Broncos land ascending safety in latest mock draft | Sporting News

The Denver Broncos (8-5) are in contention for a playoff spot with a chance to end their nearly decade-long postseason drought. However, the team still has some holes, which is why many won’t see the team as a Super Bowl contender currently. 

Looking ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft, we check in with Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News. In his latest mock draft, he recognizes the team’s deficiencies in the safety position and has the team select a safety in the first round next spring. 

Nick Emmanmori of South Carolina has jumped into first-round consideration for many draft analysts as he has put together a great season for the Gamecocks. For the season, he has 83 total tackles and four interceptions for a good South Carolina squad. Two of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns. 

Emmanmori has ideal size at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds. But he has a high football IQ to go along with supreme athleticism, highlighted by great ball skills. 

The Broncos could use more consistent play at the safety position. Brandon Jones has been a good free-agent signing for the team but more depth is needed and Emmanmori has the talent to be an immediate starter and regular contributor. A starting combination of Jones and Emmanmori could take the defense to the next level. 

P.J. Locke can be used as a rotational player with a lot of upside and as a guy who can always contribute on special teams. The rest of the Broncos safeties (JL Skinner, Delarrin Turner-Yell, Devon Key, Tanner McAlister, and Keidron Smith) are all unproven players who may never be able to be counted on regularly. 

Broncos need to address the safety position in the offseason

After releasing Justin Simmons and Caden Sterns this offseason while also turning the page on veteran Kareem Jackson, the Broncos had to completely remake the safety position. It’s actually gone better than many could have expected, but it’s far from perfect and is still one of the weaker position groups on the roster. 

Picking a safety in the first round may not seem like a great move to many fans, particularly with the league seemingly devaluing the safety position as a whole more and more each year, but a talent like Emmanmori toward the end of the first round, which is where the Broncos project to be picking, wouldn’t be bad. 

The Broncos have drafted a safety in the first round just twice in team history. Dennis Smith was the team’s first-round pick out of USC in 1981 and in 1989, the Broncos took Steve Atwater out of Arkansas. They are probably the two best safeties in team history, so it can work out well. 

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