Broncos Mock Draft Monday: 7-Round Haul Floods Roster With Impact

The Denver Broncos made it back to the playoffs, but they still have a ways to go to become a perennial playoff team and be in a position to make a run for the Super Bowl. NFL dynasties are built through the draft, and the Broncos have had some issues with their lack of picks over recent years because of a pair of trades.

Free agency addresses immediate needs, while the draft is for future needs. That's why it is critical to be successful in the draft to build a perennial playoff team and contender.

With free agency yet to happen, today's seven-round mock draft focuses on needs now and in future years. However, the Broncos can’t fix every hole in the present and the future in one draft, or even one offseason.

Teams don’t have the resources to do that. Ideally, with most of the picks in this mock draft, the Broncos will pair them with a free-agent signing to help fill bridge the present and future.

These mock drafts are made using Pro Football Focus' mock draft simulator. With that said, let's dive into this mock draft.

Round 1, Pick 20: Tyler Warren | TE | Penn State

The need for this position is obvious. What the Broncos got from Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, and Lucas Krull was not enough for Sean Payton and his offense.

Throughout Payton’s coaching career, he has always had that key tight end for his offense. To help Bo Nix take the next step, the Broncos need to find some help. It's rare for a rookie tight end to make a significant impact, but Warren has the traits to be a year-one contributor.

Warren has much to work with regarding blocking; he needs to improve his technique to become more consistent. When watching his film, his blocking is often a boom-or-bust play.

Warren either makes a huge key block or whiffs. That would be an area for the Broncos to focus on with his development, as the lack of blocking consistency from the tight end position was part of the issue with the Broncos' lack of run game.

Payton has enough receiving ability to work with and use in his schemes. Two statistics linked to NFL success are yards after the catch and broken tackles.

Last year, Warren had the second-most yards after the catch and second-most broken tackles in college football. While there is a question of how much was schemed up for him, Warren has the needed traits to work with and would offer Nix a legitimate tight end.

While it seems likely the Broncos will have to trade up for Warren in reality, they didn’t need to in this simulation, and he was impossible to pass up on.

Round 2, Pick 51: Elic Ayomanor | WR | Stanford

Ayomanor is a receiver not many are talking about, but he's one of the better prospects in this class. His blocking ability is some of the best in the class from the receiver position and better than that of most tight ends in this class.

Ayomanor could be used outside on the boundary and work from the slot as a significant slot type, which Payton loves. Ayomanor's immediate role would be to replace Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who might not be on the Broncos roster at the start of the 2025 season.

The testing at the NFL Combine will be key for Ayomanor and seeing how big he is. While he's listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he looks a little smaller but heavier on tape.

Those in Broncos Country who are also fans of the Colorado Buffalos may be familiar with Ayomanor after destroying Travis Hunter, the top corner in the 2025 NFL draft back in the 2023 season. Ayomanor had seven catches for 133 yards, two touchdowns, and four first downs against Hunter. The Stanford receiver finished the game with 294 yards and three touchdowns.

While Ayomanor doesn’t have the most expansive route tree, his route-running is ideal for Payton, with slants and digs being a large part of it. The more significant issue is over Ayomanor's hands, with six drops, an 8.3% drop rate, in each of the last two seasons. However, that would be tied for the ninth-most drops, but it would rank 31st in draft rate in the NFL for the 2024 season.

Round 3, Pick 85: Lathan Ransom | S | Ohio State

Payton recently discussed improving in the middle of the defense, and 9NEWS' Mike Klis forecasts the Broncos upgrading over P.J. Locke. This makes sense, given the Broncos' defensive issues in closing the season and the playoffs. While this isn’t an excellent safety class, Ransom fits well with what the Broncos do and what they seek.

Ransom is a do-it-all safety with good range, football IQ, versatility, and run defense. He is rarely caught out of position and quickly diagnoses the play. He reacts quickly when he reads a run and works downhill with force.

However, Ransom's tackling technique must be corrected to reduce the number of missed tackles, which were 14 last season and 45 in four seasons. He has a good nose for the ball in coverage and picks up things quickly. He has the tools and traits to step in as a starter in 2025 or can sit for a year behind Locke as the third safety and take over in 2026.

What happens next on the Broncos beat? 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!

Round 4, Pick 121: Brashard Smith | RB | SMU

The Broncos' need for a running back is evident, especially one who can be a receiving threat out of the backfield. Smith has plenty of experience as a receiver, as he was only a receiving back for Miami for three years before transferring to SMU.

In those three years at Miami, Smith ran the ball 20 times and caught 68 passes. At SMU, he had 41 catches while rushing 232 times for over 1,300 yards.

Smith's route-running is clean, and he can even work off the line as a receiver. He would bring a missing element to the Broncos offense, which they are missing and that Payton likes to have.

There is a significant concern over Smith's ball security, with five fumbles in three seasons, including two in his last two years at Miami. Denver wouldn’t be drafting him to be the top back but to fill a specific role on offense, which you can afford to do with a fourth-round pick.

Round 6, Pick 193: Smael Mondon Jr. | LB | Georgia

There is an expectation that the Broncos will go out and buy a linebacker in free agency, and with that in mind, I sat on the position somewhat in this mock draft. However, Mondon was too good to pass up at this point.

While Mondon doesn’t have an ideal size, he sees things well with a high football IQ and works well in coverage. There are some issues against the run, but if the Broncos can see success on the defensive line, it’ll help him.

Round 6, Pick 199: Oronde Gadsden II | TE | Syracuse

Doubling up on the tight end was something that needed to be done with how bad the room was for the Broncos. Gadsden had a rough showing at the Shrine Bowl, and he offers very little as a blocker.

However, there is some ability to work with, but Gadsden should be viewed as a big receiver more than a tight end. While he could earn a role in 2025 as a receiving tight end out of the slot, he will likely be kept in reserve to develop for the year.

Gadsden is a great athlete and a former quarterback, which helps him read defenses and find the soft spots in zone coverage. There are a lot of tools and traits to work with that you take a shot in the dark at in this stage of the draft.

Round 6, Pick 209: Cam Jackson | DL | Florida

The Broncos could be in a position to take a risk on their defensive line. Jackson is a massive nose tackle type at 6-foot-6 and 343 pounds. He's a surprisingly good athlete for his size, with good power.

Jackson needs to develop his technique and get his pad level low consistently because when he plays low, he impacts the play. When you have three sixth-round picks, you can take a shot at the potential that needs to develop. It's a low-risk pick with the potential for a high reward.