Broncos' 2025 Draft Class Is Facing an Unfair Narrative

The dreaded 'bust' label has been thrown at members of the Denver Broncos' 2025 draft class, even though just one season has passed since they were selected. To be blunt, it's way too early to attach that label to anyone from the 2025 draft class.

The process still needs to play out for them. Let's examine why it's unfair to call any of these young Broncos a 'bust' at this stage.

Jahdae Barron | CB

The first-round cornerback is the one most often painted with the 'bust' brush, simply because he wasn’t able to earn a starting job as a rookie. As he enters his second year, he still hasn’t taken a starting job.

It's been a tough first year for the former first-round pick (20th overall). Barron plays a valued position, and let's not forget that he was a selection many marked as a luxury pick from the Broncos because of how deep they are at cornerback.

Now, if Barron is unable to win a starting job by the trade deadline this year, it would be a bit more concerning, simply because being stuck as a backup would waste two years of his contractual cost-control.

And yet, the Broncos have one of the NFL's best cornerback trios ahead of him. The drafting of Barron also saw both Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian take their game to another level.

That still wouldn’t make Barron a bust, as the Broncos are working him at all the cornerback spots, and despite Sean Payton dismissing questions about him playing some safety snaps, specifically the dime-backer role, I still believe there's a chance he could end up moved to safety full-time if the Broncos wanted to consider him as a Brandon Jones replacement post-2026.

Barron plays a ‘Star’ role in the secondary, which sees him move around the secondary as a hybrid safety/corner, and that's what he did as a rookie as well in his limited playing time. Think of it as a defensive 'Joker,' used as a mismatch weapon in reverse.

Due to the options available for the Broncos, Barron should be given three years before the 'bust' label is applied to him. He's had a quiet start to training camp this summer, but he's playing multiple positions, and he had a big Day 6.

RJ Harvey | RB

Harvey also gets the 'bust' label unfairly. But the Broncos are responsible for drafting a running back in the second round who they don’t envision as a top back in the room. He did carry the load down the stretch as a rookie, leaving much to be desired as the lead back, but it was a tough ask following the J.K. Dobbins injury.

However, there is still value in getting a scat-back type in the second round to be a change-of-pace second option in the room who can impact the run and passing game. Now, there's no question that Harvey does need to show improvement as a runner after a rough first year.

If Harvey doesn’t show some rushing progress this year, the conversation of him being a bust could reasonably begin. He's looked good in camp thus far, but mostly as a receiver. We won't know more about his game as a runner until the regular season.

Pat Bryant | WR

Then we come to the third-round wide receiver. With Bryant, it all comes down to his health.

As a rookie, Bryant suffered two concussions within a few weeks of each other, followed by a hamstring injury in the playoffs. Availability issues were real in his rookie year.

When Bryant was available, he did well as a rookie and flashed repeatedly, but the injuries clouded his body of work. If he struggles to stay healthy and misses more than four games this year, the bust conversation might rise in intensity, but at least he's had a dominant start to camp. He's showing some true breakout potential.

Sai'vion Jones | DL and Que Robinson | OLB

As we get later in the draft, the hit rates plummet, which makes it easy for skeptics to brand such players as busts. With Jones, a 2025 third-rounder, he needs to show he is a viable pass rusher this year to avoid that conversation, while fourth-round rush linebacker Robinson needs to keep developing and continue showing up on special teams.

Jeremy Crawshaw | P

If the sixth-rounder doesn’t take the next step in his development as a punter, then maybe you could call him a bust, but punters have a different spectrum of expectations in terms of qualifying as a bust.

Caleb Lohner | TE

Lohner was a late seventh-round pick with 57 college snaps on his resume. He was a low-risk, high-reward dart throw, and no matter the outcome, he wouldn’t be a bust simply because of how late he was drafted.

The Takeaway

The primary focus is on Barron as the Broncos' last first-round pick, but Harvey and Bryant have their share of detractors on social media. While there are some rational reasons for the bust label being thrown at these young Broncos, it's an irrelevant subject because it's way too early in the process for such absolutes.

These players still need time to grow and develop. The Broncos are giving it to them, and so should the fans.

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