There aren’t many weaknesses on the Denver Broncos roster right now. There are things to nitpick, sure, but top to bottom this is a group that’s built to win and built to last.
We’ve seen several years of planning come to fruition in 2025, with the Broncos sitting at 11-2 and on a 10-game winning streak headed into the final 4 games of the regular season.
Whatever happens the rest of the way, the Broncos are probably ahead of schedule in terms of the timeline set up by head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton, which puts them in a position of power when it comes to free agency and, more importantly, the 2026 NFL draft.
ESPN Predicts Broncos Will Draft WR in First Round
The latest mock draft from ESPN’s Field Yates predicts the Broncos will take Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell in the first round with the No. 32 overall pick.
Bell, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, has 72 receptions for 917 yards and 6 touchdowns in 11 games.
“Is another wide receiver a must? No, but it couldn’t hurt to have another inexpensive option behind Courtland Sutton,” Yates wrote on December 10. “At 6-2, 220 pounds, Bell has some of the best size of any of the touted receivers in this class. He was scorching hot in the first six games of this season, with six touchdowns and three 100-plus-yard games. He did not score or reach 80 yards in any of his final six games of the regular season, but he still displayed uncommon power and burst for a player of his stature.”
The Broncos have taken wide receivers with their first round pick twice in the last 20 years; the late Demariyus Thomas, a 5-time Pro Bowler, at No. 22 overall in 2010 and Jerry Jeudy with the No. 15 overall pick in 2020.
Broncos Don’t Have Clear Cut WR2 Option
Sutton signed a 4-year, $92 million contract extension before the season and is Denver’s clear cut WR1 option moving forward.
After Sutton, things get a little murky when it comes to WR2.
Third year wide receiver Marvin Mims is an option, but the Broncos seem to think he’s more valuable in the return game, where he’s a lock to become a 3-time NFL All-Pro and 3-time Pro Bowler after this season.
Second year wide receiver Troy Franklin has shown flashes he could be the guy, but the Broncos coaching staff seems to have lost faith with him in recent weeks.
“The Broncos used their Week 12 bye to hit the reset button, and nobody got reset harder than Troy Franklin,” Dynasty Coach A wrote on their official X account. “He went from ‘must-start breakout’ to ‘can’t trust him in my lineup’ in the span of one weekend.”
The most likely candidate is 6-foot-2, 204-pound rookie Pat Bryant, a 2025 third round pick who has seen his targets and usage ramp up down the stretch but almost certainly won’t play in Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers due to a hamstring injury.
“Broncos WR Pat Bryant is expected to be sidelined this weekend with a hamstring per source,” KOA’s Benjamin Allbright reported on X on December 10.
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