ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The first trade set the tone.

The Broncos' initial move down on Friday night involved a bit of risk. Their shift from No. 51 to No. 57 offered the chance they could miss on their target in running back RJ Harvey.

But it also offered a reward.

The Broncos' initial trade with the Panthers improved the positioning of both their third- and fourth-round picks by 11 spots. With the move, the Broncos shifted their selections from No. 85 and No. 122 to No. 74 and No. 111. A few minutes later, scooting three spots back allowed Denver to pick up an additional fourth-round pick at No. 130.

Those slight moves back would later give Denver the ammo to send No. 111 and No. 130 — plus an additional sixth-round pick — to move up and draft defensive end Sai'vion Jones.

"It's always a risk when you trade back," General Manager George Paton said. "We felt good about the teams behind us — maybe they already took a [running] back or it wasn't a big need; it wasn't their top need. So we took the risk. We didn't want to lose [Harvey], obviously. But we felt like moving back would set the tone for the day [and] would give us flexibility to do what we want to do for the day — and it did."

Without the moves back, it's possible the Broncos would have been outside the range to select wide receiver Pat Bryant — and moving back up to select Jones may have either been impossible or required giving up future capital.

In short, Denver's three draft-day trades gave the Broncos an opportunity to select players where the 2025 NFL Draft was at its deepest.

"We felt there was a good middle part of this draft that was consistent, meaning the second round or the third round, you're going to find good players — even into the fourth," Head Coach Sean Payton said. "… I was glad we were able to do it. I think finding the sweet spot of the draft [was important]. We talked about it last night, and trying to maximize being in that field, if you will. Sometimes it's easier to do and then sometimes it's more difficult to do."

The initial trade back also came with an impromptu celebration, as Paton made a joking announcement in the war room celebrating a rare trade back for Payton.

"I thought he planned it, but it was actually pretty spontaneous," Payton said. "So, that was funny."

Maneuvering the board throughout the evening was far from easy, and it required work both before the draft started and in the moment. Paton said while the trades happen "on the clock," the framework for those deals happens in the days and weeks ahead.

"We were just working through it and trying to get creative," Paton said. "Yet, it was important for us to move up in both the rounds. We moved back a little bit [in the second round] and moved up in the third and moved up in the fourth, because we're looking ahead.

"… There were three players we wanted today, so it was really important, and we talked about it all week. There were four players we wanted in the first two days. We didn't get all the players, but pretty close."

Despite moving back twice, Paton and the Broncos ultimately still acquired desired players at running back, wide receiver and defensive end.

"He was fantastic," Payton said. 'We just kept looking at the targeted [players]; you have to have more than just four targeted players, obviously, but there's a vision and a makeup mindset."

And while a day full of trades was far from easy, it was worth it in the end.

"It certainly paid off," Payton said.