As Day 2 dragged to a close, the Broncos leapt back into action.
After going offense-heavy in the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft, surrounding sophomore quarterback Bo Nix with weapons in running back RJ Harvey and wide receiver Pat Bryant, Denver made a move to snag LSU edge Sai’vion Jones at the end of the third round Friday night. It’s the Broncos’ first defensive-line selection, a primary position of need entering this year’s draft.
The move came at a cost, as Denver leveraged the day’s moves for an additional fourth-round pick to leap up. The Broncos traded two fourth-round picks (No. 111 and No. 130) and a sixth-rounder (No. 191) to the Philadelphia Eagles for another fourth-rounder (No. 134) and that slot at No. 101, which they used to land Jones.
At 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Jones is a bigger edge, a physical type that’s thinner on the Broncos’ roster. Jones struggled heavily against the run in 2024 for LSU, missing 12 tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. But he was a force off the edge, racking up 43 pressures, and carries plenty of upside as a pass-rusher in the NFL.
“The thing that sticks out with him is just how hard he plays, the motor,” Broncos general manager George Paton said Friday night. “And, he goes 110 miles an hour when he plays. So, he fits in with our group.”
The Broncos see Jones, too, as carrying versatility beyond the edge. Paton said Friday he felt Jones fit Denver’s “whole defensive line,” and has “flexibility down the line of scrimmage.”
“I feel like I have the ability to play all over the place, and that’s one of the main things the Broncos see in me,” Jones told media on a conference call Friday. “I’m not just an edge player … I can play across the line, and I think that’s the reason they felt like I was the player they wanted to draft.”
It’s a move with a clear eye to the future for the Broncos, as their current defensive-line crop has plenty of potential turnover coming with a heap of players with clock running out on their current deals. Jones, now, will slide into a group of Zach Allen, Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Franklin-Myers, all of whom are eligible for contract extensions.
The pick concluded the Broncos’ activity from Day Two, the trade leaving Denver with two picks come Day Three: No. 134 and No. 197.
Sai’Vion Jones
Round/pick: 3rd/101
Age: 21
Height/weight: 6-foot-5, 280 pounds
College: LSU
Hometown: Vacherie, La.
Notable: Jones is a young pass-rusher who’s got a different physical profile than most of Denver’s edge rushers. He’s a force against the run and still developing as a pass-rusher. Jones started the past two seasons for the Tigers on the edge and had 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks over that span. Denver’s defensive lien coach Jamar Cain had the same job title at LSU in 2022 when Jones played in all 14 games (three starts) and had six tackles for loss.
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Originally Published: April 25, 2025 at 9:42 PM MDT
