Worthy Prospects Snubbed in Our 3-Round Broncos Mock Drafts

These prospects didn't make any of our three-round mocks, but they could be in play for the Denver Broncos in the first two days.

Nov 9, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; UCF Knights running back RJ Harvey (7) delivers a stiff arm to Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Keith Abney II (1) during the second half at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

After 11 different three-round mock drafts where I took three different players in each and every iteration of the mock draft, there are still prospects from the 2025 draft class I didn't select that I feel are worth while mentioning for the Denver Broncos.

As many have said leading up to last Thursday’s mock, this is going to be one of the harder to predict draft classes in quite some time because, simply put, the talent at the top is thin, but Rounds 2 through 4 are deep. So, as the picks start coming off the board, the further the draft gets from Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter coming off the board, the more wild and unpredictable the event will become.

One would think making the case for 33 different prospects over 11 different individual drafts would be enough. However, the options in the draft are endless, and pondering the limitless outcomes is a fun time filler at worst and an exercise at best, though some might view it as an exercise in futility.

33 Different Players

Some I don't like as much or as highly as I took them as I do now that we have more data

But a fun look at a number of guys this cycle

Will release one final mock all 7 rounds with trades next week w/ every player back on the table https://t.co/dbwEvJjSxv pic.twitter.com/QZUTxstQ0U

— Nick Kendell 🏔 (@NickKendellMHH) April 17, 2025

Besides the ample players I've mock-drafted to the Broncos, there are still more worth discussing and naming who simply didn’t make the cut. Instead of hammering out a few more mocks to name some prospects who deserve a shoutout, we will instead discuss the prospects by round who didn’t make the mocks but could easily end up as Broncos in less than a week. 

Round 1

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden (2) stiff arms Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Maxwell Hairston (1) in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2024. | Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
• Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
• Walter Nolen, IDL, Ole Miss
• Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
• Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
• Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
• Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
• Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
• Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

With all the discussion about how much the Broncos are happy with their young wide receiver group (relatively young, Devaughn Vele was a 27-year-old rookie after all), two of the top-four consensus wideouts — Golden from Texas and Burden from Missouri — did not make one of my mocks.

Burden has slipped and might be on the board closer to the Broncos’ second-round selection than at pick 20, but his 2023 season was still spectacular, and he has tremendous upside. Golden is also a viable option for Denver. With his speed, ability to attack the ball down the field, and skill in separating in the intermediate areas of the field, he could offer some juice to a passing offense with many unknowns.

On the defensive front, it pains me that I never worked Nolen into a mock. He has as much juice as any defensive tackle in the class, and after a visit to Denver prior to the draft, he would be an enticing high-upside pick for Denver.

With as much one-gap penetration and emphasis on disruption as the Broncos place up front, as long as Nolen’s character checks out, he would make a lot of sense at 20. I didn’t work in too many edge rushers into any of the mocks, but it's such a valuable position, and with Bonitto entering the last year of his contract, it wouldn’t be the most shocking thing for Denver to add another pass rusher.

Williams is a long and powerful rusher with a completely different skill set from the bodies in the Broncos' outside linebackers room currently. Green is more similar to Bonitto but likely has more power and edge-setting ability against the run.

Williams has had some injury questions to answer, and Green has multiple sexual assault allegations for teams to work through. It wouldn’t be too surprising if Green isn't on Denver's board given his past.

In the back seven, Campbell, Johnson, Starks, and Emmanwori are talented enough to make a case for, even if the path to the field is not the cleanest. The draft, at its core, is about trying to find franchise-altering talent, not necessarily filling immediate gaps on the depth chart.

Campbell is a unique athlete as he possesses every physical trait for a linebacker with size, physicality, length, and range. He is still a raw processor, but would be enticing for Denver. He is working back from a shoulder injury, though.

Johnson was considered to be one of the best prospects in the class last summer. However, a year dealing with injuries, up-and-down play in general, and questions about his long speed have knocked him down. If he’s there at 20, the Broncos could consider nabbing him, kicking Riley Moss inside to compete with Ja'Quan McMillian, and adding talent at a value position.

A harder immediate fit would be Starks or Emmanwori. Starks probably fits cleaner because Emmanwori likey inhabits the same niche as Hufanga, but both are talented enough that if the Broncos took them and had a long-term vision, there is a case to be made.

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Round 2

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jaylin Noel (13) catches a pass for a touchdown in front of Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Kyan McDonald (38) during the second half at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

• Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
• Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
• Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
• Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona
• Jordan Burch, DL, Oregon
• TJ Sanders, IDL, South Carolina
• Landon Jackson, Edge, Arkansas
• Nic Scourton, Edge, Texas A&M
• JT Tuimoloau, Edge, Ohio State
• Carson Schwesinger, ILB, UCLA
• Shavon Revel, CB, Eastern Carolina
• Maxwell Harrison, CB, Kentucky
• Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss

Not many running backs, interior defensive linemen, or tight ends fell through the cracks of 11 different iterations of my three-round mocks. There were ample receivers, though.

Round 2 stands out with the Iowa State duo of Noel and Higgins. Higgins is very much in the Vele mold, who can play X or big slot, and could give Denver some options to have a plan in place to move on from Courtland Sutton.

Noel is more explosive with slot and Z ability, but he is physical as a blocker. The Broncos are looking for a tight end as well, and Arroyo is certainly someone with the profile of a starter. He is extremely explosive, but his ample injuries have clouded exactly where he will come off the board.

The offensive line is extremely important for the Broncos. But they're a team that, outside of center, seems to be fairly stable the next couple of seasons at guard and tackle. That said, Savaiinaea is simply too good not to consider.

He is extremely strong and a good athlete for his size. Savaiinaea has great feet for his square build. He’s probably best at guard and is a perfect profile fit for Sean Payton.

A defensive front player was in every iteration of my mock drafts. There are still ones worth considering.

The Broncos could look to add edge, such as Tuimoloau, Scourton, or Jackson, all of whom bring far more of a power element to their game than Bonitto and Jonah Elliss. Any of them could challenge Jonathon Cooper and bring more of a size and length profile to the Broncos front.

On the interior, Sanders is a good gap-penetrating 3-technique type, and Burch is more of a 4i/5 similar to John Franklin-Myers. Either could be good rotational players that blossom into starters down the line.

The Broncos look stable in the back seven this season, but Schwesinger is talented enough of a linebacker to think long and hard about if he were to fall to 51. He tested surprisingly well and moves as well in space as any linebacker in the draft.

The Broncos have three good starting cornerbacks on paper, but Moss has had ample injuries already, and McMillian could earn some competition as well. Any of Revel, Harriston, or Amos, should they fall, would likely entice the Broncos given the volatile nature of the cornerback position and the value of coverage players.

Round 3

Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) is tackled by Texas linebacker Colin Simmons (11) during the fourth quarter in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• RJ Harvey, RB, Central Florida
• Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
• Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
• Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
• Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
• Trey Harris, WR, Ole Miss
• Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon
• Jared Wilson, C, Georgia
• Ashton Gillotte, Edge, Louisville
• Oluwafemi Oladejo, Edge, UCLA
• Bradyn Swinson, Edge, LSU
• Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma
• Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville
• Nohl Williams, CB, California
• Kevin Winston Jr., S, Penn State
• Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame

There's a much larger heap of players here because the further you get from the top of the draft, the closer the grades of prospects are. A running back went in nearly every single mock done, but there were still a few available worth considering for Denver. Skattebo, Harvey, and Tuten are players who likely come off the board in Round 3 or 4 and could be excellent additions to Denver’s backfield.

Skattebo is the best between-the-tackles player with solid receiving skills, and Harvey and Tuten bring more speed to Denver.

Receiver and tight end are also possible. Sadly, Ferguson from Oregon never made a mock, but he should have, as he is a highly possible option given the need, talent, fit, and connection with Bo Nix.

At wide receiver, Williams, Harris, and Ayomanor are all worthwhile targets that could bring something different to Denver. Williams is explosive, Harris has a chance to become a true X, and Ayomanor is the best blocker in the class with ample upside.

The Broncos could also consider Wilson at center, a one-year starter for Georgia, should he fall this far. Round 2 feels too early for Denver; Round 3, and he just might be too valuable to pass up.

On defense, a number of edge rushers make sense for Denver in this range. Gilotte, Swinson, and Oladejo are all interesting speed rusher profiles that could give Denver leverage with Bonitto’s impending contract season.

At linebacker, Stutsman is one of the few worth considering in the top 100 and plays with some of the most tenacious energy of any player in this class. The Broncos could also look at Riley or Williams, depending on how they value each player and their concerns at cornerback after Patrick Surtain II.

Safeties Watts (many consider Round 2, but for Denver, that feels early) and Winston Jr., perhaps the best combination of size, physicality, athleticism, and instincts in this class. The dude loves to hit and is an incredible ally player.

The Takeaway

If you got this far and feel like a prospect you love is still missing from these lists, make the case! It’s beyond possible the Broncos love someone and take them in the top 100 that didn’t even get recognized on this list.

That’s what makes the draft so fun: the absurdity and improbability of it all. It’s chaos in motion.

Only time will tell whether the Broncos make the right picks, but despite it being a down year overall, there are still plenty of viable avenues to add talent and improve this April for the Broncos.

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