The 2025 NFL Draft is one week away, and with the last grains of sand trickling down the hourglass, the final slew of mock drafts and reports are also being submitted and disseminated to the masses.
One of the more renowned draft analysts is The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who recently released a full seven-round mock in which he projected several interesting prospects to the Denver Broncos.
Perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly is the Broncos’ first pick at No. 20 overall: North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton. Touting the Broncos being such a surprise last season, Brugler stated that Denver has "a chance to push for the AFC West this season, especially if they can add a productive weapon such as Hampton.”
From a physical profile, Hampton checks nearly every box. He has a prototype build for the position at 6-foot, 211 pounds, and tested exceedingly well at the Combine. Hampton also checks boxes in the pass game as an adequate checkdown option (although not a pass catcher that can be defined as a "Joker" option) and a plus player in pass protection. The Broncos are looking for a back they can trust after losing Javonte Williams, and he fits the bill.
After satisfying the Broncos’ only remaining roster need, Brugler filled out the rest of their draft class peeking ahead to the future:
Round 2 (No. 51): Jordan Burch, DL, Oregon
Round 3 (No. 85): Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon
Round 4 (No. 122): Aeneas Peebles, IDL, Virginia Tech
Round 6 (No. 191): Drew Kendall, Boston College
Round 6 (No. 197): Xavier Restrepo, WR, Miami
Round 6 (No. 208): Marcus Harris, CB, California
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The Broncos will likely be searching for long-term replacements along the defensive line with Zach Allen, Jonathan Franklin-Myers, and Malcolm Roach set to hit free agency after 2025. Burch is an intriguing profile who ironically compares to Franklin-Myers. While listed at EDGE, Burch (6-4, 279 with 33 ¾” arm length) fits very similarly to the body type Denver wants for its DEs. He possesses physical gifts and power at the point of attack, but whether he can hold up against more mass would be a major question for the Broncos.
The Broncos double-dip from the Oregon well, landing tight end Terrance Ferguson at pick 85. Former teammates with Bo Nix, Ferguson has an ideal TE frame and tested like an excellent athlete for the position at the Combine. At 6-5, 247, Ferguson can be used in the slot, as an H-back, or inline in two tight end sets. He'd be a terrific value pick for Denver at this point in the draft.
Brugler’s Day 3 selections of Peebles and Restrepo stand out — and not necessarily in a positive light. Peebles's lack of size (6-1, 282) did not lend itself to being an overly explosive athlete, testing below the 50th percentile in every metric save for his vertical jump. He's quick on tape, but in a deep IDL class, there are better options for Denver.
Following a productive few years for the Hurricanes, Restrepo possesses a solid frame for the receiver position at 5-foot-10, 202 pounds. Many thought he had a chance to be a late Day 2/early Day 3 player before he ran a horrific 4.85 forty-time at Miami's Pro Day. Still, Restrepo’s tape shows intelligence and toughness that make him a worthwhile selection this far down the board.
