by David Slade/Colorado Sports Connection/April 25, 2024
The day is finally here. We have all been impatiently waiting for this day since January 7, 2024. After the loss to Las Vegas Raiders dropped Denver to 8-9 and their seventh consecutive losing season, fans started clamoring for a quarterback that can lead this team back to respectability. Denver brought in Sean Payton in hopes that he could correct Russell Wilson, after benching Wilson with two games remaining in the 2023 season, we all knew that the savior at quarterback was not on this roster.
Denver currently holds the 12th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and many are hoping that the Broncos figure out how to trade up and select the next Ring of Fame quarterback. If Sean Payton really loves one of the top four quarterbacks (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or JJ McCarthy), then you have to make every phone call possible to see if you can trade up and get one. This could be costly in terms of draft capital and possibly current Broncos players. After Denver pulled off a trade with the New York Jets for QB Zach Wilson, a former number 2 pick, it appears that quarterback may not be the number one priority for Paton and Payton in round one.
There are rumors swirling around that Denver may trade back for a later round-one pick and a second-round pick. This would allow the Broncos to address another need in the first round (tight end, wide receiver, edge rusher, cornerback, etc.) and hope that Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr is available in the middle part of the second round. Here are some of the scenarios which I can see Denver being involved in a draft day deal:
Denver trades pick 12 to the Philadelphia Eagles for picks 22 and 50.
Denver trades pick 12 to the Pittsburgh Steelers for picks 20 and 51.
Denver trades pick 12 to the Cincinnati Bengals for picks 18 and 49.
The pick at 12 seems to be gaining more value and Denver would be wise to trade out and get additional capital to help rebuild this depleted roster. If Denver does trade back and picks up a second-round pick, they could package that along with another later-round pick to possibly move into the later part of the first or early second round to get that QB they want and so desperately need.
If Sean Payton feels that Zach Wilson has some life left in him maybe getting a Nix or Penix is not a priority and Denver can pursue the likes of Spencer Rattler, Michael Pratt, or Devin Leary to come in and compete with Zach Wilson.
The Denver Broncos have the opportunity to right the ship and get this thing back on course. The team is desperate for a franchise quarterback, however, they cannot act recklessly in trying to fix the quarterback issue.