2025 Draft Guide: Denver Broncos

Coaching History: Last Three Years

Head Coach: Sean Payton (DEN ’23-24, N/A ’22)
Offensive Coordinator: Joe Lombardi (DEN ’23-24, LAC ’22)
2024 Record: 10-7

Team Summary

The Broncos were the thinnest team for Fantasy Football last year. Outside of Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton, there was not much appeal. Sean Payton made it work, though – guiding the team to a Top 10 scoring offense behind rookie QB, Bo Nix. It’s fair to expect growth from Nix in year two, and it should help the entire offense.

The Broncos replaced Javonte Williams who was wildly inefficient, with rookie RB RJ Harvey. They acquired J.K. Dobbins, who produced well in Los Angeles despite coming off an Achilles injury. Between the two, Payton should have plenty of options for the running game (and passing game to the RBs). They have added Evan Engram at TE and are hoping to get more reliable production from their ancillary WRs. Reportedly Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, and rookie Pat Bryant has looked good at times throughout training camp, and a rotation between them should be functional.

2024 Ranks (2023 Rank)

• Points: 10th (19th)
• Yards: 19th (26th)
• Passing Attempts: 11th (27th)
• Passing Yards: 20th (24th)
• Passing TDs: 7th (8th)
• Rushing Attempts: 13th (18th)
• Rushing Yards: 16th (18th)
• Rushing TDs: 23rd (28th)

2024 Positional Market Share

Javonte Williams struggled his way into a committee with Jaleel McLaughlin. This year, we should see a similar committee approach, but with two much more talented backs that should actually be able to produce for fantasy despite a time-share. Bo Nix also soaks up some of the rushing opportunities from the offense, but Sean Payton has a history of making multiple RBs fantasy viable.

Courtland Sutton was really the only receiving threat in 2024. Expect to see that again, but with more targets shifted to the RB position. RJ Harvey should be the main beneficiary and should at least match Javonte Williams’ 12.8% target share. Evan Engram should consolidate the TE targets and absorb some work from the depth WRs.

Depth Chart:

• QB: Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham
• RB: RJ Harvey, J.K. Dobbins, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime
• WR: Courtland Sutton (X), Marvin Mims (Z), Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant
• TE: Evan Engram, Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull

Player Breakdowns

Nix appears to be a rising star in the NFL. While one of the less heralded options from the rookie QB class, he outperformed Caleb Williams. Nix has received praise throughout the offseason for showing improved command of the offense, and with the additional weapons being brought in (RJ Harvey/J.K. Dobbins and Evan Engram) he should have continued success. Not only has Nix been relatively efficient through the air – posting .39 fantasy points per drop back ONLY via passing. He also adds significant value with his legs, as he added 430 yards on the ground along with 4 scores. Consider Nix a mid-range QB1 with upside, as one of the true dual threat options in the league.

Harvey steps in as the presumed lead back for Sean Payton’s offense. While he has to contend with veteran J.K. Dobbins, Harvey was a Payton favorite from the draft class and should be a candidate for the coveted ‘Joker’ role. Expect Harvey to get his fair share of rushing opportunities, but more importantly, he should easily receive a double-digit target share. You can conservatively consider Harvey an RB2 with upside, who legitimately could end up as an RB1 depending on how the committee works itself out with J.K. Dobbins.

If Harvey’s RB23 price tag is too expensive for you, you can still get a piece of Sean Payton’s backfield with Dobbins who is being drafted as RB36. It may be unnerving to think that he will be the #2 back behind RJ Harvey, but Sean Payton has a history of supporting multiple fantasy relevant RBs. Dobbins is another year removed from his Achilles injury and performed well in his return last year. There is also the contingent upside should Dobbins either outperform Harvey and win a bigger share of the work, or if Harvey were to be injured leaving Dobbins as the primary RB.

Courtland Sutton is the clear top target for Denver. In fact, only Javonte Williams had even half of Sutton’s targets last year. That will likely shift this year, with improvements made by Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin, not to mention the addition of Evan Engram at TE, but Sutton’s role should be considered extremely secure. He is one of the safest WR2 picks available, and there should be no anxiety selecting him in Round 5.

Marvin Mims’ appeal relates to his explosiveness. While he earned .28 TPRR, he was limited to only a 28.1% Route Participation Rate. He posted a stellar 2.78 YPRR and 12.26 YAC/Rec, which should indicate that he deserves a bigger role. However, he is a smaller WR, and Sean Payton has a ‘type’. He likes big bodied WRs. If you think that Mims’ efficiency can overcome whatever subconscious bias Payton has that has limited Mims in the past, he is a smash pick. However, Sean Payton’s history is working against Mims, despite the early returns on his opportunities.

Franklin should be considered a value pick. Left for dead after a disastrous rookie season, camp reports have been largely positive. Franklin now finds himself squarely in position to battle for the WR2 position with Marvin Mims and rookie Pat Bryant. At WR76, he is essentially free and should be monitored early in the season to see how the target distribution works itself out for the Broncos.

Pat Bryant, a rookie out of Illinois joins the WR room in Denver. He is in competition with Mims and Franklin trying to carve out a role behind Courtland Sutton. Like his competition counterparts, the ambiguity in the target distribution is depressing the price to acquire Bryant, and he is being drafted as the WR86. Should he show signs that he is making headway in the battle for the WR2 role, he should be a priority waiver wire add early in the season.

Engram was acquired during Free Agency with the expectation that he may be able to fill the “Joker” role for Sean Payton. He’ll now have to compete with RJ Harvey for that role, but he will be the clear pass catching option from the TE room. In recent years, Sean Payton’s offense hasn’t used the TE nearly as much as in previous campaigns, but he hasn’t had a TE as good as Engram in quite some time. Expect Engram to clock in as a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 with the expected week-to-week volatility that accompanies the majority of the position.

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