While the Denver Broncos welcomed seven players through the 2025 NFL Draft, they were not done building their roster. After the seven rounds, they signed 15 players who they think can make an impact.
However, undrafted rookies are a hit-or-miss, given the experienced athletes they must surpass in the depth chart. But as The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider speculates, one of these hopefuls has a good chance of cracking the Broncos roster.
In his May 2 article, Kosmider identified former Georgia guard Xavier Truss as the likeliest to play meaningful minutes for the Broncos. Kosmider established Truss’s path to making the team by writing, “The Broncos did not sign any interior offensive lineman in free agency. They did not use any of their seven draft picks at the position, either.”
The Broncos’ draft haul includes two defensive ends, a cornerback, a running back, a wide receiver, a tight end, and a punter. As for the offensive line, Denver has established starters in Garett Bolles, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Ben Powers, and Luke Wattenberg.
Truss is facing an uphill battle to replace any of those five men. But beyond the starting rotation lies Truss’ opportunity because, as Kosmider added, “The three veteran reserves on the unit – Alex Forsyth, Nick Gargiulo, and Calvin Throckmorton – have started a combined four games across the past two seasons.”
Truss can compete with those reserves without feeling overwhelmed because he played 67 games in six college football seasons. Likewise, the 6-foot-7’s versatility of playing every offensive line position except center could work to his advantage in becoming a swing backup.
NFL Draft Analyst Sees Limited Playing Options for Xavier Truss
In his comprehensive 2025 NFL Draft Guide, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler suggests that Truss’s lack of flexibility could limit the ways he can contribute to the Broncos’ offense. Brugler wrote, “With questionable range and technique on an island, he is a better fit inside, which could hurt his versatility in the NFL.”
In addition to this limitation, Brugler identified Truss’ modest quickness, inconsistent balance, and age (24) as weaknesses.
Conversely, Brugler sees Truss being an asset because of his size, helping him become a decent blocker. Pro Football Focus supports this claim via Truss’ 71.7 pass block grade and a 62 overall grade last year. The two-time National Champion with the Georgia Bulldogs earned those marks thanks to his firm grip that let him control blocks.
Furthermore, Brugler praised Truss’ ample speed when closing space against linebackers and “adequate pass-set quickness off the ball.”
Ranking the Top Five Undrafted Rookies Who Could Make the Broncos Roster
Kosmider ranked former Jacksonville State offensive lineman Clay Webb after Xavier Truss. Before playing for the Gamecocks, Webb played in five games over three seasons in Georgia. Meanwhile, Brugler wrote in his assessment, “Webb has the feel and core strength to execute different run-blocking schemes, although answering the length and power of NFL defensive linemen will be a major jump.”
Third on the list is former Kansas linebacker JB Brown, who had 74 tackles and five sacks in the 2024 Kansas Jayhawks season. At four is linebacker Karene Reid, who was a two-time Second-Team All-Pac-12 member with the Utah Utes.
Former Missouri edge rusher Johnny Walker Jr. completes the top five Broncos undrafted rookies. While he did have 9.5 sacks in his final season with the Tigers, denting the Broncos’ edge rotation could be difficult because of Dondrea Tillmann, Jonah Elliss, Jonathon Cooper, and Nik Bonitto. These players helped the Broncos lead the league in sacks last year with 63.
