Broncos’ Youth Movement Is Better Than the National Rankings Suggest

The Denver Broncos' post-Russell Wilson turnaround has been sparked by youth. Weighed down with a then-NFL-record $85 million in dead money, the Broncos' front office had no choice but to get skinny on the salary cap and rely on its youth, especially the 2023 and 2024 draft classes.

Necessity is the mother of invention, after all, and that youth movement paid dividends for the Broncos. Led by Bo Nix, a 2024 first-round pick, the youthful Broncos have won 24 games over the past two seasons, dethroned the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West last year, and secured the conference's No. 1 playoff seed as a 14-3 team.

Most of the key players in this youth movement have now crossed the 25-year-old mark, which may be a big reason ESPN's Aaron Schatz ranked the Broncos No. 31 based on current under-25 talent. When it came to a single "blue-chip" talent under 25 in Denver, Schatz listed "none," though there are a couple of players he potentially snubbed.

"There's a lot of youth in Denver at wide receiver, although we don't know who will get the most playing time after the Jaylen Waddle trade. Marvin Mims Jr. is 24, while Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin are both 23," Schatz wrote.

Let not your heart be too troubled over this. Schatz ranked the Los Angeles Rams No. 32. (Check out our opponent breakdown on the Rams, the Broncos' Week 3 opponent.)

Under-25 Talent: Jahdae Barron

It was somewhat curious that Schatz didn't point to a single Broncos player under 25 as blue-chip caliber. Barron is 24, and he was last year's first-round pick.

Schatz referenced the Broncos' lack of a first- or second-round pick this past April as a reason why he could find no blue-chipper under 25, but Barron was a Day 1 selection a year ago. It would have mattered this year, but last year's first-round pick doesn't count? Curious rationale.

"On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Jahdae Barron will turn 25 in December and cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine will be 25 in October. Otherwise, the Broncos are way down here in part because they didn't have a pick in 2026 until the third round. (That first selection, defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim, is 23 years old)," Schatz wrote.

From a methodology standpoint, Schatz's rankings factored in a player's number of starts and snaps, quality of play, value and length of contract, positional importance, and other things. Keeping it with Barron for a moment, he did start five games as a rookie last year and appeared in all 17.

Barron acquitted himself well when he was on the field, showing up in coverage and as a tackler. For a rookie, he was impressive, though playing behind a trio like Patrick Surtain II, Riley Moss, and Ja'Quan McMillian limited his snap share.

When the Broncos utilized Barron as a tight end neutralizer, it worked well. So much so that it made me wonder why defensive coordinator Vance Joseph didn't use Barron that way more consistently.

It seems to me that Barron should qualify as a blue-chipper under 25, especially considering his relatively untapped well of potential and draft pedigree, and the way the Broncos view his Year-2 outlook. But it wasn't my list; it was Schatz's.

Under-25 Talent: Marvin Mims Jr.

Mims should have been listed as an under-25 blue-chipper, too, and even more so than Barron. Mims isn't a starter per se, but as a fourth-year player, he's a two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro returner.

As a pass catcher, Mims also made some huge plays in the playoffs last season, leading the Broncos in receiving throughout the tournament. At 24, it's a wonder that Schatz overlooked Mims.

Running back RJ Harvey recently turned 25, "graduating," to use Schatz's term, from contention. Otherwise, Harvey likely would have been listed as a blue-chipper.

Under-25 Watch

A year from now, fellow running back Jonah Coleman could be categorized as an under-25 blue-chipper. The rookie is only 22 years old, and he could end up featuring in Denver's offense if any injury befalls J.K. Dobbins.

If the best predictor of future outcomes is past outcomes, the likelihood of Dobbins finishing a complete season is slim. I certainly hope he does stay healthy because Dobbins is one of the NFL's most efficient running backs when he's on the field, and he was just re-signed, but Coleman, not Harvey, is the Broncos' insurance policy there.

The Takeaway

Players like Nix, Surtain, Moss, McMillian, rush linebacker Nik Bonitto, and safety Talanoa Hufanga are all 26 now. But that's not exactly old.

The Broncos' youthful roster is still the tip of the spear, even if most of the key players are 25 and slightly older. Denver's core is still in the early days of its prime, which points to some bright times ahead in the coming years.

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