Could the Denver Broncos have some breakout candidates in 2025?
The Denver Broncos may have some breakout players on their hands approaching 2025. Let's cover three of them here. With how top-notch this coaching staff is, the Denver Broncos could see even more players breakout in 2025. In 2024, guys like Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, Brandon Jones, John Franklin-Myers, Patrick Surtain II, and Quinn Meinerz all had career seasons.
This staff is flat-out excellent and could do more amazing work in 2025 with a few other players who could be on the cusp of greatness. Could Denver see these three breakout candidates emerge in 2025?
3 breakout candidates currently on the Denver Broncos roster
Marvin Mims Jr, WR
Marvin Mims Jr is entering his third year in the NFL and is only 23 years old. This player grew a ton from 2023 into 2024 and could truly hit his stride in 2025. From year one into year two, Mims caught 17 more passes for 126 more yards and five more touchdowns. His catch rate also increased from 66.7% to 75%.
From Week 11 through the end of the regular season, Mims ended up hauling in 28 passes for 434 yards and six touchdowns. He truly broke out after the team's heartbreaking loss against the Chiefs. If you took Mims' production over these final seven games and averaged them over a 17-game season, he'd have put up 68 receptions for 1,054 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The momentum and increase in production is something that Denver can hopefully carry into 2025. If you ask me, Mims could potentially take a massive step and turn into more of a wide receiver than a gadget player, and him putting it all together in 2025 is firmly on the table.
Devaughn Vele, WR
Devaughn Vele missed four games in 2024. Despite that, the rookie still caught 41 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns, which put him on pace for 54 receptions for 621 yards and four touchdowns in a full 17-game season. Vele is an ultra rare player, as he turned 27 during his rookie season and was a a seventh-round pick.
There is reason to believe that Vele may have a lower ceiling given his age, but there is also reason to believe that the production he saw in 2024 could increase in 2025. The natural progression and development of players happens routinely in the NFL. Yes, Vele has to put the work in, but with the strong possibility that Bo Nix and the offense collectively grows in 2025, Vele could be in store for a ton of targets.
He may never be a 1,000-yard player for the Broncos, but doesn't this feel like Denver's new Tim Patrick in a way?
Talanoa Hufanga, SAF
Talanoa Hufanga was a Pro Bowl and All-Pro player in 2022, but he's played in just 17 regular season games over the last two seasons, signing with the Denver Broncos in free agency this year. Hufanga just turned 26 years old and will now be approachiong his third year removed from that insane 2022 season.
To a degree, Hufanga absolutely has a shot to breakout again. He'll be taken care of by a top-tier training staff who has helped the Broncos become one of the least-injured teams in the NFL, and the team was already fielding a top-3 defense before they signed the explosive safety.
Talanoa Hufanga is entering into an objectively awesome situation in terms of defensive infrastructure and injury management. This could propel him to a breakout year in 2025.
