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

16) Arizona Cardinals select Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss

17) Cincinnati Bengals select Mike Green, Edge, Marshall

18) Seattle Seahawks select Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College 

20) Denver Broncos select TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State  

21) Pittsburgh Steelers select Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

22) Los Angeles Charegers select Tetairoa McMillan, WR,  Arizona

23) Green Bay Packers select Will Johnson, CB, Michigan 

24) Minnesota Vikings select Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

25) Houston Texans select Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State

26) Los Angeles Rams select Matthew Golden, WR, Texas 

27) Baltimore Ravens select Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia

28) Detroit Lions select Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State

29) Washington Commanders select Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss

30) Buffalo Bills select Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

31) Kansas City Chiefs select Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

32) Philadelphia Eagles select Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M 

2025 NFL Draft Cheat Sheet- Defensive Players

 Here is the list of the top defensive players at each position....

Edge

1. Abdul Carter- Penn State

2. Jalon Walker- Georgia

3. Mike Green- Marshall

4. James Pearce- Tennessee

5. Mykel Williams- Georgia

6. Nic Scourton- Texas A&M 

7. Donovan Ezeiruaku-Boston College

8. Jared Ivey- Ole Miss

9. Landon Jackson- Arkansas

10. JT Tuimoloau- Ohio State

11. Jack Sawyer-Ohio State

12. Princely Umanmielen: Ole Miss

13. Ashton Gillotte: Louisville

14. Tyler Baron- Miami

15. Elijah Roberts- SMU

DLs

1. Mason Graham- Michigan

2. Walter Nolen- Ole Miss

3. Shemar Steward- Texas A&M

4. Derrick Harmon- Oregon

5. Kenneth Grant- Michigan

6. Omarr Norman-Lott-Tennessee

7. Darius Alexander- Toledo

8. CJ West- Indiana

9. Tyliek Williams- Ohio State

10. T.J. Sanders- South Carolina

11. Deone Walker- Kentucky

12. Alfred Collins- Texas

13. Vernon Broughton- Texas

14. Aeneas Peebles- Virginia Tech

15. Sai'vion Jones- LSU

LBs

1. Jihaad Campbell- Alabama

2. Carson Schwesinger- UCLA

3. Kobe King- Penn State

4. Danny Stutsman- Oklahoma

5. Smael Mondon- Georgia

6. Barrett Carter- Clemson

7. Chris Paul Jr.- Ole Miss

8. Fransisco Mauigoa- Miami

9. Jack Kiser- Notre Dame

10. Jamon Dumas-Johnson- Kentucky 

CBs

1. Travis Hunter- Colorado

2. Jahdae Barron- Texas

3. Will Johnson- Michigan

4. Maxwell Hairston- Kentucky

5. Benjamin Morrison-Notre Dame

6. Shavon Revel Jr.- East Carolina

7. Trey Amos- Ole Miss

8. Azareye'h Thomas- Florida State

9. Darien Porter- Iowa State

10. Zah Frazier- UTSA

11. Bilhal Kone- Western Michigan

12.  Jaylin Smith- USC

13. Alijah Huzzie-North Carolina

14. Denzel Burke-Ohio State

15. Upton Stout- Western Kentucky

16. Zy Alexander- LSU

17. Jacob Parrish- Kansas State

18. Justin Walley- Minnesota

19. Jordan Hancock- Ohio State

20. Caleb Ransaw-Tulane

21. Quincy Riley-Louisville 

S

1. Malakai Starks- Georgia

2. Nick Emmanwori- South Carolina

3. Kevin Winston- Penn State

4. Xavier Watts- Notre Dame

5. Andrew Mukuba- Texas

6. Jonas Sanker- Virginia

7. Lathan Ransom- Ohio State

8. R. J. Mickens- Clemson

9. Jaylen Reed- Penn State

10. Craig Woodson- Cal

2025 NFL Draft Cheat Sheet-Offensive Players

Here are the top players at each position for the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. Part 1 is the offensive players list:

QBs

1) Cam Ward- Miami (FL)

2) Shedeur Sanders- Colorado

3)  Jaxson Dart- Ole Miss

4) Jalen Milroe- Alabama

5) Quinn Ewers- Texas

6) Kyle McCord- Syracuse

7) Will Howard- Ohio State

8) Tyler Shough- Louisville

9) Dillon Gabriel- Oregon

10) Brady Cook-Missouri

RBs

1) Ashton Jeanty- Boise State

2) Omarion Hampton- North Carolina

3) Quinshon Judkins- Ohio State

4) TreVeyon Henderson- Ohio State

5) Bhayshul Tuten- Virginia Tech

6) RJ Harvey- Central Florida

7) Brashard Smith- SMU

8) Jarquez Hunter- Auburn

9) Kaleb Johnson- Iowa

10) Corey Kiner- Cincinnati

11) Damien Martinez- Miami

12 ) Dylan Sampson- Tennessee

13) DJ Giddens- Kansas State

14) Tahj Brooks- Texas Tech

15) Cam Skattebo- Arizona State

WRs

1) Travis Hunter- Colorado

2) Luther Burden- Missouri 

3) Matt Golden- Texas

4) Tet McMillan- Arizona

5) Emeka Egbuka- Ohio State

6) Jayden Higgins- Iowa St

7) Jack Bech- TCU

8) Jalen Royals- Utah State

9) Isaiah Bond- Texas

10) Tre Harris- Ole Miss

11) Tai Felton- Maryland

12) Elic Ayomanor- Stanford

13) Jaylin Noel- Iowa State

14) Kyle Williams- Washington State

15) Tory Horton- Colorado State

16) Kobe Hudson- Central Florida

17) Tez Johnson- Oregon

18) Savion Williams- TCU

19) Isaac TeSlaa- Arkansas

20) Jaylin Lane- Virginia Tech

21) Xavier Restrepo- Miami

TEs

1) Tyler Warren- Penn State

2) Colston Loveland- Michigan

3) Harold Fannin- Bowling Green

4) Mason Taylor- LSU

5) Elijah Arroyo- Miami 

6) Terrence Ferguson- Oregon

7) Gunnar Helm- Texas

8) CJ Dippre- Alabama

9) Oronde Gadsden II- Syracuse 

10) Ben Yurosek- Georgia 

OTs

1) Will Campbell- LSU

2) Armand Membou-Missouri

3) Kelvin Banks- Texas

4) Josh Simmons- Ohio State

5) Josh Conerly- Oregon

6) Aireontae Ersery- Minnesota

7) Marcus Mbow-Purdue

8) Cameron Williams- Texas

9) Ozzy Trapilo- Boston College

10) Logan Brown- Kansas 

C/G

1. Tyler Booker-Alabama

2. Grey Zabel- North Dakota St

3. Donovan Jackson- Ohio State

4. Emery Jones- LSU

5. Wyatt Milum- West Virginia

6. Jonah Savaiinaea- Arizona

7. Jared Wilson- Georgia

8. Jalen Rivers- Miami

9. Miles Frazier- LSU

10. Anthony Belton- NC State

11. Ajani Cornelius- Oregon

12- Tate Ratledge- Georgia

13- Clay Webb- Jacksonville State

14- Dylan Fairchild- Georgia

15- Gus Hartwig- Purdue