When you think football season is over, the Denver Broncos and the CU Buffs are back in the spotlight. The NFL champion has been crowned, and the soon-to-graduate college seniors are set to turn pro. The two worlds will now collide and merge into one.

The slate has been cleared in the standings, and those teams that were in last place to finish the season are now in first place in the order of choosing the best players moving forward. But first comes the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is where the teams meet the incoming players in hopes of finding the prospect that will fulfill the needs of their franchise.

General Manager George Paton and Head Coach Sean Payton were among the first to meet with the media to share their thoughts on the direction of the Denver Broncos. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter left Boulder and will take the stage later in the week. Neither player is expected to land in Denver with the Broncos after the Draft.

The Broncos organization will get an up close and personal look at the players that have drawn their interest not just from their play on the collegiate level but also from their talent scouts and even other players’ recommendations. The process precedes the NFL Draft, the next step for players looking to enter the NFL.

Although the Broncos made a significant step in the right direction in Payton’s second year as head coach of the Broncos, the next step is highly calculated. What may appear to be a glaring need for the team will also be weighed from what is needed to what is available when the Broncos get the call at the number twenty selection. What is clear from the Broncos perspective is that it is not as easy as picking up from where you left off last season.

“It’s only a team on the rise if we take advantage of this offseason,” Paton told the Denver Sports Report. “Like Sean said, nothing’s guaranteed moving forward. We made the playoffs. We lost in the Wild Card. You start over, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re starting over. Our sole focus is just upgrading this team each and every day. We’re going to have to have a really good offseason.”

With that said, the Broncos improved significantly in many areas from the previous year on both sides of the field but fell short in the areas that must be addressed. The top two garner the most attention are the running back position and the tight end slot. None of the Broncos’ rushers gained over a hundred yards in a single game last season. To bolster the weapons around quarterback Bo Nix, having a game-breaker game-breaker at running back would take the Broncos to the next level, provided other areas don’t drop off.

“The one thing we have to avoid is this idea that we are going to pick up where we left off,” Head Coach Sean Payton said Tuesday. “I don’t like that, because our league has shown that the season ends and you take the proverbial game board, you take all the pieces and dump them and you start again. Certainly you are more confident, the experience has helped a number of players, but the journey begins.”

Will the Broncos trade up for a better chance to get the coveted running back Ashton Jeanty, or will they hold firm and hope he falls into their lap? That will be the question. Is it an omen that the number one running back in college wore orange and blue for the Broncos (Boise State), or just a teasing coincidence? Or will the first choice go to a tight end?

“Obviously, with a young quarterback in place, it’s a little clearer than it was this time last year,” Payton said. “I would say first off, it’s a little clearer. There are still certain things that we have identified that we think are important. Then the puzzle is with free agency and the draft, trying to best meet those needs. We’ve had our front [draft] board meeting already with the draft. We’re seeing these guys now this week, and then we’ve also had a good jump start in free agency, relative to the film study and the priorities. It’s good to be in that position, and we have to be able to take advantage of it.”

The week in Indianapolis is scheduled from February 27-March 3. The NFL invited 329 players to attend. Unlike in years past, player workouts are open to the media, and the public will have free access to the NFL Combine Experience. Thirty thousand people are expected to attend the events in Indianapolis, which the NFL has turned into an event. The first Combine held in Indianapolis was held in 1987 and is scheduled to continue through 2026.

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