ESPN Reveals Why Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty Might Land with Broncos

The Denver Broncos are a team very much on the rise. However, there is an obvious gulf between the Broncos' current roster and the best of the NFL.

The quickest way to bridge the gap would be to insert an undeniable offensive playmaker to go with the team’s blossoming young quarterback, upper-echelon offensive line, and swarming defense. The problem is that players like that don’t tend to hit the open market and are rarely available for trade.

And when such players come within striking distance, they're costly or are the type of prospects that are gobbled up early in the first round of every NFL draft — unless that playmaker is a running backk.

Sitting at pick No. 20 in this year's draft, it appears the Broncos might be out of luck if their desire is to draft the top wide receiver or tight end in the class. However, there seems to be some belief that Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty could very much be in play for the Broncos when they're officially on the clock at 20.

That’s what ESPN’s Field Yates predicts in his mock draft 3.0. Joining his co-host Mel Kiper Jr., both analysts believe the Broncos need a playmaker, and despite being such a dynamic player over the past two seasons, the ESPN duo had Jeanty being there at 20 in this mock draft. 

"It was hard to go 19 picks without Jeanty coming off the board -- he's one of my five highest-ranked prospects in the class. But he also plays the deepest position in this draft and one on which many teams philosophically are not inclined to use a premium pick. But this would be a dream scenario for the Broncos. They tied for 20th in yards per rush (4.1) and Javonte Williams is a free agent. 

"Jeanty would take over the lead role behind an excellent offensive line (the Broncos ranked first in run block win rate in 2024) and pair with second-year quarterback Bo Nix to give coach Sean Payton an offensive boost. Jeanty can be a Pro Bowl-level player very early in his career, as his speed, power, contact balance and receiving profile are all excellent. He ran for 2,601 yards this past season," Yates wrote.

While everyone in Broncos Country is clamoring for a “joker” for Payton’s offense, a baseline obvious need for the roster is a running back capable of a large workload, who can run both inside and outside the tackles, pass protect, and be a viable checkdown option, at the very least. Not to say Jeanty can’t fulfill a pass-catching role out of the backfield, but he can do that and so much more.

Jeanty may not be built like Adrian Peterson, and he might not have the fastest 40-yard dash time of the running backs, but the Heisman Trophy runner-up plays with incredible balance, pace, and explosiveness. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Jeanty drafted as high as No. 6 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, and many believe his floor to be No. 12 overall to the Dallas Cowboys, but the draft is unpredictable, and perhaps the depth of the class causes teams to punt on the position and instead look toward Day 2 and Day 3 options.

The running back position may have a shorter shelf life — which is a concern given the volume of touches Jeanty had during college — and it's a position with a steady supply from the college ranks. However, those are the only reasons he might even be available as late as 20 in the first place.

Pairing a do-everything back like Jeanty with Bo Nix over the duration of his rookie contract would help the Broncos quarterback out immediately and more than any other single player in this class. Running back or not, Jeanty would be a steal for Denver if he were to fall to pick 20 come April.

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