Ranking the Denver Broncos’ undrafted rookies: Who has the best shot at the 2025 roster?

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The Denver Broncos should have their pitch to potential undrafted free agents down to a science by now.

Come here and you’ll have a good chance to make the roster.

The Broncos during Sean Payton’s first two seasons as head coach had a combined seven undrafted free agents land on the initial 53. That included offensive tackle Frank Crum, inside linebacker Levelle Bailey and running back Blake Watson last season.

Overall, at least one undrafted free agent has made Denver’s roster in 20 of the past 21 seasons. With a new offseason comes a new pool of 15 undrafted free agents the Broncos are expected to sign before the team’s rookie minicamp next weekend. Denver has not yet officially confirmed the list below, which is based on social media announcements from agencies, schools and/or the players themselves.

Here is my ranking of that class, from most to least likely to make the team’s final roster. Surviving that initial cut is not the only path for an undrafted rookie to eventually make an impact. Practice squad spots can often be placeholders for players who get pressed onto the active roster because of injuries in the season. But making the roster in Week 1 carries a significant meaning for players who achieve that goal after going undrafted.

To compile the list, I pored over scouting reports where available, including those from The Athletic draft analyst Dane Brugler, examined college production and considered the depth chart battle each player faces at his respective position.

Xavier Truss, OG, Georgia

The Broncos did not sign any interior offensive lineman in free agency. They did not use any of their seven draft picks at the position, either. The three veteran reserves on the unit — Alex Forsyth, Nick Gargiulo and Calvin Throckmorton — have started a combined four games across the past two seasons. In other words, there is ample opportunity for a player like Truss, a behemoth 6-foot-7, 309-pound lineman who played every spot but center in college, to crack Denver’s initial roster.

Truss started 42 of the 67 games he played in across six college seasons — he turns 24 in July — and was the starting left guard during Georgia’s national championship run in 2022.

“Overall, Truss needs to develop better consistency to stick at the next level, but he is large, competitive and experienced at multiple positions, which likely will get him drafted late,” wrote Brugler, who had Truss ranked as a sixth- or seventh-round prospect. “He can fight for a swing backup role, likely at guard.”

Clay Webb, OL, Jacksonville State

Once upon a time, Webb was a five-star recruit out of Oxford, Ala., ranked ahead of Bo Nix in the 2019 recruiting class. He signed with Georgia, but played in only five games across three seasons before leaving the school in 2021. The year prior to his departure, Webb was named in a federal lawsuit related to an alleged bullying incident during his senior year at Oxford High in 2018, litigation that is still unresolved.

Webb ultimately landed at Jacksonville State, his three years there spanning the school’s rise from FCS to FBS competition. Throughout his college career, Webb worked at both guard and center. He played the latter position on Georgia’s scout team early in his career, pitting him in daily battles with massive Bulldogs nose tackle Jordan Davis.

“Webb has the feel and core strength to execute different run-blocking schemes, although answering the length and power of NFL defensive linemen will be a major jump,” Brugler wrote. “Convincing an NFL coaching staff that he can provide depth at both guard and center will be critical for his chances of making a roster.”

Sweet footwork from Jacksonville State’s Clay Webb.

Coaches worked mirror drill right before 1 on 1s. Webb put it to use. @TheDraftNetwork #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE pic.twitter.com/StonpdDsQE

— Mason Johnstone (@msnjhnstn) January 28, 2025

JB Brown, LB, Kansas

Brown had 74 tackles and five sacks while starting all 12 games for the Jayhawks last season. He’s a little undersized, measuring 6-foot and 225 pounds at his pro day, but he’s quick and has good instincts as a blitzer. Brown, who began his career at Bowling Green, finished with 9 1/2 tackles for loss in 2024 for the Jayhawks and was solid in coverage.

“I really liked his ability to rush and and go get the quarterback,” Kansas linebackers coach Chris Simpson said of why the Jayhawks pursued Brown when he left Bowling Green.

There are going to be ample chances for young linebackers on Denver’s offseason roster to see the field this summer. Free-agent acquisition Dre Greenlaw will miss a chunk of the offseason program as he rehabs from a recent quad injury. Veteran Alex Singleton will be brought along cautiously as returns from the torn ACL he suffered in September. That should mean healthy reps from Brown as he begins to digest Vance Joseph’s defense.

Karene Reid, LB, Utah

Reid, who turned 25 in February, has similar size to Brown (6-foot, 229 pounds), but he’s still working his way back from an injury to his right knee he suffered at the Senior Bowl in February. The injury kept Reid from running the 40-yard dash or doing agility drills at the NFL Scouting Combine or at his pro day, which hurt his chances of being drafted.

Still, Reid put together good film in the eight games he did play as a senior in 2024 (he missed four games due to a leg injury) and finished with 54 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks. He was a second-team All-Pac-12 performer in each of his previous two seasons for the Utes.

“Reid is undersized and overaged, but he plays fast, self-assured and physical with the tackling skills to finish the mission,” wrote Brugler, who pegged Reid as the 30th-ranked linebacker in the 2025 draft class. “If healthy, he has a chance to earn a role as a backup and special teams contributor.”

Johnny Walker Jr., Edge, Missouri

Walker was disappointed not to get a combine invite after a senior season in which he had 9 1/2 sacks — 8 1/2 of which came in the final seven games — and three forced fumbles while earning All-SEC honors. But the 6-foot-4, 249-pound edge rusher performed well during the East-West Shrine Bowl and again at the Senior Bowl even as he was still recovering from an injury he suffered leading up to Missouri’s participation in the Music City Bowl. It all made him a priority free-agent target for the Broncos as the draft ended.

“He’s going to bring a lot (to an NFL team) — elite energy, details, grit,” college teammate and fellow Broncos undrafted free-agent signee Kristian Williams said of Walker at Missouri’s pro day. “You’re going to get a player who can pass rush and stop the run, and he can do it at decent weight. I feel like he’s a very efficient player and you’ve seen it on film.”

There is not an easy path to the roster on the edge. The Broncos have a solid four-man rotation in Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman, and they used their fourth-round pick on Alabama pass rusher Que Robinson. Still, Walker has the tools to give himself a chance if a few things break his way.

“His run-game awareness (in 2024) showed improvement from his junior tape,” Brugler wrote. “Overall, Walker doesn’t play with consistent explosion or bend, but he can dip and rip to affect the quarterback when he times up the snap. He is a potential sub-package rusher in the NFL.”

Joe Michalski, C, Oklahoma State

Michalski was a captain during each of his final two seasons at Oklahoma State and was named a Big-12 all-academic team performer during each of his five seasons at the school. His best season came in 2023, when he helped running back Ollie Gordon II, a sixth-round pick in last month’s draft by the Miami Dolphins, rush for an FBS-best 1,732 yards. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound center allowed only four combined pressures in 2024.

The addition of Michalski to an undrafted free-agent class that also includes Truss and Webb should make for an interesting offseason as all three battle for a potential backup center or guard role. Clearly, the Broncos want to push the current group of reserves behind starters Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg and Quinn Meinerz.

Christian Dowell, DT, Tennessee Martin

As soon as Dowell signs his name to a contract with the Broncos, he’ll immediately be among the biggest players on Denver’s roster. At 6-foot-2, 320 pounds, the hulking nose tackle matches the listed weights of Denver defensive tackle Eyioma Uwazurike and Meinerz, the right guard. Dowell also has an 80-inch wingspan that helped make him an impactful piece against the run for a Tennessee Martin program that won its FCS conference each of the last four years.

Dowell was the highest-graded nose tackle in all of FCS last season, according to Pro Football Focus, finishing with 29 tackles — three for loss. Dowell will begin the offseason behind veterans D.J. Jones and Malcolm Roach, giving him an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster. But he could become an ideal practice squad candidate who could become a part of a longer-term plan if he shows an ability to handle the uptick in athleticism of offensive linemen at the NFL level.

Kristian Williams totaled 11 tackles for loss in his three seasons with Missouri. (Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images)

Kristian Williams, DL, Missouri

Williams began his career at Oregon and transferred to Missouri in 2022, missing Nix in Eugene by one season. He was a team captain for the Tigers in 2024 and finished with 30 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble. He has the ability to play multiple spots along the defensive front at 6-foot-2, 295 pounds. The Broncos got a close look at Williams — and his college teammate Walker, the edge rusher — when defensive line coach Jamar Cain attended the team’s pro day.

Marques Cox, OL, Kentucky

Cox has NFL-ready size (6-foot-5, 312 pounds) and he also has the closest thing a rookie can have to NFL experience after lining up against SEC pass rushers for 25 starts the past two seasons. Cox began his college career at Northern Illinois in 2018. Not too long ago, Cox’s age (25) would be a deterrent for teams, even as they assembled depth after the draft, but the Broncos have embraced the trend of older prospects who were granted an extra year of eligibility resulting from the COVID-19 season in 2020.

The Broncos like their young depth at tackle behind starters Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey and veteran swing player Matt Peart. Crum made the roster as an undrafted free agent last season, as did Alex Palczewski the season prior. Both players should he part of Denver’s plans moving forward, but the Broncos clearly want to keep building developmental depth at the position for line coaches Zach Strief and Chris Morgan.

Joshua Pickett, CB, Duke

Pickett had a career-high eight passes defensed to go along with one interception and a forced fumble during his final year at Duke, he played in 49 games across four seasons. He was part of a Duke secondary in 2024 that allowed only 6.5 yards per reception, second-best in the ACC behind Clemson (6.4). Pickett was seldomly penalized last season and didn’t give up many deep pass plays despite not having blazing recovery speed (4.59-second 40 at his pro day).

It will be a mucky fight through the depth chart, of course. The Broncos drafted Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round, adding him to a group that includes the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Pat Surtain, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Damarri Mathis and Kris Abrams-Draine, the fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft who could be poised for a larger role in Year 2.

Jaden Robinson, CB, Oregon State

Robinson arrived at Oregon State way back in 2018, which is the same year Surtain, who is entering his fourth NFL season, started his freshman year at Alabama. Reaching the precipice of the NFL was a long journey for Robinson, who missed all the 2021 season due to injury. He didn’t record an interception during an of his 44 games at the school and had only three passes defensed last season.

What Robinson does have is good size (6-foot, 192 pounds) and good speed (4.42), and his traits were on display during an encouraging pro-day performance at Oregon State in March.

Joaquin Davis, WR, North Carolina Central

Davis is a slender 6-foot-4 and 194 pounds, and he’ll have to show he can adjust to the physicality of NFL defensive backs as he makes the jump from FCS program NC Central. But he has elite speed (4.36-second 40 at his pro day) that he showcased last season while averaging 15.8 yards per reception last season. Davis earned rave reviews for his performance at the HBCU combine earlier this year.

Courtney Jackson, WR, Central Arkansas

Like Davis, Jackson can fly. He posted a 4.38-second 40 at his pro day and adds a 33.5-inch vertical leap. The 5-foot-10, 183-pound receiver was a slot target at Central Arkansas who caught 42 passes for 494 yards and two touchdowns in 2024. That was a drop-off from 2023, when he caught 39 passes for 689 yards and seven touchdowns.

Jackson should get decent offseason work in the slot, where he’ll battle players like veteran Michael Bandy for reps down the depth chart.

Jerjuan Newton, WR, Toledo

Newton does not show blazing speed (4.60 at his pro day) for a player who fits the slot profile at 5-foot-11, 194 pounds, but he had solid production during his sixth and final season at Toledo in 2024. Newton finished with 72 catches (20 more than his previous best mark in a season) for 1,048 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had at least nine touchdown receptions in each of the last three seasons at Toledo. Newton could get a look in the return game this season after averaging 19.1 yards on his nine kickoff returns last season.

Kendall Bohler, CB, Florida A&M

Bohler twice landed on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List at The Athletic, the only HBCU player to do so in that span. Ahead of the 2024 season, Feldman wrote of Bohler: “The first-team All-SWAC corner had 14 PBUs and 39 tackles (in 2023) and ranked No. 71 on this list. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder, who began his career at Mercer, clocked a 4.38 40, broad-jumped 10-9, and did 4.18 seconds in the pro agility shuttle this offseason. He power cleaned 335 pounds and upped his squat to 560 pounds.”

In 2024, Bohler added 33 tackles, four passes defensed and one interception.

(Top photo of Xavier Truss: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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