The Athletic has live coverage of the second and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Read more of The Athletic’s coverage from the 2025 NFL Draft: Best Players Available | Round 1 Grades | Rounds 2 & 3 Grades | Round 1 Winners & Losers
The Denver Broncos entered the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24 with seven picks over the three-day draft.
The Broncos added to their secondary in the first round Thursday, selecting Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with the No. 20 pick.
Denver added to the backfield Friday, selecting UCF running back RJ Harvey at No. 60 after twice trading back in the second round, and acquired an extra fourth-round selection in the process. The Broncos added to their offense again in the third round, selecting Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant at No. 74.
Keep coming back here throughout the draft for grades and analysis of each Broncos pick.
Round 1
No. 20: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
How he fits
Potentially this year’s version of Cooper DeJean and/or Brian Branch, Barron was an elite playmaker in the secondary at Texas throughout his career, and he should be a real weapon in the slot (and maybe at safety) for the Broncos.
Denver could have gone a number of different ways here — Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka would have been a great fit, but he obviously went one pick ahead of No. 20. Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss and now Barron will give Denver a very sturdy secondary. Barron is an elite-character player and was a true leader in college. We’ll see how he holds up on the outside, but given the talent around him, he might not need to. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Barron holds a master’s degree in coverage schemes and has done a great job developing the mental part of his game, giving himself a head start keying and diagnosing the quarterback and blocking scheme.
Though he doesn’t have the movement burst for easy recoveries, he plays with supreme confidence and physicality without crossing the line, especially in zone coverage (two pass-interference penalties over his last 35 games in college). Overall, Barron doesn’t have the top-tier size that most teams prioritize at the position, but he trusts his instincts and competes with the toughness and ball skills to hold up versus pass or run. Some teams view him as a nickel-only prospect, while others see his value to play multiple positions across the secondary.
Nick Kosmider’s analysis
Why corner Jahdae Barron was too ‘unique’ to pass up for the Broncos
Broncos draft CB Jahdae Barron: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel
Grade: B-plus
Round 2
No. 60 (from Lions): RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
How he fits
Sean Payton loves his “Joker” players. Harvey gives up size, but he was an extremely productive player at UCF — as a rusher and pass catcher. Think of him as a slightly bigger version of Darren Sproles. He might not be able to handle a huge workload in the NFL, but this is a very nice fit. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
Though he doesn’t have the power to drive through the first level, he is a dynamic make-you-miss runner with his tempo and burst (54 carries of 10 or more yards in 2024), which made him a frequent visitor to the end zone (UCF-record 48 total touchdowns). He is below average as a pass-protecting blocker but has the tools to be a weapon catching the ball on screens and wheels. Overall, Harvey needs to develop better consistency on passing downs, but he is skilled at patiently settling his feet and changing lanes with his instinctive field vision and lateral quickness. Similar in ways to Tyjae Spears, he projects best in a timeshare role in the NFL.
Nick Kosmider’s analysis
Broncos draft RB RJ Harvey: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel
Fantasy impact
Payton gets his running back, and you can see why he likes Harvey given the explosiveness and receiving upside. This is a *Payton RB* if there ever was one in this draft. Harvey can be the Broncos lead, and while he won’t be a bellcow, Harvey can replicate the fit of Alvin Kamara with the Saints. No, I’m not saying Harvey is a Top 5-10 RB, but he’s an enticing RB2 from Day 1 and mid-first rounder in dynasty. — Jake Ciely
Grade: B-plus
Round 3
No. 74 (from Panthers): Pat Bryant, WR, Illinois
How he fits
A big-bodied, versatile receiver, Bryant made a living at Illinois on tough catches, both in the air and against tight coverage. He is not an overwhelming athlete and — like TeSlaa, who was taken a few picks earlier — had plenty of day-three grades. But he’s also a pretty perfect fit for Payton. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
A good-sized target, Bryant plays with quick eyes and confident hands to snare fastballs and get downhill immediately (77.8 percent of his catches in 2024 resulted in a first down or touchdown). He doesn’t have a threatening vertical gear, and his separation burst is average, but he skillfully uses his frame and subtle pushes through the route to finish back-shoulder grabs and crowded catch windows don’t appear to disrupt his concentration. Overall, Bryant isn’t super dynamic, which will be tougher to mask against NFL competition, but his body coordination and ascending technique match well with his natural tracking skills. He projects as a backup possession target who can fight for a WR2 or WR3 role in the right situation.
Nick Kosmider’s analysis
The Broncos like the progress of their young wide receiver corps. Marvin Mims Jr. broke out near the end of his second season and Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele had bright moments as rookies last season. Still, there is room for more competition. Outside of veteran Courtland Sutton, no Broncos wide receiver had more than 505 yards receiving. And Denver lost Lil’Jordan Humphrey, a big-bodied wide receiver who served as the team’s top blocker at the position.
Bryant isn’t especially fast. He ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the combine in February. He was graded as a fifth-round prospect by The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler, the No. 21 receiver in the draft class. But he showed major progress during his final year at Illinois in 2024, averaging 18.2 yards per reception and 10 touchdowns. Clearly, Payton has a vision for Bryant as a receiver who can track the ball deep for quarterback Bo Nix.
Fantasy impact
Bryant is a strong receiver, providing his team with a 50/50 winner, big plays and potential red zone target. The concerns are his route speed and struggles with man coverage, which is why he likely profiles as a Cedric Tillman type in fantasy … if Tillman had already hit. Bryant can be a WR4, but like many other wideouts in this range, that will come with some top-20 weeks and plenty of WR5/6 outputs. — Jake Ciely
Grade: B-minus
Round 4
No. 111 (from Panthers)
No. 130 (from Lions)
Round 6
No. 191 (from Cardinals)
No. 197
(Photo: Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)
