As the Denver Broncos shift their focus to the offseason, it’s clear that they’ll prioritize adding some offensive weapons to better support Bo Nix in his second season.
While it would be awesome to get players like Ashton Jeanty, Tyler Warren, or even Emeka Egbuka, the Broncos will only make one first-round this year, barring a major upset.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at three potential Day-2 targets for the Denver Broncos to bolster their offense.
Gunnar Helm, TE, Texas
At tight end, arguably the weakest position group for the Denver Broncos this past season, Gunnar Helm has been tagged as one of the most well-rounded and safest picks in the NFL Draft this year, and rightfully so.
Listed at 6-foot-5 250 pounds, one of Helm’s best traits is how smooth of a mover he is, especially after the catch. Helm has a couple of hurdles to his name this season and doesn’t lack the power to be able to fight through tackles, but Helm’s dynamism after the catch is more understated. He can often be seen using simple sidestep jukes or Travis Kelce-esque moves to subtly evade incoming defenders.
Helm is a fluid route runner who can be used effectively as a vertical threat, a reliable check-down target, and a tough pass-catcher over the middle. He uses his frame well and has a nice swim move at the top of his route to help his separation. Helm has extremely soft hands and plucks the ball out of the air with ease, which allows him to be so dangerous after the catch.
While his blocking ability isn’t the prettiest, it was effective enough for him to stay on the field when Texas wanted to lean on the ground game.
Texas trusted Helm in plenty of ways blocking, most notably in pass protection. He was left alone to block good pass rushers, like Michigan’s Mason Graham, Arkansas’ Landon Jackson, and Ohio State’s J.T. Tuimoloau, and he consistently turned in respectable performances.
Helm isn’t a people-mover in the run game, but he’s got plenty of strength to stay engaged and keep defenders out of the play. Helm’s a disciplined blocker and doesn’t get beat often, making it especially rare that he’s ever a negative presence.
With no glaring weaknesses in his profile, he can be a valuable player with a fair amount of versatility, who can elevate the Denver Broncos offense from the moment he lands in Dove Valley.
Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State
Jalen Royals’ 2024 campaign was cut short due to a foot injury, but that didn’t stop him from putting tremendous plays on tape in both 2023 and in his seven 2024 games, while at Utah State.
Royals is a three-level threat with alignment versatility who can win in a collection of ways.
He’s a nuanced route runner whose bread-and-butter this season was his dynamism around the line of scrimmage. He was involved a lot in the screen game and underneath route concepts like slants and drag routes. Royals can win at any level with his fluidity through breaks – keeping his momentum and putting stress on opposing defensive backs.
Royals is always working back to the ball and attacks it with his hands. He’s shown great ball concentration and the ability to manipulate his body to make tough catches smoothly. He also regularly makes back-shoulder grabs with ease.
There’s no more dangerous version of Royals than when he’s able to collect the ball in stride. He’s got impressive wiggle after the catch and has a natural understanding of the best angles to take to cut off incoming defenders. He accelerates extremely quickly and hits his second gear in little-to-no time.
He possesses a strong feel for zone coverage and where to sit down and start working back to his quarterback. His compact but stout frame allows for him to be slippery and fight for every extra yard he can get.
Now, although he’s a dynamic receiver, he didn’t offer much in the run game at Utah State and it will be interesting to see how much he can develop this trait. That will be especially important if he wants to be productive from the slot in Sean Payton’s offense.
Royals would add playmaking to the room, and he would have a real chance to pop with a team that doesn’t have a true No. 2. Plus, with the future of Courtland Sutton in question, there will be plenty of opportunities to go around, so Denver would be wise to continue adding talent to the position.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
Despite being in the best running back room in college football, TreVeyon Henderson has had no problem separating himself from the pack this draft season, after playing a crucial role in Ohio State’s 2024 National Championship run.
Henderson has had a shaky injury history so far, but if he’s able to stay on the field, he’ll check all the boxes NFL teams will be looking for in their idyllic modern running back.
The first thing that stands out about Henderson is the vision he displays. He’s a patient runner and has a nifty jump cut to help him strike his desired hole with excellent burst, and he seldom chooses the wrong lane.
Henderson is an aggressive and violent runner who is dynamic enough to make defenders miss in the open field. He also has home-run-hitting speed to make any play turn into a massive gain. Henderson excels at setting up his defenders whether it’s by letting blocks develop in front of him, or by using tempo to create difficult angles for defenders to chase him down and subsequently capitalizing on that leverage.
The Buckeye prospect is also effective as a pass catcher out of the backfield. With his explosive ability, he is a constant big-play threat after the catch. That showed up on his wheel routes, in particular, this season.
One of his most appealing traits is how impactful of a blocker he is. He’s the rare primo back who happily expends just as much effort in pass protection as he does in his rushing or receiving roles. Whether he is pass-blocking or lead-blocking for a different runner, it’s fun to watch.
Henderson can be an instant upgrade over all of Denver’s running backs, so long as he can stay healthy. The combination of vision, explosiveness, and pass protection abilities already makes him more diverse than any option in the current room.
