With the NFL draft in the books, we can review the Denver Broncos roster to identify the biggest winners and losers. That’s true of every team, but with the Broncos, the winners are abundantly clear.
Who are these big winners for the Broncos? Let’s jump into it.
This was an excellent draft for Joseph. He got a versatile defensive back, a versatile defensive lineman, and an athletic, though inexperienced, pass rusher to work with.
First-round cornerback Jahdae Barron will allow Joseph to do more with his coverage units, especially if he can stay on the field and be consistent. There were issues in the Broncos’ secondary, especially later in the season, with injuries and consistency, and Barron should help ease them.
With third-round defensive lineman Sai’vion Jones and fourth-round rush linebacker Que Robinson in the front seven, Joseph gets upgraded depth. Jones can attack the ball from everywhere, allowing Joseph to get creative with his looks.
Robinson is a pass rusher off the edge or in the A-gap, which gives Joseph more creativity with his pass-rush looks, and hopefully, he can find ways to win without always being so blitz-heavy. However, if Joseph wants to stay blitz-heavy, he has the pieces on both the back and front end.
This is an easy one to see. Wattenberg is the projected starter, and the only wrench in that would’ve been an early interior offensive lineman who can play center.
Not only did Denver not draft one early, but it didn’t draft one at all. That’s a good sign for Wattenberg, who remains the starter entering a contract year.
The Broncos did sign college free agent Clay Webb, who was projected to get drafted, and he could be in play. However, it seems more likely that Webb will have to work his way into a competitive role, which may be a hill too steep to climb before this season. The odds are that Webb is competing for a depth spot or a practice squad spot this year, leaving Wattenberg safe as the starter.
While the Broncos drafted a running back, the type of back they selected is good news for Estime. Estime is a bigger power back, and many expected the Broncos to go that way.
Instead, Denver ended up drafting the explosive playmaker RJ Harvey. That means, at least for now, Estime’s job is safe, but a later free-agent signing or trade could jeopardize his spot.
The Broncos did draft a tight end, but not one who can come in and immediately compete for a starting job. That means Trautman, who has had a rough couple of years in Denver, remains the Broncos’ only somewhat versatile tight end — the only one who can be a blocker and receiver.
Nate Adkins is a better blocker, and Evan Engram is a better receiver, but both struggle in the other aspect of the game.
There are concerns over Singleton’s age and coming off a serious injury, and that could’ve seen the Broncos take a linebacker to push for the spot. Instead, the Broncos took a versatile hybrid player in Robinson, who isn’t competing for a starting job as a rookie.
That makes Singleton safe for this season, with the Broncos trying to figure out what to do after 2025.
Day 3 gave Rizzi two guys to help overhaul the special teams unit. Denver got Rizzi his punter in Jeremy Crawshaw, with whom the coach spent a lot of time throughout the draft process, and can help make the punting team consistent.
The Broncos also delivered to Rizzi the best special teams player that former Alabama head coach Nick Saban says he’s ever coached in Robinson, to help all four of his third-phase units. Along with Joseph, Rizzi might be the biggest winner with the Broncos.
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