Bright Future Ahead: Broncos' Rookies Poised for Key Roles in 2025

With all of their draft picks signed, the Denver Broncos can now focus on settling their roles within the team and developing them to make an impact as rookies. Even with training camp and preseason action still to come, the coaching staff has a clear idea of what their roles are set to be.

It all starts with Jahdae Barron, and his role is an apparent one to see, given that he was the 20th overall pick. He will be a starter, but the question is where he will ultimately start? Will it be on the boundary or in the slot?

With his size and length, he will be better suited in the slot, but he handled himself well on the boundary last year, although that was in college. There is a significant difference between college wide receivers and NFL receivers. That is why the expectation is for him to end up as the starting nickel.

Another element is what Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian show. If Moss performs better, it will be easier to put Barron in the slot. However, if McMillian performs better, and he is a slot-only cornerback, then Barron should end up on the boundary.

With their second-round pick, RJ Harvey, there is some question as to whether he starts the season as the top running back. Well, if Harvey isn’t the top back at the start of the season, then that is a significant disappointment.

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

The Broncos need an improved run game, and while J.K. Dobbins raises the floor in the room, he isn’t an efficient running back. They need the explosive element that Harvey brings, which is why he has to be the top back to start the season over Dobbins.

Pat Bryant will likely find himself in a depth role, rotating in and out of the formation based on different scenarios. Sure, he could find himself as the second receiver, but even then, Sean Payton likes to rotate his wide receivers.

Sai’vion Jones is in a similar spot to Bryant, as he will be a depth piece and the third man in the rotation behind Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers. He will see the field in certain situations, primarily to give the two ahead of him a breather, so his role is that of a rotational piece.

When you get to Que Robinson, things get a little muddy. His special-teams ability will land him a key role on those units, but what about defense? Robinson has a lot of tools to work with, but needs significant development and growth.

So, even with him being a key player for special teams, even as a rookie, he likely won’t see the field much on defense, barring injuries. With four guys ahead of him on the edge rotation, Robinson could be used in a variety of ways, including as an off-ball linebacker mugging the a-gaps.

Jeremy Crawshaw is the starting punter, and it is that simple. There is no other punter on the roster to compete with him, though if he struggles in camp, they could look at bringing in a veteran. All that means is the job is his to lose.

The final pick was Caleb Lohner, and with only 57 snaps played of college football, the odds of him making the roster are slim at best. Due to his limited experience, he is likely best suited as a practice squad player, allowing the coaching staff to spend the season developing him as a project player.