The NFL Combine is the most significant job interview in sports. Players meet with top brass from interested teams, go through workouts, medical checks, and podium sessions, giving the NFL a chance to see them from every angle.
Throughout the time, teams will talk or meet with just about every prospect in some capacity, but the formal meetings stand out as the most meaningful sign of interest. They’re 20-minute sessions with a team’s biggest decision-makers.
Every team gets 45 formal meetings. A good number of the Denver Broncos‘ formal Combine meetings have been with running backs and tight ends, which is either a giant time-wasting smoke screen or a reflection of where the team’s mind is at.
The Broncos have met with some of Bo Nix’s former Oregon teammates at the Combine, like tight end Terrance Ferguson, wide receiver Tez Johnson, and under-the-radar running back Jordan James.
James put up 1,267 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in 2024, a significant step forward from his 759 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in 2023 with Nix, but the running back was behind Bucky Irving (now in Tampa Bay) on the Oregon depth chart in 2023. Johnson still made an impact as the No. 2 back that year with Nix at the helm.
However, concerns about Johnson’s ability as a receiver make him questionable for that ‘Joker’ role for Sean Payton. In the last two seasons, the Ducks running back caught 41 passes for 341 yards, with only 15 of those catches and 132 yards coming from Nix’s right arm (2023).
Johnson may not have the catch radius to be a threat, but he’s shown great ball security as the lone top running back prospect without a fumble in his collegiate career.
Some RB draft prospects and their fumble rate:
Jeanty: 1 every 69.1 touches
Sampson: 1 every 92.6
Hampton: 1 every 87
Henderson: 1 every 666
Judkins: 1 every 199.5
Tuten: 1 every 68.7
Skattabo: 1 every 68.5
James: 1 every ??? (no fumbles)— Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) February 26, 2025
The Broncos’ formal meeting with Johnson shouldn’t surprise anyone. He is Nix’s adopted brother, and their relationship and chemistry (dating back to high school) can boost both players at the NFL level. While there are serious concerns about Johnson’s size, he can bring added playmaking potential to the offense.
The Broncos also met with Ferguson, a receiving tight end and a local kid who went to Heritage High School in Littleton, CO. He spent the 2023 season catching passes from Nix and has a long appreciation for Sean Payton dating back to his New Orleans tenure.
The Broncos are clearly prioritizing the running back and tight end position and finding Payton’s ‘joker,’ but they also seem to be putting a premium on familiarity with Nix. It would be easy to dismiss the Oregon meetings, but historically, formal meetings with Payton have indicated who his team is looking at, including his short time with the Broncos.
Payton and GM George Paton’s job is to build the Broncos into a stable contender, and the way to do that is to help Nix take the next steps in his development. Why not do that with players at positions they need who are also familiar with Nix from their time together at Oregon?
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