NFL Mock Draft: 3-round Broncos 2025 projection to build future around Bo Nix

The bad news is that the Denver Broncos season ended in thudding fashion on Sunday, as Bo Nix and Co. started fast but then promptly fell apart in a 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. But the good news is that, no matter the result this weekend, this team — and its rookie quarterback — are already well ahead of schedule.

Few people outside of Denver, if any, expected this team to sniff postseason contention in 2024. This was supposed to be a reset year, a season for Sean Payton to lay the groundwork for Nix to grow into becoming an NFL starter. But Nix proved ready for more than his naysayers initially believed, and with some help from a nasty defense, the Broncos proved competitive far faster than anyone thought.

Now, though, comes the hard part. Denver proved that it has the foundation in place. But the gap between the Broncos and the league's truly elite was apparent on Sunday, and it's time to take the next step this offseason. So let's do just that, with a three-round mock draft that would help Payton surround his young QB with the weapons he needs to thrive.

Round 1: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

It's no secret that the Broncos need to find an upgrade at tight end over Adam Trautman. Heck, Payton himself knows as much; there's a reason his team was linked so heavily to Brock Bowers last draft cycle before pulling the trigger on Nix. Warren isn't quite the dynamic talent that Bowers has proven to be — that's a high bar for anyone to clear — but he was the consensus best tight end in the country this season at Penn State, catching 104 balls for 1,233 yards and eight scores.

But even beyond his receiving ability, Warren brings a versatility that you can already imagine Payton having some fun with. He did just about everything for the Nittany Lions this season, from catching to blocking to running to Wildcat quarterback to even lining up at center. In some ways, he's a souped up Taysom Hill, a chess piece that Payton can use to create mismatches all over the place, and he'll quickly become Nix's new best friend.

Round 2: Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas

There are needs elsewhere on this roster, but why not double down in the passing game? This receiver room is bereft beyond Courtland Sutton, with Marvin Mims Jr. failing to develop and Troy Franklin looking very much like a rookie this season, and as Sutton hits the final year of his contract, reinforcements are needed.

Bond's numbers took a slight step back this season as he transferred from Alabama to Texas, but that's more a product of Steve Sarkisian's egalitarian passing game (and Quinn Ewers' occasional inconsistencies) as anything else. He's a complete receiver, a smooth route runner with the ability to make people miss with the ball in his hands and play either outside or in the slot — in other words, the perfect compliment to Sutton.

Round 3: Wyatt Milum, OT, West Virginia

Garett Bolles' extension takes away some of the urgency here, but he's also about to turn 33 years old, and Denver still could use some depth on the offensive line — preferably cheap depth, given the money it has tied up in Bolles, Ben Powers, Quinn Meinerz and Mike McGlinchey. Milum is a true road-grader, as tough as you could ask for with enough skill to develop into a starter at the NFL level. Denver saw first-hand how a great Bills line separated Buffalo come playoff time, and this pick would help the Broncos develop one of their own.