Insider notes on Broncos' 2025 Draft: Sean Payton passes on Omarion Hampton, Matthew Golden for Texas CB, RJ Harvey with game-breaking speed and more

The Broncos’ greatest needs entering the draft were on the offensive side of the ball. Yet with several talented players that could fill those needs staring them in the face when they were called to the clock in Round 1, Sean Payton and company selected a defensive player.

When the Broncos were on the clock in the first round, running back Omarion Hampton and receiver Matthew Golden were still available, and most thought Denver would select one of those two players. Yet they pulled a mild surprise and drafted cornerback Jahdae Barron from Texas. Projected as a nickel back at the next level, Barron is a skilled corner with a feisty game. He lacks great size, but he plays physical football and has shown a lot of development the past two seasons.

Denver hopes it answered the running back need in the second round by drafting RJ Harvey. A slightly smaller but explosive ball carrier, Harvey creates his own yardage and has game-breaking speed. I had Harvey graded later in the draft, and his career will be compared to that of Hampton, who Denver passed on in the first round.

Receiver Pat Bryant was their first selection in the third round, followed by defensive lineman Sai'vion Jones. Bryant is incredibly reliable as well as smart and was very productive in college. Jones flashed skill at LSU, yet he displayed limited consistency as a defensive end. When pushed into tackle during the Senior Bowl, however, Jones was terrific. He’s an outstanding fit for the Broncos’ three-man line.

Que Robinson was a major reach in the fourth frame. He’s a terrific athlete who fits as a pass-rushing linebacker, yet his production in college was minimal. Despite getting high grades entering the 2024 season, Robinson finished with just 24 tackles, seven TFLs and four sacks.

Jeremy Crawshaw was a terrific punter for Florida, and he was an outstanding selection in the sixth round. He was productive on the college level, regularly flipping the field or punting the Gators out of trouble, and he’ll quickly become Denver’s starting punter.

Caleb Lohner is a tall athlete who primarily played basketball on the college level, seeing very limited action on the football field. He’s a developmental tight end who is headed to the practice squad.

Two players the Broncos signed as UDFAs stand out to me: offensive lineman Clay Webb and linebacker Karene Reid. Webb had an up-and-down college career, yet he was brilliant during Senior Bowl practices, which made many believe he would land on Day 3 of the draft. He has the ability to back up on the Broncos offensive line. Reid entered the season with fifth-round grades, and though undersized, he’s an athletic and speedy off-ball linebacker with special-teams potential.

Grade - C+: This draft has Sean Payton written all over it, as the head coach brought in the players that fit his profile. I would’ve preferred an offensive skill player in the first round to give quarterback Bo Nix more weapons to work with. The big issue with this draft when looking it over is, other than Barron in the first and Crawshaw in Round 6, most of these selections could’ve been had in the later rounds.