INDIANAPOLIS — Heath Ledger. Joaquin Phoenix. Nikola Jokic.
The Joker is not only the most dangerous villain in Batman’s rogues gallery and the best basketball player in the world, but it has emerged as the most critical piece to the Broncos’ offseason.
Denver returned to the playoffs in 2024. The Broncos have their franchise quarterback in Bo Nix. In order to take the next step forward, they need a more dynamic offense.
That starts with adding a “joker” — a hybrid running back or tight end who can create mismatches over the middle of the field against linebackers and safeties.
“Sometimes, a draft might only have maybe a candidate or two at one of those positions. Certainly, you hit a couple of positions that fit into the ‘must’ realm, and yet I would say, ‘Not at all costs.’ It has to be something that makes sense when we are either signing them in free agency or drafting them,” coach Sean Payton said. “But, it is a priority.”
The Broncos have ranked near the bottom in tight end production for three seasons. The room of Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins produced 46 catches for 455 yards and five touchdowns. Twenty-five tight ends posted more by themselves, including Brock Bowers (1,194), Trey McBride (1,146) and Cole Kmet (474).
It is why conversations with NFL insiders at the Indiana Convention Center often end with them predicting Denver will take a tight end with the 20th pick in the first round.
Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland rank as the top two at the position. Loveland underwent right shoulder surgery to repair an AC joint on Jan. 29, but Dr. Neal ElAttrache sent a letter to all NFL teams saying he expects the prospect to be fully cleared for training camp. And Warren could be gone well before Denver’s selection comes around.
This draft class is considered more steeped in starters than stars, and deep in tight ends. It is why the Broncos could just as easily select a running back. Javonte Williams’ 513 yards last season were the fewest for a leading rusher in Payton’s 17 years as a head coach.
The rotation of Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime and Tyler Badie never produced a proper pecking order. Payton looked like he couldn’t make up his mind.
One thing he remains clear about is that Denver must run the ball better, whether that means making a run at Vikings free agent Aaron Jones or selecting college stars like Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton or Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson.
“I’ve been part of drafts where we have selected runners high. Is it a priority for us? I think certainly improving our running game is going to be a priority and we feel like we have the right offensive line and the right group of players to give us a chance at that,” Payton said. “This draft has a number of runners in it, and it’s just a matter of what you are looking for.”
After a clunky first month, Nix exceeded expectations last season with 29 passing touchdowns while completing 66.3% of his throws. Now there is a question of whether the rookie season represented his ceiling. Payton dismissed that idea out of hand, believing the arrow is pointing up for the former Oregon star.
“You just had to watch the games. You have to watch the athleticism and the learning curve. If I did this, let’s just say from the media perspective for a living and I have this vision as to what I think he is then all of a sudden, it’s, ‘Ah!’’” said Payton, who talked with the media for 31 minutes during his availability. “He has plenty of arm strength, and we saw it.”
And yet, what will those numbers look like with reinforcements? The Broncos have done much of their leg work on free agency, which opens on March 10, and have compiled part of their draft board. It is clear which positions have asterisks.
“I know we’re searching for the ‘Joker.’ It’s kind of like the Loch Ness Monster. I’ve played Sean’s teams that have had them, and they’re (heck),” general manager George Paton said. “Whether it’s a receiver, whether it’s a tight end, whether it’s a runner, (it’s) guys that can just stress the defense in so many different ways, and you can’t single-cover them. There’s just not many of those guys in the league. You can count them on one hand. So it’s unique. We’re always searching, and we’ll find one certainly at some point.”
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