Broncos doing heavy diligence on NFL draft wide receivers, from first round to PFAs
In an unfortunate stroke of irony, the Broncos’ climb to the summit in Denver has them sitting in a chasm in Green Bay.
For months, NFL evaluators have lamented the lack of top-end talent in this 2025 draft class. The pro: There’s an overwhelming amount of depth at tight end and running back, the playmaking spots head coach Sean Payton has targeted since taking a podium back at February’s NFL combine. The con: There’s a clear top tier at both positions that could be gone by the time Denver’s No. 20 first-round pick rolls around April 24.
Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is a fever dream at this point, a candidate to be snapped up by the Las Vegas Raiders at pick No. 6. Denver’s gone mostly quiet on Penn State TE Tyler Warren, who the New York Jets are high on at No. 7, a source told The Denver Post. Even North Carolina back Omarion Hampton, widely connected to Denver, is seeing his public stock rise well into the first round.
The Broncos are stuck looking for a fit somewhere between their No. 20 and No. 51 slots. Their first-round pick is likely too low to land a top-graded RB or TE. Their second-round pick is likely too low to wait for the next tier to roll around.
The crop of receivers available in the first round, though, could be just right.
Arizona’s 6-foot-4 gamebreaker Tetairoa McMillan is the type of big-bodied receiver Payton loves. Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka possesses toughness over the middle and as a blocker, that would be perfect for Payton’s system. The Broncos have done due diligence on Texas’ projected first-round pick Matthew Golden, a burner who the Broncos hosted on a top-30 visit recently, according to a source.
“Those are guys that I’m thinking, okay, right there at 20, would be in the conversation, ‘Are we going to take them or not?'” said CBS draft analyst Charles Davis.
Even after gambling significant resources to trade up and nab Troy Franklin in the fourth round last year, there’s ample reason for the Broncos to reach high on a wideout next week in Green Bay. They poked around at the available free-agent crop last month but didn’t sign anyone and also lost Payton favorite Lil’Jordan Humphrey to the New York Giants. There’s little WR1 production or potential in the room besides veteran Courtland Sutton, whose contract situation dangles in the balance.
On the flip side, though, Sutton told The Post Saturday he believed extension talks were “working in the right direction,” and he hoped to be in Denver the rest of his career. The organization, too, is high on the development of youngsters Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr. And the Broncos are looking extensively, well beyond prioritizing the first round, at a slew of potential mid-to-late-round fits at receiver.
The Post has reported Denver’s held post-combine conversations with Maryland’s Tai Felton, Georgia’s Arian Smith and Arkansas’ Isaac TeSlaa. Here are a few other sleeper names that the Broncos have checked in on.
Traeshon Holden, Oregon: Another former teammate of quarterback Bo Nix, the Broncos met with Holden at Oregon’s pro day in mid-March, a source told The Post. The 6-foot-2 Holden doesn’t have blazing speed, but he’s a solid red-zone threat.
Kobe Hudson, UCF: Hudson would bring proven production, with three straight years of 600-plus yards at UCF. He was excellent, too, at intermediate routes over the middle in 2024, a solid fit for Payton. Hudson did a Zoom with the Broncos on March 31, a source said.
Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State: A ready-made slot receiver who could fall undrafted because of his stature (5-foot-8), the sure-handed Presley caught 190 passes across the past two years at Oklahoma State. A source told The Post that a Broncos scout contacted Presley on Monday and told him the organization sees him as a late-round or priority free agent (PFA) talent.
Giles Jackson, Washington: A six-year veteran in collegiate football, Jackson’s another potential PFA option in the slot and is an extremely sure-handed target. He’s dropped exactly three passes in 205 collegiate targets, according to Pro Football Focus. The Broncos have had a video conference with Jackson.
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