Report: Broncos 'Considered' Trading Up for RB Ashton Jeanty

Even though the NFL draft is in the books, some still question what the Denver Broncos really wanted to do in the first round. Sometimes, information about intent can help provide insight into future moves.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler revealed some intel on every team in the draft, including the Broncos. 

"Yes, the Broncos considered moving up in the first round for running back Ashton Jeanty. They called around to teams picking in the top 10. But the price simply would have been 'too heavy' for Denver's liking, per a source," Fowler reported. "And the team eyeing Jeanty (the Raiders at No. 6) was a division rival, thus not a likely trade partner. Rival teams said they believe Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka, off the board at No. 19, would have been in play if he was still available at No. 20."

The Broncos' desire to move up for Jeanty has been well reported, but the price was too high. Then, of course, with the Las Vegas Raiders eyeballing Jeanty and being a divisional foe, getting to No. 6 overall wasn’t an option. This isn’t anything new, but it is interesting that Fowler only mentions Jeanty. 

There have been conflicting reports about the Broncos' desire to move up for other players. Some believe Colston Loveland was a trade-up target, but multiple reports have shot that down as well, largely due to concerns over his medicals. Fowler's omission of Loveland could be intentional, but it could also be a coincidence. 

Fowler continues to discuss wide receiver as an option for Denver at No. 20 despite multiple reports prior to the draft shooting it down.

“Rival teams said they believe Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka, off the board at No. 19, would have been in play if he was still available at No. 20," Fowler reported.

This coincides with a report from Peter Schrager, who had Egbuka as the Broncos' pick in his mock and is one of the best mock drafters there is. Schrager has talked about the Broncos' interest in Egbuka a few times. During the draft, he made some comments implying the former Buckeye wideout was the guy for Denver at 20, but with him going 19 overall, he obviously wasn’t an option. 

Fowler then gets into the Barron pick.

“But Texas DB Jahdae Barron was an easy call. He was a riser in the process, with top-15 buzz late in the draft week," Fowler reported. "Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's cousin, Terry Joseph, was Texas' defensive pass game coordinator from 2021 to 2024 and spoke glowingly of Barron as a competitor and locker room presence.”

It has become known that the Broncos had a top-10 grade on Barron and were expecting him to go to the Miami Dolphins with the 13th overall pick. That was what many people thought was going to happen, leading to a bit of a surprise when the Dolphins picked Kenneth Grant. At that point, there were obviously still six picks to be made, but the Broncos were comfortable letting the board fall to them, and Barron dropped into their lap. 

Not only is there a connection to Joseph, but Broncos GM George Paton has repeatedly talked about how much he values cornerbacks, and Sean Payton was clearly happy with the pick in the war room video, reacting to the selection. Everyone was on board with Barron, but the connection with Joseph and his cousin likely gave Denver even more insight into the player. 

What if Barron hadn’t fallen to No. 20? Fowler believes a trade down was in play.

“Had Barron been off the board, trading back -- possibly for a running back -- was a viable option. Denver had done some predraft legwork with Houston at pick No. 25, which seemingly would have put Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson in play,” Folwer reported.

That matches with other reports that the Broncos were between Barron at 20 or trading down, but the trade-down partner has been up for debate. Some have mentioned the New York Giants, others the Buffalo Bills, but Fowler mentions the Houston Texans. The Texans have been mentioned in other reports as a team that was looking to trade up, but never with the Broncos. 

There have also been conflicting reports as to who the Broncos would’ve targeted. TreVeyon Henderson is the popular one, but others have suggested a different wide receiver, the tight end Mason Taylor, or an interior defensive lineman would have been in play had Denver taken a trade down. It would be interesting to see how much discussion there was for the Broncos to trade down, with Barron on the clock. 

Overall, a lot of the intel Fowler reported is already known, but another insider putting that info out there makes it more likely to be accurate. While we will never know for sure, the moves the Broncos made and other reports lend validity to Fowler’s claims and could provide some insight into future decisions at Dove Valley.