We covered the Bears, Bengals, and Bills so far in this series? In this one, we got another team that starts with a B. Denver is our next destination, as we take a look at what the Broncos should do in this draft. With eight picks in this year’s draft, who will they select?
Picks
*three trades occurred.
- Denver traded pick 12 for pick 17 and pick 48
- Denver traded pick 17 for picks 29, 61, and 164
- Denver traded pick 76 for picks 84 and 119
- Round 1, Pick 29: QB Bo Nix, Oregon
- Round 2, Pick: 48: C Zach Frazier, West Virginia
- Round 2, Pick 61: ED Marshawn Kneeland, Western Michigan
- Round 3, Pick 84: WR Johnny Wilson, Florida State
- Round 4, Pick 119: CB Elijah Jones, Boston College
- Round 4, Pick 121: ED Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
- Round 5, Pick 136: LB Cedric Gray, North Carolina
- Round 5, Pick 145: CB Kamal Hadden, Tennessee
- Round 5, Pick 147: TE Theo Johnson, Penn State
- Round 5, Pick 164: S James Williams, Miami
- Round 6, Pick 203: C Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin
- Round 6, Pick 207: T Nathan Thomas, Louisiana
Explanation Of Picks
See, I know Denver needs a quarterback. You, the reader, know they need a quarterback. The team itself knows they’re not rolling with Jarrett Stidham as the starter.
But, do you really see Denver reaching for a Bo Nix or a Michael Penix Jr. at pick #12? If anything, trading down is a better idea. In fact, it was a gamble that paid off at the end of the day.
After trading down twice, they would finally select someone at pick 29. At this point, it wasn’t a reach to get a signal caller. So, Nix was the choice here, as he doesn’t have to go far since he went to college in Oregon. More importantly, he was one of the highest-graded quarterbacks according to PFF. He threw 45 touchdowns and 4,454 total yards, with just three interceptions in 2023.
Nix’s arm strength will translate to the league, and his mobility will help him make plays out of the pocket. Of course, he does need to work on his footwork and not rely on his first read a lot. But, he’s a starting quarterback in this league, and Denver gets a good one here.
I really wanted to pair Nix with fellow teammate Troy Franklin. But, he was drafted before pick 48. So, I decided to get Nix a new center. With Lloyd Cushenberry III heading to Tennessee, they go with Zach Frazier of West Virginia. He’s athletic and has a great IQ, and his wrestling background is the reason why his core strength is so good. Not only do they get their quarterback of the future, but the quarterback of the offensive line too.
Kneeland is an intriguing pick, as he didn’t have much competition at Western Michigan. However, when you dominate, you dominate regardless. His 89.7 PFF grade speaks for itself (six sacks, 28 hurries). The bull rush is the key to his success and also has a violent rip move.
Wilson is 6’7″, which would by far be the tallest receiver on the team. A red zone threat from the jump, his catch radius is big, and has good acceleration out of the break.
My favorite day-three pick has to be Kamara, who will remain close to home and bring an explosion and a great bull rush into the NFL. He also has a high motor and is a strong enough player to be a contributor. You can never have too many pass rushers!
Thanks For Reading!
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Featured Image: Tom Hauck/Getty Images
