2025 NFL Draft: Sean Payton’s teams love to trade up, perhaps this year it’s for Ashton Jeanty?

In an unpredictable NFL Draft, there’s probably one thing we can trust: Sean Payton isn’t trading down.

It’s not hard to figure out the philosophy of the Denver Broncos’ head coach. Nobody is more aggressive.

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In Payton’s final 13 New Orleans Saints drafts, they traded up 22 times and didn’t trade back once, according to DenverBroncos.com. In Payton’s first Broncos draft he moved up for each of his first two picks: receiver Marvin Mims Jr. and cornerback Riley Moss. In his second draft Denver moved up for receiver Troy Franklin.

According to that story on the Broncos’ site, Payton did trade down three times in his first two seasons with the Saints. Two of those times the Saints got a veteran player back. The Broncos traded back twice in Payton’s first two drafts with the team. Both times they got a veteran player back.

So in 17 drafts, Payton’s teams have traded back once without acquiring a veteran as part of the deal. And they have often traded up, giving up future picks, for a player they covet.

There have not been any trades yet in the first round of this draft; it’s amazing that every team still holds its first-round pick. That will change. Payton’s Broncos are as good of a candidate as any to make a big move. And we know what the Broncos are after in this year’s draft.

Broncos need a running back

There’s not much reason for Payton to be coy about what the Broncos need in this draft. They were thin at running back last season and made no moves to improve there in free agency. Javonte Williams left to the Dallas Cowboys.

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The Broncos are incredibly unlikely to come out of this draft without a running back, and likely with one that will project as a Day 1 starter.

“There will be focus on the running back position,” Payton said, via the team’s transcript. “It’s a pretty good draft for running backs.”

The Broncos have the 20th pick in the NFL Draft. It’s possible North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton falls to them. Hampton is a good player and would fit very well with the Broncos.

But there’s a running back who practically everyone agrees is on a different tier than every other back in a deep class. If Payton sees what practically everyone else does with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who has drawn some comps to Alvin Kamara of the Saints in the pre-draft process, we know Payton won’t be shy about trying to move up.

Could the Broncos make a big move for Ashton Jeanty?

The cost to get Jeanty would be significant for the Broncos. Everyone seems to believe Jeanty is going No. 6 to the Las Vegas Raiders. One AFC team executive told CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones that Jeanty to the Raiders is “a forgone conclusion.” Maybe that’s a smokescreen, but the Broncos can’t be sure.

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That would mean the Broncos would probably have to move up to No. 4 or 5 to take Jeanty (let’s assume the first three picks, which seem locked in on Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter, aren’t available in a trade). Using common trade value charts, moving up from No. 20 to that spot would probably cost a future first- and another third-round pick. That’s expensive, but it’s Payton. He has never worried about that in the past.

Also, Payton has a history with first-round running backs. His Saints picked Reggie Bush second overall in 2006. Last week Payton said in 2011 the Saints wanted Mark Ingram in the first round, but Cameron Jordan fell to them with the 24th pick. So the Saints traded back up in the first round and took Ingram 28th.

“I think it’s all about your vision and your vision for the player,” Payton said about first-round running backs. “I think there is this feeling often times that there are certain positions that may be more available in the offseason than others. And yet, you have to look at the ability.”

Jeanty has the ability that few other running back prospects have had. We know the Broncos are very unlikely to move down in the draft. They are a good bet to move up. Will it be a huge move for a rare talent at running back who would be an exciting fit in Payton’s offense? Given Payton’s history, you can’t rule it out.