The Denver Broncos added a piece at every fantasy football-relevant position, with two of the three going on day two, and the third had four career receptions in college! The game’s name was reinforcing the defense for Denver in the draft, but let’s look at the three players they drafted at fantasy football-relevant positions, and their 2025 fantasy football prospects!
| Rd | Pick | Player | Pos | College |
| 1 | 20 | Jahdae Barron | CB | Texas |
| 2 | 60 | RJ Harvey | RB | UCF |
| 3 | 74 | Pat Bryant | WR | Illinois |
| 3 | 101 | Sai’vion Jones | DE | LSU |
| 4 | 134 | Que Robinson | EDGE | Alabama |
| 6 | 216 | Jeremy Crawshaw | P | Florida |
| 7 | 241 | Caleb Lohner | TE | Utah |
Round 2, Pick 60: RJ Harvey, Running Back, UCF (5’8″, 205 lbs)
TALENT
Harvey has a very compact but well-built frame and is a tough runner with good hands. I like Harvey a lot, especially that he is shifty, with quick feet, impressive burst, and quick acceleration into fast runs. He also sheds tacklers well and has incredible contact balance. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the size to hold up to an NFL workload, and he is primarily a see-and-run back, without a lot of vision or proficiency in navigating crowded spots on the field. He knows this, too, as he is too quick to bounce it outside instead of trying to navigate a pile for yards.
For fantasy, he doesn’t wow me. He’s destined to be an extremely proficient backup in the league if the depth chart shakes out right, whose inadequate pass protection will preclude him from getting a lot of third-down reps. He will have some relevance during his rookie contract, and is a decent sleeper, but he will turn 25 just before the Super Bowl, so his time in the league will likely be limited. He could fit the fantasy football niche of “annual sleeper RB2 on a roster,” a la Kenneth Gainwell on the Eagles, or be the “sneaky preseason riser due to a subpar depth chart,” like Tyrone Tracy.
NFL Comparison: Jerick McKinnon
Pre-Draft Grade: 5th Round
2025 OPPORTUNITY
Depth Chart:
RB1 RJ Harvey
RB2 Audric Estime
RB3 Jaleel McLaughlin
I know that my breakdown of Harvey’s talent isn’t exactly glowing, but there was a time when opportunity made Jerick McKinnon a first-round fantasy football pick. There isn’t much in Harvey’s way on the Denver depth chart. I was an Estime Acolyte last year, but much like the Disney+ show, this acolyte’s second season looks over before it started. The Broncos paid a price too hefty to ignore when doling out opportunities and feel-good stories when looking at this backfield. With Estime (a fifth-rounder) and Jaleel McLaughlin (an undrafted free agent) as the only backfield challengers for Harvey Supremacy, you have to acknowledge that he will eat this season.
We also have a history of Sean Payton turning pass-catching running backs into fantasy football forces through pass-catching on first and second down. While Harvey is not Kamara, you have to acknowledge that there is 40+ reception upside there for Harvey, and he is a shoo-in for at least 225 touches, health notwithstanding.
2025 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
I really like Harvey for 2025 redraft leagues. He is likely to get some helium, but on 4for4’s ADP site, he currently sits at RB37 (pick 116 overall), between destined-for-death Travis Etienne and backup-but-maybe-more Jordan Mason. That will go up, but I would be over the moon to get Harvey in round ten, as he has top-20 upside. When his helium hits a fever pitch, round six is likely where he gets far too rich for my blood.
Round 3, Pick 74: Pat Bryant, Wide Receiver, Illinois (6’2”, 204 lbs)
TALENT
Bryant is a lanky speedster who is more of a catch-and-run threat than an actual deep ball receiver, a la Tory Horton in this draft. He has good leverage to get open underneath, which helps keep defenders off of him when he catches the ball, allowing his okay YAC abilities to take command. If he can’t shake the defender, he has strong hands and exceptional body control to box out defenders and come down with the football. Ultimately, he’s going to fit in the broad swath of the wide receiver middle class that doesn’t do much 90% of the time. He can develop into a Van Jefferson or Marvin Jones Jr. if he finds it within himself to strengthen his blocking abilities. Bryant might, however, find himself on the pile with other receivers who failed to make a massive difference in the league.
NFL Comparison: Cedric Tillman
Pre-Draft Grade: 6th Round
2025 OPPORTUNITY
Depth Chart:
WR1 Courtland Sutton
WR2 Marvin Mims, Jr
WR3 Pat Bryant
WR4 Devaughn Vele
WR5 Troy Franklin
This is the second time in two players that the Broncos’ taking a player has me rethinking their pre-draft rankings, since I was off by a half-draft in my reckoning of their talent levels. There’s plenty of opportunity to produce here for Bryant, as the Broncos were top-ten in wide receiver targets and the percentage of targets to the position.
That’s not all, either. The target distribution among the WR2 and WR3 last season was wild, with Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin snatching up the second and third-most targets at the position. With those two moving down the depth chart, it should provide an opening for either Marvin Mims or Pat Bryant to find a volume-based breakout in 2025.
There’s an outside chance that Bryant, who had just one drop last season, is Sean Payton’s new Michael Thomas. While he won’t break the receptions record, Bryant is precisely the type of sure-handed receiver Payton adores.
Herein lies the rub: Sean Payton loves rotating his receivers; there’s a reason why their second-most targeted receiver last season was their #3 wide receiver, who had just two fewer targets than their #2 receiver. Bryant faces an uphill battle for consistent targets this season.
2025 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
I am going to keep a cautious and wary eye on Pat Bryant this season. His draft capital and Sean Payton’s comparison to Michael Thomas lead us to believe that he will get a chance to produce this season. However, Payton’s recent history indicates that it’s a huge uphill battle for Bryant to have fantasy football relevance in year one. I won’t draft him outside of deep redraft leagues, at least not without additional information, but I will keep an eye on him.
Round 7, Pick 241: Caleb Lohner, Tight End, Utah (6’7 “, 249 lbs (unofficial))
TALENT
Lohner is a converted basketball player who did not really play at Utah and is all projection. He had just four catches (for four touchdowns) as he used his basketball skills to box out defenders and get the ball. Luckily, I was able to scout 25% of his receptions, and what I saw was a big athlete who needs to learn the nuances of the position but can use his athleticism to find space.
NFL Comparison: Julius Thomas
Pre-Draft Grade: UDFA
2025 OPPORTUNITY
Depth Chart:
TE1 Evan Engram
TE2 Adam Trautman
TE3 Nate Adkins
TE4 Lucas Krull
TE5 Caleb Lohner
Lohner is a project that will likely stay on the practice squad or receive a Phantom IR designation this season.
2025 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
You can safely ignore Lohner in redraft leagues and most dynasty leagues.
