We have officially entered the 2024 playoff teams section of our 2025 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft. Technically, we did that with the last pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but for the remaining selections in the first round, these teams will be looking to add the final piece or pieces to go from playoff team to championship team.
Up next are the Denver Broncos, who made a pretty significant jump last year. Representing the Broncos for our POD Community Mock is commenter Kudos.
Check out the previous 19 pick in our POD Community Mock with our tracker here.
With the 20th pick in the Pride of Detroit Community Mock, the Denver Broncos have selected…
Colston Loveland, tight end out of Michigan.
Here’s Kudos explaining the pick:
After making the playoffs for the first time since their 2015 Super Bowl winning season, the Broncos entered the 2025 offseason looking to close the gap between themselves and the AFC’s elite. The team addressed the defensive side of the ball by bringing in free agents Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, and D.J. Jones. With the defense taken care of, Denver can now look into adding another playmaker for second-year quarterback Bo Nix. Former Michigan tight end Colston Loveland certainly fits the bill.
The four-star recruit out of Gooding, ID saw the field immediately for the Wolverines. After putting up modest numbers in his freshman year as tight end two behind Luke Schoonmaker, Loveland broke out as a sophomore. He hauled in 45 receptions for 649 yards and four touchdowns while earning First-team All-Big Ten honors. Loveland battled through injuries as a junior, but still managed to lead Michigan in receiving and was named a Mackey finalist and Second-team All-American.
Loveland is widely considered to be one of the top two tight ends in this year’s draft class. The 6-foot-6, 248 pound prospect is an effective route runner who can win with technique or by just being bigger than the man covering him. He also possesses the speed to run away from defenders once he has the ball in his hands. While the Broncos acquired Evan Engram during free agency, that shouldn’t deter them from drafting a potential top target for their franchise quarterback. Nix relied on short and intermediate passes to be effective last year, and those are areas of the field where Loveland flourishes. Head coach Sean Payton is also the type of offensive mind who can maximize the tight end’s strengths and put him in advantageous positions.
With Loveland in the fold, the Broncos can look to take the next step in 2025.
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