by David Slade, Colorado Sports Connection, April 21, 2024
The Denver Broncos are in a conundrum. The NFL draft begins in five days and the Broncos have a lot of holes to fill on a roster that lacks the talent to match up to the top teams in the AFC and NFL. The problem is that the Broncos do not have enough quality picks to address all of the needs of the team. Yes, Denver does have seven picks in this year’s edition of the NFL draft, however we only have two picks in the top 100.
Denver’s biggest need is at the quarterback position. The current quarterback room for the Broncos is Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci. Among the two of them, they possess a combined total of five NFL starts. This is not a room that will strike fear in the hearts of its opponents. Denver did not address the quarterback position in the first wave of NFL free agency, which leads one to believe that the Broncos will address the position in the 2024 NFL draft. But who and where the pick will occur is the million-dollar question.
It is said that this is a quarterback draft class that runs deep. The problem is that there are four quarterbacks worthy of a first-round pick: Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and JJ McCarthy. It is expected that all four of these QBs will be selected prior to the Denver Broncos making their first pick at number 12. The Broncos have options, some will be harder than others to achieve. Let’s look at these options.
Option 1: Trade up to position yourself to grab one of the four aforementioned QBs. This sounds like the logical thing for a team that has been struggling for nine years to find the answer at the most important position on a football team. The problem is that Denver does not have the draft capital to jump from 12 to three or four. If this type of aggressive move is made, the Broncos will more than likely have to give up 2025 draft picks and possibly a player or two from our current roster. Although this is probably what most fans want, this is probably the highest risk move and I would not pull it off if I were the GM.
Option 2: Stay put at pick 12 and select the proverbial “best player available”. This methodology has always puzzled me. Why would you pick the best player available if that player does not address a position of need? Yes, you can say that you are only one injury away from the best player available becoming a position of need. To be safe, I have always said, draft the best player available at a position of need. Denver does not have enough talent on this roster to make luxury picks, especially with the 12th pick of the NFL draft. If you use this option, use it wisely.
Option 3: If the team feels that QB is the most important position to address, and it should, then trade out of 12 and obtain additional draft capital and target your QB late in the first or in the second round. There are two other quarterbacks that are being thrown around as potential first round picks: Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. I like both of these players as options, just not at 12. My fear of this approach is that there are many QB starved teams and that over-drafting at the position may have these players come off the board sooner than expected. If that is the case, the next level of quarterbacks is intriguing; Spencer Rattler, Michael Pratt, and Joe Milton III could be potential draft and develop guys. If you take this approach, you will probably have to bring in a veteran bridge quarterback, such as Ryan Tannehill.
Option 4: Panic and overdraft a QB at 12. This would not be disastrous if you are getting the quarterback that Sean Payton loves. With as many teams that need a quarterback or are looking to draft a QB as a future starter this may be Denver’s best option.
I am glad that I am not the guy in charge of making this decision. There is a lot riding on what we do. Pick wisely, George Paton and Sean Payton.