Broncos mock draft: Sean Payton finds three-down running back in unexpected place

The NFL draft is less than two weeks away.

Uncertainty abounds. Does Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders go in the top three picks or start falling toward the middle of the first round?

Is anybody itching to trade up? Or might this be a year in which most teams let the board come to them?

Who will be around at No. 20 when the Broncos are first slated to be on the clock?

A raft of mock drafts out there jumped to pair Denver with North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton after free agency. He’s widely — though not unanimously — considered the No. 2 back in the class after Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, but that’s where the consensus ends.

Respected draft minds differ on whether he’s a blue-chipper. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has Hampton ranked No. 13 overall. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler? No. 29. That’s the difference between a true first-round grade and not.

The first time The Denver Post did this exercise after the opening phase of free agency, Michigan tight end Colston Loveland was the pick at No. 20. That still feels like a good fit — though there’s no guarantee Loveland will still be available — but what’s the fun in just rolling out the same picks for Version 2.0?

So, this time around, let’s assume the top two tight ends are off the board in Loveland and Penn State’s Tyler Warren. So, too, is Jeanty, and either somebody’s jumped at Hampton — looking at you, Dallas Cowboys — or Denver doesn’t consider him worthy of No. 20.

The rest of the parameters: No trades. Seven Denver picks. And a bonus: A dark-horse option for each of the first three rounds.

No. 20: RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

Is this early for Henderson? Maybe. Would it be ideal if Denver could move back a few spots and still nab him or even take him at No. 51? Absolutely. But the draft doesn’t always work out that way.

Here’s one thing we know about Broncos head coach Sean Payton: If he loves a player, he’s not afraid to take him, regardless of any consensus notion of value. And there are several reasons the Broncos could end up loving Henderson.

The 5-foot-10, 202-pounder has home run ability out of the backfield, he’s a weapon in the passing game, and he’s a quality pass-protector. He’s got the ability to be the type of three-down back Payton and general manager George Paton said they’re looking for in this class.

Payton’s often referenced Detroit’s 2023 draft class because the Lions found two “Jokers” in the same crop. Part of that haul? Running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who went earlier than almost anybody expected at No. 12 overall and turned into a matchup nightmare. Henderson might not be exactly that caliber of prospect, but he’s got similarities and he’d profile as a great lead to pair with the bigger, powerful Audric Estime. If the Broncos think Henderson elevates the entire offense, then why not?

Dark horse: S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina. Conventional wisdom is the Broncos will look for a back, tight end or maybe a defensive lineman in the first round. Emmanwori is none of those, but he’s an athletic marvel (4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 43-inch vertical and 11-6 broad jump at the combine) and a unique talent. He’d be a fun player to watch defensive coordinator Vance Joseph deploy.

No. 51: TE Mason Taylor, LSU

The son of former NFL great Jason Taylor fits a lot of what Payton and company are looking for at tight end. He can run, and he’s a better blocker than most of the quality receivers available. Plus, the Broncos have a ton of familiarity with him.

Denver has always had good insight into LSU players, given the staff history there — Jamar Cain and Beau Lowery, among others — but also because new defensive QC Brian Niedermeyer coached him for a year at St. Thomas Aquinas High in Florida in 2021. The question is if he’ll be available at No. 51. Some metrics — like ESPN’s predictive modeling — suggest the likelihood is high, but if Taylor is the third tight end off the board, it may be before this spot.

Dark horse: OLB JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State. The Broncos don’t need edge help given their current quartet, but if a difference-maker is available, any team will at least consider it. Denver’s dipped into the Buckeye well many times over the years defensively, including OLBs Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning.

No. 85: DL Ty Robinson, Nebraska

Denver could address the defensive front line as early as the first round, but here they wait until later on Day 2. Robinson is an older player in the class after six years with the Huskers, but he put together the best football of his career last fall when he tallied seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

At nearly 6-6 and 288 pounds, Robinson ran 4.83 seconds in the 40 at the combine. He’s a versatile front-line player who could serve in a reserve role as a rookie and grow into starting work down the road.

Dark horse: CB Darien Porter, Iowa State. A big, long, fast cornerback? That’s a player Payton and Paton could add to an already-strong group and hope it pays big-time, long-term dividends.

No. 122: WR Tory Horton, Colorado State

The Broncos took a swing at receiver early on Day 3 last year with Troy Franklin and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they did so again this spring. Horton was super productive for the Rams in 2022-23 before a knee injury limited his 2024 campaign. Still, he’s had a good predraft process. Denver wide receivers coach Keary Colbert was on hand for his pro day, and he’s got the kind of speed and vertical ability to give Bo Nix and company another weapon that makes defenses think twice about the deep ball.

No. 191: CB Korie Black, Oklahoma State

Black didn’t get invited to the combine, but he’s got experience after starting three years at OSU. He’s also got good size at 6-foot and, according to several outlets, he ran 4.35 in the 40 at his pro day.

No. 197: OL Hayden Conner, Texas

A three-year starter at left guard for the Longhorns, Conner checked into the combine at 6-6 and 314 pounds. That makes him the kind of big, rugged interior offensive lineman Denver likes. The Broncos should be looking for interior options for 2026 and beyond with center Luke Wattenberg entering the final year of his contract and left guard Ben Powers playing with no guaranteed money left on his deal.

No. 208: LB Jailin Walker, Indiana

A 30-visitor of the Broncos, Walker can really run. He ran in the 4.4-range at IU’s pro day and was productive in one year for the Hoosiers after transferring from James Madison. He’s not a big second-level player — the Hoosiers listed him at 218 pounds — but he’s got real athleticism and could be an interesting special-teams and developmental player.

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