NFL
By Keith Richards
The 2023-24 NFL season has already been eventful for the Denver Broncos. They have a new head coach (Sean Payton) and they made a big splash when free agency began. Now, the Broncos must look forward to the NFL Draft. In free agency, Denver filled a lot of holes, but they still have work to do. The Broncos need depth at many positions. Payton and Paton look to complete the team via the 2023 NFL Draft.
With only five picks in the draft, the Denver Broncos do not have a lot to work with. Luckily for them, they did so well in free agency, they should be able to make it work. Not picking until the third round, the Denver Broncos and Sean Payton will need to be smart to address the following needs:
• Cornerback
• Center
• Running Back
• Defensive Line depth
• Offensive Line depth
At the positions that the Denver Broncos pick, they can’t afford to be too picky. Sean Payton is aware of that. Payton stated, “We’re going to take the best player. We were really aggressive in free agency. We wanted to fill as many holes with as many quality players that fit the prototype and fit our culture as we could. They just so happened to be on offense. We feel like we filled a lot of those holes…. We were good on defense last year, and we still have some talent on defense. We have a foundation. We’re not going to stretch to draft a defensive player.”
In addition, Payton stated that the Denver Broncos would be open-minded concerning moving up or moving back. As it stands now, their first two picks are back-to-back at 67 and 68. After that, the picks become more sporadic for the Denver Broncos. Their last three picks are at 108, 139, and 195. That’s picks in the 4th, 5th, and 6th rounds respectively. So, who might the Broncos take with those picks?
Here at Team NBS, we have a mock draft guru. His name is Greg Rector. While we normal folk are sleeping and eating, Greg is doing mock drafts. Even more, he’s more right than wrong. Here’s how Mr. Rector sees the selections ending up for the Denver Broncos:
67. Siaki Ika – DT – Baylor
68. Clark Phillips III – Corner – Utah
108. Cedric Tillman – WR – Tennessee
139. Jerrod Clark – DT – Coastal Carolina
195. Warren McClendon – OT – Georgia
Again, it’s important to state that the Denver Broncos do not need many starters here. Depth is their biggest concern heading into this draft. Players like Ika, Phillips III, and Clark are not graded as, or expected to be high-quality starters. The player most likely to see a lot of the field is Clark Phillips III. He’s likely a nickel corner in a division with Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, and whoever Patrick Mahomes is throwing to. Clark would likely see a lot of work.
If they can find a way, the Denver Broncos need a running back. Samaje Perine and Javonte Williams will be a great tandem, but it’s not certain when Williams will return. That’s a situation where trading up could work. It’s unlikely that Javonte plays a significant portion of this upcoming season. That’s the only thing I would say is a must-have for the Denver Broncos in this upcoming draft. Otherwise, it seems Payton and Paton have their plan in place. I do not doubt that they will execute it well.
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