Broncos at the 2025 Shrine Bowl: Defensive Prospects to Watch

The Denver Broncos will be scouting these players at the East/West Shrine Bowl.
Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) celebrates a tackle against USC during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) celebrates a tackle against USC during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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As the Denver Broncos continue to rebuild, even after exceeding expectations in 2024, the NFL draft will be a significant component to taking the next step. The first step of the draft process is the All-Star games, including the East-West Shrine Bowl that happens on January 30.

Shrine Bowl practices run from the 25th through the 28th, and when it comes to evaluating the prospects, they're even more crucial than the game. We have already highlighted the key offensive prospects to watch, so let’s now look at the defensive side of the ball. 

Defensive Line

The Broncos are decent here, but most of the players in their current room are set to be free agents after the 2025 season. The Broncos could be looking for some developmental options in case they can’t retain all of their upcoming free agents.

Kenneth Grant (Michigan) is the top guy at the Shrine Bowl and one of the top three interior defensive linemen in the draft, at the moment. He's a bigger nose tackle type, which the Broncos can look toward to potentially replace D.J. Jones this season and upgrade the center of the defensive line. 

Jordan Phillips (Maryland) is another big nose tackle type, listed at 320 pounds, and his frame has room for some added mass. He's currently viewed as a top 100-150 pick.

Phillips' teammate Tomm Akingbesote is another one in that mold, also listed at 320 pounds. Nazir Stackhouse (Georgia) is the last defensive lineman who currently holds a draftable grade, and he's another player listed at 320 pounds. It's worth noting that ESPN or school websites are often generous with a player's weight, so the weigh-ins for these players will be something to see. 

Edge Defenders

Edge defenders, or defensive ends/rush linebackers, seem pretty set for the Broncos, with Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss, and Deondrea Tillman in the fold. Still, you can never have enough, especially considering the unproven nature of Elliss and Tillman, although both turned in a strong 2024 campagin.

Bradyn Swinson (LSU), Tyler Baron (Miami), and Fadil Diggs (Syracuse) lead the way. While neither Baron nor Diggs had a bunch of sacks, they're quality defenders. Swinson is a decent enough run defender but showed more pass-rusher consistency. 

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Linebacker

While the linebackers at the Shrine Bowl are all currently viewed as Day 3 prospects, and the Broncos need to take a big swing here, they still can add depth to raise the floor of the room. Chris Paul Jr (Mississippi) and Jay Higgins (Iowa) lead the room.

Paul had a good year in coverage and against the run and could rise to be a top-75 pick. Higgins is a high football IQ player who is rarely caught out of position in coverage or against the run.

Either could be a good addition to a Broncos linebacker unit that had a serious injury to Alex Singleton and a poor showing to close the season, courtesy of Cody Barton and Justin Strnad, both of whom are poised for unrestricted free agency.

Cornerback

With Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, and Kris Abrams-Draine, the Broncos are pretty set at corner. However, they can still use guys to raise the floor in the room, especially when injuries happen, and Moss has had issues staying on the field each of his first two seasons.

Zy Alexander (LSU) is the top corner as a top-100 pick, who could be a good get for the Broncos if Vance Joseph wants to go forward being a more press-man team. Alexander has excellent length and good technique to play the scheme with ball skills and an aggressive mindset in coverage. The rest of the corners are Day 3 picks or undrafted free agents. 

Safety

Shilo Sanders is part of the safety group. The leading safety at the Shrine Bowl is currently viewed as a late-Day 3 pick, with the rest viewed around there or lower. The Broncos need a more significant addition to the room than this, but they should still keep an eye on the group as they have the chance to rise over the coming months. 


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Erick Trickel
ERICK TRICKEL

Erick Trickel is the Senior Draft Analyst for Mile High Huddle, has covered the Denver Broncos, NFL, and NFL Draft for the site since 2014.