Broncos Signing Evan Engram Changes Everything at Pick 20 in the Draft

On Wednesday, the Denver Broncos landed Sean Payton's ‘joker' by signing veteran tight end Evan Engram. It was a good move for the Broncos, with some risk due to Engram's injury history, but it's a significant move to help Bo Nix and the passing offense.

Not only is it a good move for the offense, but it's also great for the Broncos' approach to the 2025 NFL draft. Denver sits with the No. 20 overall pick.

Why is Engram good for Denver's draft approach? The Broncos have every option on the table.

Do the Broncos still need a running back upgrade? Yes, but the draft class is deep at the position, with talents to be found throughout the first three rounds. The Broncos don’t have to force a running back pick at 20.

If the Broncos didn’t land Engram, they would have been practically forced to pick a tight end. While the 2025 draft class is strong at tight end, it dries up after the first eight or so prospects, and that isn’t the case at running back.

If Boise State's Ashton Jeanty is there at 20, great. If not, the Broncos don’t have to force a pick on North Carolina's Omarion Hampton. They can wait and see who's there at No. 51 overall or even 85. There are about 10 running backs viewed as top 100 players.

Ideally, the Broncos add a running back to raise the room's floor in a move similar to Engram. The team needs someone to turn to if it misses on a running back in the draft. It doesn’t have to be an expensive signing, but some low-risk, high-reward options are still available.

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Allowing Payton and GM George Paton to go into the draft without any obvious needs enables them to go for the best player available, regardless of the position. We can also rule out a quarterback, and a pure offensive tackle is unlikely.

However, with the ability to get out of right tackle Mike McGlinchey's deal, with the Broncos purportedly viewing Alex Palczewski as a guard, it isn’t entirely off the table in the draft. A player with the versatility to play multiple spots, like a guard who could replace Ben Powers or step in as a center, is an option for Denver. Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) would make sense with that rationale.

Denver could also go anywhere on the defense. The Broncos have three players on the defensive line with expiring deals, two of whom are seeking an extension.

At outside linebacker, the Broncos have Nik Bonitto waiting on a new deal, another who recently garnered a big extension, and two second-year players, which creates an opening for a rookie draft pick to compete for a depth role or even as the third rusher.

At linebacker, with Dre Greenlaw's signing, Denver has Alex Singleton coming off an injury with questionable depth at best behind them. Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones are quality starting safeties, but the former has an injury history, and Denver can move on from the latter after this season.

P.J. Locke could still be cut, while Devon Key was terrible in 2024. So, a safety draft pick could provide the Broncos with a long-term answer.

At cornerback, Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian have two years of cost control left, and Paton has a high value on cornerbacks. Not to mention, Moss has been hurt in both of his NFL seasons. Even with Kris Abrams-Draine, the Broncos could look at a cornerback to give them long-term flexibility and boost their depth with the injuries they

And guess what? If Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren were there for the Broncos at 20 overall, Engram wouldn’t keep them from being the selection. It is only a two-year deal, and tight ends can take time to adjust to the NFL.

The Engram signing creates the freedom and breathing room for the Broncos to go whichever way they want with the 20th overall pick, depending on how the board falls. That should always be the goal with free-agent signings, so it's a job well done.

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