Bo Nix extracted the truth.
With his talent and ability to make the right decisions, he revealed whether the skill players around him were good enough.
Spoiler alert: They weren’t.
The NFL combine starts on Monday. The mission for coach Sean Payton and general manager George Payton is clear: Identify the tight end and running back they like, then draft them in two months.
Nothing else matters on the wish list. The Broncos are back. Picking Nix made them relevant. Ten wins is the floor.
But they will plateau without providing their quarterback with upgrades.
Payton has delivered on his promise to change the culture and make the Broncos a respected football franchise again. He has pulled it off with underwhelming weapons.
Enough is enough.
No more smirking at the podium, going back and forth with reporters on how Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins are productive. They are not. Tight end is a must for the Broncos. They have deployed one of the NFL’s worst groups in the passing game for three years.
And they have been only slightly better at running back. Payton has a wandering eye when it comes to this position, loving variety more than Baskin-Robbins.
He deserved the benefit of the doubt in 2023 as Javonte Williams returned from injury and Jaleel McLaughlin auditioned as a rookie. We can no longer humor his indecision after last season’s head-scratching rotation featured the ineffective Williams, cameos by McLaughlin, Tyler Badie and Blake Watson, and the sobering healthy scratch of Audric Estime in Buffalo.
The good news is that the Broncos know what they are doing in the draft. They used the last two years to add All-Pro returner and improving receiver Marvin Mims Jr., starting cornerback Riley Moss and reliable contributors Jonah Ellis, Devaughn Vele, Troy Franklin and Alex Forsyth.
And to remind you of what you already know, they nailed the most important position in sports by selecting Nix.
Payton approached the quarterback vacancy with arrogance. Even though he never had a rookie starter in New Orleans or his first season in Denver, Payton predicted his staff would be better at identifying one than other teams.
The Broncos need similar confidence and results at tight end and running back.
Michigan’s Colston Loveland will be mocked to the Broncos hundreds of times between now and the first round (Assuming Tyler Warren is gone before the Broncos pick at No. 20). For Nix to take the next step, he requires a mismatch in the middle of the field. Colston’s ability to run routes like a slot receiver would solve that problem, giving linebackers and safeties somebody who they have to account for.
The issue is value. Historically, taking a tight end in the top 20 does not represent a sound investment. Eleven of the 25 selected from 2000-2024 fell in this group. There were as many busts (O.J. Howard, Kyle Pitts) as boosts (Brock Bowers, Jeremy Shockey).
If the Broncos fall for Loveland after his interview and Friday’s combine workout, then take him. But there is an option that makes more sense: Be bold.
The Broncos can address both needs by taking a risk that will create a higher return. They ache for a running back more than a tight end. And they are poised to maximize the position’s value.
Trade up for Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up. Or stay put and take North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and grab a tight end with the 51st selection.
Selecting a running back in the first round is generally not a good idea. But it is when you have a good offensive line. According to ESPN, the Broncos finished first in block win rate (74.9%) last season, while ranking 16th in rushing yards per game and 21st per carry.
Hello. Do you see it? The problem was the backs. They were shots of decaf.
Getting Jeanty would be a dynamic move, and likely require scooting ahead of the Dallas Cowboys, who have the 12th pick. But Hampton works as well. And I would rather the Broncos get either than hope Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, not nearly as good a fit, is available with Denver’s second-round pick.
Of course, there are other items to address. The Broncos could use a safety to push P.J. Locke and a rookie receiver to challenge Franklin and Vele. And they must meet with Courtland Sutton’s agent at the combine to set the framework for a contract extension that demonstrates the same fairness shown Garett Bolles on his new deal.
But they must keep the thing, the thing.
Payton and Paton know what needs to be done. Nix let them know with his performance. The work on finding the right pieces starts in earnest in Indianapolis. Do the Broncos have a roster that can return to the playoffs? Yes. But they will exit in the first round without upgrading at tight end and running back.
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