While the Denver Broncos may not view second year quarterback Bo Nix as a player they have to go all in on just yet, they're showing signs that might be inching in that direction.
If Nix gets the Broncos back to the playoffs for a second consecutive season in 2025, you can almost guarantee the franchise will make a much bigger, much more pronounced investment moving forward.
ESPN's Field Yates predicts we could see that in action in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, where he predicts the Broncos will select Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 20 overall.
"Tyson had 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns last season prior to getting hurt, and that kind of production could be perfect for Bo Nix and the Broncos," Yates wrote in his preseason mock draft on August 20. "The Broncos are well-stocked at most spots on the roster, but putting another difference-making playmaker alongside Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr. and Evan Engram could lift the whole offense. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Tyson is extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands and has very good instincts after the catch."
The Broncos haven't taken a wide receiver in the first round since Alabama's Jerry Jeudy at No. 15 overall in 2020.
There is one important thing to consider when it comes to Tyson -- he's suffered season-ending injuries each of the last 2 years.
Tyson started his career at Colorado in 2022 but transferred to Arizona State following his freshman year. He only played 3 games in 2023 with a knee injury, then missed the Big 12 Championship Game and the College Football Playoffs in 2024 after he broke his collarbone in the regular season finale.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior had 5 games with over 100 receiving yards in 2024 -- he only played 12 games in total -- and had his best game of the year with 12 receptions for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 24-14 win over No. 16 Kansas State on November 16.
Were the Broncos to actually take Tyson in the first round, it would pull off a rare feat in professional sports history -- brothers taken in the first round of both the NFL and NBA drafts.
Tyson's older brother, Cleveland Cavaliers small forward/shooting guard Jalon Tyson, was the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft.
It doesn't take an NFL draft insider to see third-year Broncos head coach Sean Payton has gone all in on building up his wide receivers room every spring.
In his first 3 drafts, Payton has taken more wide receivers (4) than any other position but has yet to truly hit a home run at the position. The closest he's come is Mims, a 2-time NFL All-Pro return specialist who was Denver's second round pick (No. 63 overall) in the 2023 NFL draft.
Payton may have struck gold in the 2025 NFL draft with third round (No. 74 overall) wide receiver Pat Bryant, who has looked like he could be a viable option at WR2 or WR3 as a rookie behind Sutton, who just signed a 4-year, $92 million contract extension.