Mel Kiper Jr.'s Final Two-Round Mock Sees Broncos Load Up for Bo Nix

The NFL draft is approximately two weeks away. And while the mock drafts at this point in the offseason start to feel long, the dearth of NFL news in the weeks and months will have Denver Broncos fans thinking back fondly to the days of the ample possibilities and excitement leading up to those three days in April.

Releasing his final mock draft of the 2025 cycle, the godfather of the draft himself — ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. — shared a two-round mock earlier this week, with the Broncos adding multiple reinforcements at the offensive skill positions to help surround quarterback Bo Nix. With the top running backs and tight ends off the board by pick 20, Kiper repeated his target from his last mock to Denver with Arizona Wildcat wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

Kiper indicates that the Broncos are a team to keep in mind with a first-round selection at running back, but with Asthon Jeanty and Omarion Hampton off the board at pick 6 and 12 (and the third mock in a row with Hampton going 12 to Dallas… perhaps notable), Kiper states, “I think the Broncos could wait until Day 2 and still get a legit starter (at running back).”

Kiper instead pivots to the second receiver off the board after Matthew Golden with McMillan. Indicating how paramount adding an offensive playmaker for Bo Nix was in mocking McMillan to Denver, Kiper acknowledges that while McMillan isn’t a blazing speedster, he is a big-bodied receiver with excellent hands who compiled excellent statistics down in Tucson, Arizona.

Similar to how the Broncos touted their size at receiver last season, Kiper points to a pass-catching group of Courtland Sutton at 6-foot-4, Evan Engram at 6-foot-3, and McMillan at 6-foot-4, which could give AFC West defenses fits for years to come.

Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) during the second quarter against the UCF Knights. — Nov 2, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) during the second quarter against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

McMillan would be a very exciting pick for the Broncos, should he fall to the 20th overall selection. While Denver does have a number of young receivers that Sean Payton and Broncos insiders have repeatedly stated that the team really likes, the team can still like those low-cost pass catchers and still want to upgrade the room.

Do any of Marvin Mims Jr., Devaughn Vele, or Troy Franklin project beyond a low-end No. 2 receiver type, let alone a true WR1? Hard to say, but their draft pedigree and NFL play to date would indicate it’s not a likely outcome for any of them.

Furthermore, the Broncos have an impending contract situation with the team’s No. 1 offensive skill-position player in Sutton. With Sutton turning 30 years old next season and the wide receiver market exploding into the second highest-paid position in football, with 21 receivers making over $20 million per year (Sutton is set to make just $13.25 million), it wouldn’t be shocking for him to demand a new contract in the $23 to $25 million range.

Would the Broncos want to do that for a soon-to-be 30-year-old receiver on a third contract? If not, McMillan would give the Broncos a young successor with five years of cost control to boot.

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Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) gets away from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense. — Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) gets away from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish defense on a long run in the third quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025 | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite not landing a running back at 20 overall, Kiper projects the fourth running back off the board at pick 51 with Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins going to Denver. While much of Broncos Country would love Judkins' college teammate in TreVeyon Henderson, he goes 10 picks earlier to the Chicago Bears.

Depending on which teams could take Jeanty or Hampton in Round 1 — the Las Vegas Raiders, the Bears, and the Cowboys — expect whichever one that doesn’t take a running back on the first day to be hunting for one on Day 2, with all three picking before Denver in Round 2.

Despite being the fourth back mocked (Kiper mocks Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson at pick 63), Judkins is by no means a consolation prize. Given the banging of the drum for a true three-down back by such folks as Broncos insider Mike Klis and GM George Paton’s comments about how few true three-down backs there are in this class, Judkins is certainly a back who has the athleticism, size, and overall skill set to project as one.

Touting Judkins' output over the duration of his time in college and despite splitting carries with Henderson for the Buckeyes, Kiper highlighted Judkins’ all-phase potential by mentioning the fact that he “had back-to-back seasons with more than 20 catches out of the backfield.”

Judkins does not possess the open-field gear of Henderson and isn’t as capable of a pass catcher or pass protector, but that doesn’t mean he is poor in these areas either. Judkins' combination of traits give him one of the highest floors and ceilings in the class.

Judkins ran angry, but his tape from Ole Miss to Ohio State was somewhat befuddling. He ran much more impatiently this past season and did not appear as crafty with the ball in his hands, leading to fewer broken tackles and instead opting for lowering his head.

Was this due to forcing things because of the limited touches available per game? Or was it something more?

Judkins' tape over the last few seasons, combined with his size and athleticism, is indicative of a back with three-down potential and RB1 ability. Combining him along with McMillan in Round 1 would give the Broncos more variety on offense and certainly help second-year quarterback Bo Nix avoid the infamous sophomore slump in Denver.

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