George Paton, the Broncos newly hired general manager, told Denver media Tuesday that he “wanted this job — bad.”
Now it’s time to work.
The Broncos own the No. 9 overall pick in the NFL draft. So what will they go for?
Here’s a look at who national draftniks are thinking will land in Denver.
CBS Sports | Ryan Wilson | Updated Jan. 19
Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
“Bryce Callahan was a bright spot in the secondary in 2020, but he, along with four other CBs, will have his contract expire next spring. Farley, who opted out for 2020, is our CB1.” .
USA Today | Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz | Updated Jan. 5
Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
“Though adding a quarterback to compete with Drew Lock should be a consideration somewhere along the way, the Broncos would be wise to grab Farley, who has an ideal combination of size (6-2, 207 pounds) and speed to match up with NFL receivers.” .
Fox Sports | Jason McIntyre | Updated Jan. 7
Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
“Now that John Elway has ceded control of the draft, perhaps someone can figure out the future of the QB situation in Denver. Lance, 20, hails from the midwest with a big arm, oozes potential, and might just end up winning the job over Drew Lock.” .
ESPN | Todd McShay | Updated Jan. 7
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, ILB, Notre Dame
“Still no Justin Fields? It’s a legitimate possibility and something I considered heavily here, but I think Denver ultimately will give Drew Lock another year to prove he’s the guy. Cornerback is another position to watch, especially with Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II still out there. But I love Owusu-Koramoah’s range, instincts and suddenness. He found his way into just about every statistical category in 2020, including racking up 11 tackles for loss.” .
Sporting News | Vinnie Iyer | Updated Jan. 19
Kwity Paye, Edge, Michigan
“The Broncos have an uncertain future with Von Miller and need to pair another young impact player with Bradley Chubb who can get after the quarterback and dominate physically and athletically against offensive tackles. Paye is a freak of nature and has quickly shot up draft boards. It’s hard not to think about a combination of Ziggy Ansah and Jason Pierre-Paul in that sense.” See the full mock draft.
Pro Football Focus | Seth Galina | Updated Jan. 18
Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
“The Broncos should absolutely take a quarterback with their first pick. They should even probably trade up to do it. However, something tells me they still believe in Drew Lock’s development. I’m not sure I do, but I also thought Justin Herbert wasn’t a good quarterback, so who am I to say, really? If Denver decides that Lock is the guy, they could start upgrading their secondary with a guy like Caleb Farley or Patrick Surtain. I picked Surtain here because the Broncos defense loves to do a lot on defense, and not only have we seen Surtain play in so many different coverages at Alabama, but we’ve also seen him play them well.” .
Bleacher Report | Joseph Zucker | Updated Jan. 11
Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
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