Breaking down potential fit for Broncos’ in-house 30 visits ahead of NFL draft

For Oregon guys, at least — and there are a lot of Oregon guys in this 2025 draft class — getting an evaluation within Denver’s walls is simple enough. Head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton have sat in pre-draft meetings, crushing tape, and Payton has picked up the phone then and there and called Bo Nix for his thoughts.

Beyond former Ducks, though, the process of gathering prospect intel on future Broncos is much more complex. In addition to Zoom calls and standard combine and Pro Day visits, another big clue to an organization’s interest in a prospect is the “30 visit,” where clubs host players at their facilities to conduct a mix of interviews or physical exams.

Good luck, though, trying to accurately throw darts connecting draftees to organizations based on those meetings.

A variety of teams use them for a multitude of reasons, with agents across the NFL carrying the belief that they hold little weight in projecting who a franchise will actually draft. Of 24 confirmed Broncos visits by CBS Sports in 2024, only three (RB Blake Watson, CB Quinton Newsome and safety Omar Brown) later ended up in Denver.

“Maybe (it’s), ‘Can he learn what we are trying to do mentally?’” Paton said, describing the reasons the Broncos would bring in a prospect for an in-house 30 visit. “Maybe he has something off the field we want to address. Maybe it’s someone who didn’t go to the combine and we want to bring them in to get a physical so we can draft the player. Maybe we are just trying to recruit a college free agent.”

The Denver Post has confirmed 20 prospects, per sources, that the Broncos have visited with this draft cycle. Here’s a breakdown on their potential draft slot with Denver, the temperature on organizational interest, and some notes.

RB Jaydon Blue, Texas

Possible fit: Third round

Temperature: Lukewarm

Why bring him in: Blue profiles as a Darren Sproles-esque fit in Payton’s offense as an RB who can flash out of the backfield, but he also didn’t play a ton of snaps in college.

DT Vernon Broughton, Texas

Possible fit: Fourth round

Temperature: Lukewarm

Why bring him in: Broughton’s got good size and decent athleticism, but has just 17 total college starts under his belt.

S Kitan Crawford, Nevada

Possible fit: Fourth round

Temperature: Warmer