The Denver Broncos will pick a running back in the 2025 NFL draft. What round they end up selecting a running back remains to be seen, but the team has made it clear they will land one.
"[W]e felt like it was a pretty lean year in regards to free agency at that position, just relatively speaking," Broncos coach Sean Payton said at the NFL's Annual League Meeting in Florida on Monday. "There is depth in the draft.”
George Paton, the team's general manager, specifically mentioned the second to sixth rounds as potential landing zones for a running back.
“It’s a strong class," Paton said. "There are different flavors throughout the draft. I think you can get a good back in the second round up and all the way to the sixth round. That’s how it is. There’s just so many of them.
"The first- and second-down power back, you have the change of pace, you have the third-down and you have the three-down. [There are] not as many three-down backs, but it’s a good class. We’ll get a back in this draft.”
Paton saying the team can find a good back from the second round down to the sixth round doesn't necessarily mean the Broncos have ruled out the possibility of taking an RB in the first round. That was presumably just the GM's way of noting the draft's depth -- they don't have to use a first-round pick to get a quality RB.
Paton's comment is worth noting in future mock drafts. If Denver waits until the second round (or later) to add an RB, it would free them up to select the best player available in the first round instead of addressing a key need like RB.
The Broncos hold seven picks this year, including No. 20 overall in the first round. The 2025 NFL draft will be held in Wisconsin from April 24-26.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Team will pick a running back in 2025 NFL draft
