Draft Insider Reveals Why Broncos Trading Up is 'Definitely On the Table'

What will the Denver Broncos do in the 2025 NFL draft? With a franchise quarterback in the fold and multiple roster holes, the Broncos could proceed in many ways.

However, this early in the process, the Broncos have been commonly linked to three draft prospects: Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and tight ends Tyler Warren (Penn State) and Colston Loveland (Michigan). According to the recent buzz, the Broncos trading up for one of these prospects is "on the table."

There's a belief that all three will be gone by the time the Broncos go on the clock at No. 20, and for Jeanty and Warren especially, some believe they'll be gone in the top 10. The Athletic's Dane Brugler discussed the recent Broncos trade-up rumors on The Athletic Football Show podcast.

First off, Brugler ranked Warren as his 10th overall prospect.

“Ranking him at 10 was basically an appreciation ranking for a really good football player. There are teams around the league that say he’s not going top 20 because he's a tight end," Brugler told hosts Robert Mays and Derrick Klassen. "He’s just so dang consistent, really strong through contact, and going to test really well at 255 pounds. He's not just a possession guy. 56% of his yardage this year came after the catch.”

Warren not going top 20 is much different than what we're seeing in mock drafts, where he's consistently a top-15 pick. Warren is the player that most of Broncos Country seem to want the most.

Brugler also addressed the elephant in the room, Brock Bowers, who was the 13th overall pick last year, and any Warren comparisons.

“I don’t think he [Warren] will ultimately go top 10 where I have him ranked. He's not Brock Bowers," Brugler said. "He's not on that level. It's almost similar to drafting a running back in the first round.”

This is a salient point to make. Bowers is elite at the tight end position, which saw him viewed more as an offensive weapon than a tight end, and Warren isn’t quite that same caliber of player.

“Where if you feel you are one piece away from elevating your offense, go make it happen. I think of Denver. It would be such a great fit," Brugler said of Warren and the Broncos. "If you drop him in that offense, he's ready to go. I don’t think he's going to last that long. Sean Payton isn’t afraid to move around on draft day. But right after Tyler Warren, I had Colston Loveland.”

Payton has a history of moving up the board to get the guys he wants. He did it frequently with the New Orleans Saints, and last year, Payton purportedly flirted with the idea of trading up. There were even reports of the Broncos trying to get into the top few picks to potentially land Jayden Daniels, who was rumored to be the top quarterback on their board and the only one ahead of Bo Nix.

Brugler added some additional insight on Loveland, and how he differs from Warren.

“A Michigan tight end, that... is interesting. They’re two different skill sets. For most of this process, I've had Loveland ahead of Warren just because he’s got a lot more upside, and I usually lean that way," Brugler said. "But, in this instance, I went with the more proven player. Loveland is basically a big wide receiver, and I'll admit, I think there's a little recency bias baked into dropping him one spot below Warren because of how Dalton Kincaide has performed in Buffalo.”

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Many share the sentiment that Loveland is a big wide receiver. His blocking leaves something to be desired, which could keep him from working as an in-line tight end, but Payton can look at him and see his next Jimmy Graham, whom he drafted in New Orleans. In Warren, Payton could see his next Jason Witten or Jeremy Shockey, who were drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, respectively, when Payton was on those coaching staffs.

“He's not going to give you a ton as a blocker; he is primarily a receiver,” Brugler noted of Loveland. “I believe Loveland is a first-round pass catcher. He can be a mismatch weapon, but I think it's fair to critique that style of tight end and how it might fit, especially with certain schemes.”

What the Broncos are looking for offensively could be filled by Loveland. The Broncos need to rebuild the room, but first and foremost, they need a legit receiving weapon at the tight end position. If Payton lands Loveland, he'd have an excellent idea of using him due to his experience with Graham. But is that worth trading up for in Payton’s mind?

As Brugler and company go on to discuss, this is a "loaded" tight end class. When you see such depth at specific positions in the draft, teams historically wait on that position and don't trade up. Teams look to the less-deep positions first to get the top talent and then turn to the depth at the strong positions.

Another strong position in this draft class is at running back, where Jeanty stands at the top, with five or six running backs in a close group pushing to be that second guy picked. Brugler addressed Jeanty's prospects of being drafted high.

“Honestly, it’s so tough because this goes back to the Bijan Robinson conversation where it was so hard to do a mock draft with Bijan Robinson because there was not a clear place to put him, and even then, the Eagles, you’re like, 'The Eagles make sense, but they're not going to draft a running back in the first round,' and so it became tough.”

Running backs are hard to value, but Robinson ended up being the No. 8 pick of the draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Jeanty isn’t the same caliber of player, but this also isn’t the same caliber of class overall, and that applies to the tight ends, too.

“So with Jeanty, its kind of a similar thing in the top 20 picks. Where, yeah, the Cowboys, kind of makes sense," Brugler said. "It fits for a lot of different reasons, but is there any other team in the top 20 that you maybe can talk yourself into? I just don’t see a lot of landing spots and so, could we see Denver trade up and get him? Or a Washington to trade up and get him? Sure, I think that is definitely on the table.”

Brugler is only connecting dots here, and it makes sense. The Broncos need help at these two positions, and they've been linked to all three guys.

So, trading up for Jeanty or Warren could be an option. However, the uncertainty of where this premium trio goes offers a sliver of hope that one of them could be there for the Broncos. And that includes Denver staying at No. 20 overall and landing one.

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