One prospect who may interest the Denver Broncos on day two of the 2025 NFL Draft is Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo. He is a 6’5”, 250-pound tight end who is considered one of the top tight ends in the entire draft. The Athletic’s lead draft analyst Dane Brugler has Arroyo graded as his 39th overall player in the 2025 NFL Draft while ranking him as the fourth-best tight end in the draft.
Arroyo played a total of four seasons at Miami and is coming off a breakout year for the Hurricanes. During his four-year career at Miami, Arroyo played in 36 games and totaled 46 receptions for 753 yards and 8 touchdowns. This past year, Arroyo played in 13 games and totaled 35 receptions for 590 yards and 7 touchdown receptions.
Player Profile
Elijah Arroyo | Tight End | Miami
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 250 pounds
Hands: 10 inches
Arm Length: 33 inches
Age: 22 years old
40-Yard Dash:
Bench Press: 22 reps
Film Room
Scouting Report
Strengths
Ideal size and length you look for in a tight end
Very athletic and can stretch the seam
Has ‘Joker’ traits
Explosive in the open field and has the ability to create after the catch
Big target with a wide catch radius
Fluid athlete and has good body control
Has natural receiving ability
Strong reliable hands
Aligned all over the field at Miami
Willing and competent run blocker who gives you some in-line potential
Weaknesses
Had a knee injury that cost him a chunk of the 2022 and 2023 seasons so his medicals will be key
Only one year of production
Needs to become a more polished route runner
Blocking technique will need improvement if he wants to consistently play in-line
What other analysts are saying about Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo
NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah on TE Elijah Arroyo
Arroyo is an athletic, seam-stretching tight end with ideal size/length. He moved around the formation in Miami’s offense, but he did most of his damage flexed out in the slot. He’s sudden in his release and he gains speed as he climbs down the field. He’s at his best when he’s attacking vertically or running away from defenders on crossers. He isn’t a nuanced/polished route runner, but he has a good feel to find space when his quarterback scrambles. He tracks the ball very well over the shoulder and has reliable hands. After the catch, he relies on his speed to pull away from pursuing defenders. He’s an effective shield/wall-off blocker in the run game. The medical-evaluation portion of the draft process will be important for him given his injury history. Overall, Arroyo is still developing as a complete route runner, but he can do a lot of damage on limited touches because of his speed.
NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein on TE Elijah Arroyo
Arroyo enters the evaluation process with questions to answer after a knee injury took chunks of two seasons from him. He displayed a willingness as both a point-of-attack and move blocker, but his technique and play strength will need upgrading. He’s an average athlete who struggles to beat man coverage but appeared to get faster and more fluid as the 2024 season wore on. He plays with awareness in space and secures throws with sure hands in traffic. Arroyo is a move tight end whose medical and athletic testing need to check out to give him a legitimate shot at being a productive pro.
Final Thoughts
I get Jimmy Graham vibes when watching Elijah Arroyo. He is a big and athletic target who has the potential to be a weapon for Sean Payton and the Broncos.
Again, the Broncos did sign veteran Evan Engram in free agency to a two-year deal but he is a 30-year old tight end coming off shoulder surgery. Adding a tight end like Arroyo would give them depth and insurance if Engram were to miss time. He also would give them a legitimate receiving threat moving forward in the future. I have faith that Sean Payton would find a way to get both on the field at the same time and utilize them both in the passing game.
As for Arroyo’s injury concerns, the medicals will be key. He suffered a knee injury in 2022 and a setback kept him out for a portion of the 2023 season. However, he looked healthy this past season, had a breakout year, and did not look limited by the injury. So, if everything looks good, I am not holding that injury against him or labeling him as injury-prone.
If available, I would select Arroyo in the second round and continue to add to that tight end room. This would give Bo Nix another big and athletic weapon in the middle of the field who can also hold his own as a blocker. Of these “move tight ends” I believe Arroyo is one of the better run blockers of the bunch. With that said, he is far from polished there, but the ability, willingness, and potential is there.
Arroyo is one of my favorite prospects for the Broncos and one player I am hoping they draft in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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