3 Broncos Make NFL.com's All-Rookie Team Ahead of 2025 Season

When the Denver Broncos decided to draft Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron in the first round instead of a hotly anticipated running back, it sent ripples through the fan base. Even so, Broncos head coach Sean Payton is a notorious NFL renegade, and his draft night pivot was a prime example of selecting the best player available on his team's board.

Fast forward to June, and NFL.com has come around to the notion that Payton's top two picks will make an immediate impact this season. NFL.com's Gennaro Filice lists Broncos' second-rounder RJ Harvey as one of his two running backs on his NFL All-Rookie Team, along with Barron on defense, and punter Jeremy Crawshaw on special teams.

In both instances, Filice believes that both Harvey and Barron are stepping into situations that will suit them well. It could be a classic case of how the addition of quality rookie players can flesh out a rapidly improving roster with immediate results.

In Harvey's case, the former high school signal-caller is going to be working alongside a veteran offensive line, and having an elite quarterback in the second-year Bo Nix lining up with him in Denver's backfield will put him at a considerable advantage. 

"Harvey weighs 205 pounds, but his thighs appear to account for at least 100 of them. This helps explain the 5-foot-8 back’s exceptional lateral agility and burst, traits that have many comparing him to last year’s top rookie rusher, Bucky Irving. Running behind a premium offensive line and for an elite play-caller, Harvey has the opportunity to be a fantasy league winner in Year 1," Filice wrote. "Denver has a crowded running back room, especially after the free-agent signing of J.K. Dobbins, but that’s nothing new for Sean Payton. The savvy schemer consistently finds ways to get the ball to his best players, and I think Harvey could be one of those on an offense I’m extremely high on."

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Nix will be thankful that Payton brought in an explosive running back via the draft. The veteran head coach doubled down by giving Nix another in J.K. Dobbins last week. 

Juggling this suddenly crowded running back room doesn't set any alarm bells for Filice. Payton's acumen in utilizing a wide variety of skill players within a creative scheme is well-documented throughout the years. 

While the Broncos offense is rounding nicely into shape, an already stellar defense, which led the league in sacks last year, has suddenly been given a Swiss Army-type weapon in Barron, according to Filice. 

"Denver’s first-round selection of Barron took many by surprise, but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph called it a 'no-brainer' move for the franchise. Helming a defense that emerged as one of the league’s best last year, Joseph has plenty to be excited about this offseason," Filice wrote. "After adding linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga in free agency, the Broncos spent their top pick on a multifaceted cover man who should slot right in as the unit’s starting nickel. NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah comps Barron to one of the most versatile and impactful defensive backs in the game today: Detroit’s Brian Branch."

Barron's versatility could indeed push Joseph's impressive defense into a completely different pantheon entirely. Barron working the slot not only fortifies a group that faces a trio of elite quarterbacks in the robust passing-centric AFC West, but it also allows the Broncos to attack with a myriad of defensive looks. 

If Filice's crystal ball gazing proves correct, Coach Payton will be delighted with the cake he's baked at the very top end of the draft. So, the only thing better than adding impactful players on both sides of the ball would be to furnish the Broncos' third phase with one of their own. 

The Australian-born Crawshaw might be the most obvious inclusion on Flice's 25-man rookie roster, but mainly because he was the only player drafted at his position. The Broncos took him in the sixth round. 

Having said that, Crawshaw has landed in the perfect situation to maximize his extremely strong leg by operating at 5,280 feet above sea level. Getting the chance to punt at high altitude means Crawshaw's efforts will scrape the sky and hopefully back teams up, and that's always a wild card for elite teams to play.

It's worth noting that Payton studiously follows the teachings of his coaching mentor Bill Parcells, and one of the Hall-of-Famer's preferred tactics was to utilize an aggressive punting weapon like Sean Landeta on his World Champion New York Giants teams. 

That added aggressive element served to put his defense firmly on the front foot, pinning offenses down in the shadow of their own goal posts, and now Payton is following suit. 

"So, you’re telling me the only punter drafted this past April is A) from the positional hotbed of Australia and B) now in the positional paradise of Denver? Lock it in! Crawshaw’s going to send balls into orbit in the mile-high air -- I know Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi agrees," Filice wrote.  

The Broncos' front office has attacked both the draft and free agency. The organizational eyes have been locked on the prize. 

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