The Denver Broncos made their big splashes in NFL Free Agency, and now their sights are set on the NFL Draft. In our latest Broncos Mailbag, Broncos Country wants to know about what’s next for Sean Payton and company.
Denver Broncos Mailbag: Post-NFL Free Agency
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Is there a way for Drew Sanders to see significant playing time this season without injuries to starters? He’s shown promise when healthy, but it seems like he could slowly be log-jammed off the depth chart. – @BroncosWatch6 on Twitter.
After signing Dre Greenlaw in free agency, there is a linebacker spot up for grabs. From what George Paton said at the NFL Combine, Drew Sanders is going to compete for a starting job. All signs point to that being in a competition with Alex Singleton, who is returning from his ACL injury, and Justin Strnad — who the team re-signed and told he would also be competing to start.
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Singleton’s made great strides in his ACL recovery and should be ready for training camp, but it’s clear that the Broncos aren’t going to hand him his spot back as the team tries to formulate their roster in 2025. Denver missed Singleton’s fire on the field last season, and he was monumental to the linebacker room behind the scenes. Sanders is finally designated to a position and can focus this entire offseason on his role, the defense, and what his responsibility would be if he was starting, which should help him when the team goes into OTAs.
He’ll have to beat out Singleton and Strnad for that role, but even if he doesn’t win the starting job, I’d imagine the Broncos use him in various packages this season.
As the third wave of free agency approaches, there are still some big names out there, like Keenan Allen, J.K. Dobbins, Amari Cooper, Von Miller, and others. Do you think Denver kicks the tires before the draft or do they see where they are after the draft? – John Perkins on Twitter.
I think it’s possible the Broncos could add another solid splash player if they extend Courtland Sutton, Nik Bonitto, or Zach Allen. That would give Denver more salary cap space and flexibility, but it’s highly likely that those players you mentioned above get offered nothing more than a one-year or two-year deal.
I think if the Broncos do decide to make a move like this after the NFL Draft. Players like Cooper, Allen, or even Miller being available at that point would be surprising though.
Now that we’ve made our splash in free agency, what are the top three positions we need to focus on in the draft? Also, do you think we will add a veteran receiver alongside Sutton? – Michael Prior on Twitter.
If I had to diagnose three positions of focus for the NFL Draft, I’d say it would be running back, defensive line, and tight end. I know that Sean Payton likes the younger backs on the roster right now — Audric Estime, Jaleel McLaughlin, Blake Watson, and Tyler Badie — without them adding a veteran back in free agency, it wouldn’t surprise me if they fully embraced the youth movement at running back.
The defensive line is an interesting position because it’s not necessarily a need for the Broncos, but George Paton emphasized at the Combine that he and Payton still want to invest in the trenches on both sides. With how deep this year’s NFL Draft class is for defensive line, it wouldn’t come as a shock if one of Denver’s first two picks in the Top 100 of the draft is a defensive lineman.
Tight end is still a position I think the Broncos could benefit from continuing to add to. With Evan Engram coming on as the ‘Joker’ for Payton, he’ll add a game-changing dynamic to the receiving element of the tight end room, but Denver has to invest in building for the long-term. Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson and LSU’s Mason Taylor are ideal names to keep an eye on to factor into the position room alongside Engram, Adam Trautman, and Lucas Krull.
Part of me wouldn’t be shocked if Nate Adkins replaced Michael Burton as the team’s full-back with his ability to also catch out of the backfield.
Is there any chance that we could entertain the idea of trading for Kamara? – Steven Redshirt on Twitter.
I don’t see that being on the table at all for the Denver Broncos, considering Kamara just signed an extension with the Saints during the season amidst a potential firesale. Many on the New Orleans Saints beat have told me that Kamara would likely retire before playing for another team, so I wouldn’t count on it.
If the Denver Broncos somehow bring in a RB like J.K. Dobbins and draft another one, how intense will that training camp battle be all around? – J Ngai on Twitter.
I think that the running back battle will be intense regardless if they add a player like Dobbins, Chubb, or any other veteran and draft a player. Even with McLaughlin, Estime, Badie, and Watson, I think that position group will have a fiery battle for playing time regardless.
Adding a rookie or veteran to the mix only amplifies what will likely be the most-watched position battle for training camp in July.