Michigan TE Colston Loveland Mocked to Broncos at No. 20 by NFL.com

Is this how the dominoes will fall for the Denver Broncos on draft day?
Michigan tight end Colston Loveland (18) makes a catch against Oregon defensive back Kobe Savage (5) during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.
Michigan tight end Colston Loveland (18) makes a catch against Oregon defensive back Kobe Savage (5) during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During the hype-driven build-up to the NFL draft in April, fans will be reminded of how Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton wants to fall in love with a prospect. Last year, Payton struck gold in Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, so surrounding the Broncos' franchise signal-caller with a dynamic pass-catching tight end and an upgrade at running back could be the priorities. 

A veritable plethora of mock drafts are focusing on the primary positions the Broncos are expected to prioritize this offseason. Indeed, NFL.com's Eric Edholm believes that finding a tight end will come at the very top of Payton's wish list. 

Even with vastly increased spending power for this year's free-agent feeding frenzy, the Broncos can't bypass the glaring need at tight end. Top-rated Penn State tight end Tyler Warren went off the board at No. 5 in Edholm's mock draft, so he pivoted to Michigan's Colston Loveland instead for Denver at No. 20 overall. 

"It would spice up the AFC West a bit if Sean Payton were to snipe Jim Harbaugh's former tight end at Michigan. Denver needs weapons, and Loveland could be a special one for Bo Nix," Edholm wrote.

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In previous draft classes, taking Loveland at No. 20 might be branded a 'reach,' but the explosive impact that Brock Bowers made last season in Vegas has readjusted how teams feel about the position. During last year's draft, Payton was unapologetic about how the Broncos were drafting for need in the first round, so we can expect he will take the same approach this time around. 

Finding a new starting running back will also significantly impact the Broncos' decision-making process. If the Broncos had designs on picking Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, they might need to get in front of Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders, whom Edholm has taking the Heisman Trophy runner-up at No. 6 overall.

Similar to how tight ends are coveted because of Bowers, running backs will now get significantly more shine due to the sensational performances of NFL transplants like Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs this past season. Indeed, running the ball is becoming fashionable once again, so Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson might tempt the Broncos when they pick at No. 20. 

However, when push comes to shove, the age-old mantra of 'you can't pick 'em all' rings true, and Loveland would ultimately fill an immediate need on the Broncos roster quite nicely.

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Keith Cummings
KEITH CUMMINGS

Keith Cummings has covered the Denver Broncos at Mile High Huddle since 2019. His works have been featured on CBSSports.com, BleacherReport.com, Yahoo.com, and MSN.com.