Day 1: Surtain taken 9th overall | Kiz on first round | DP staff grades | National grades | Winners and losers
Day 2: Trader George goes wild | Williams at No. 35 | Meinerz at No. 98 | Browning at No. 105 | Surtain introduction | DP staff grades
NFL draft tracker: Picks, instant reaction from all seven rounds
Draft class complete (4:40 p.m.): With the 253rd pick today, the Broncos completed their draft class with Mississippi State defensive end Marquiss Spencer. Spencer (6-foot-4 and 301 pounds) had seven sacks in 51 games (23 starts) for the Bulldogs. Spencer had eight tackles for loss in 2020 (nine games). He sustained a torn ACL in 2018 in his fourth game.
The full Broncos draft class …
CB Patrick Surtain (1)
RB Javonte Williams (2)
OL Quinn Meinerz (3)
LB Baron Browning (3)
S Caden Sterns (5)
S Jamar Johnson (5)
WR Seth Williams (6)
CB Kary Vincent Jr. (7)
LB Jonathon Cooper (7)
DE Marquiss Spencer (7)
Another Buckeye coming to Denver (4:05 p.m.): With the 239th pick, the Broncos drafted Ohio State edge defender Jonathon Cooper. Cooper, listed at 6-foot-3 and 253 pounds, is 23 years old and spent five years with the Buckeyes’ program. Cooper is the second Ohio State draft pick this week by the Broncos, joining third-round linebacker Baron Browning. In 45 games (25 starts), Cooper had 75 tackles and 10 sacks. He rebounded from an ankle injury in 2019 to start eight games last year (3 1/2 sacks) and be named third-team All-Big Ten. Cooper is a two-time team captain.
More secondary help (3:58 p.m.): With the first of their three seventh-round picks, the Broncos selected LSU cornerback Kary Vincent (No. 237 overall). The Broncos are back on the clock at No. 239. Vincent (5-foot-10 and 185 pounds) opted out of the 2020 season after making 87 tackles and six interceptions as the LSU nickel back. He started 19 of 39 games. Vincent ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at his Pro Day.
Big target (3:37 p.m.): Likely using the “Best Player Available” strategy, the Broncos added to their crowded receiver room with Auburn’s Seth Williams. Williams did some of his best work in the red zone, using his 6-foot-3 frame to catch touchdowns. “Just being physical,” he said of the key to red-zone success. “Thatap one of my go-to things and just be a big-bodied player in the red zone. Thatap what I can do.” Williams said his strength is catching “those contested balls and being physical at the line and overpower my defender that is guarding me. I don’t shy away from the big moment at all.” The Broncos have three picks in the seventh and final round. — Ryan O’Halloran
Going wide (3:18 p.m.): With their sixth-round pick in today’s draft (No. 219 overall), the Broncos selected Auburn receiver Seth Williams. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, Williams declared for the draft after his junior year. In 36 games for the Tigers, he caught 132 passes for 2,124 yards and 17 touchdowns. Williams had four 100-yard receiving games and his best season was 2019, when he had eight touchdowns and 830 yards on 59 catches. — Ryan O’Halloran
Johnson talks ball skills (1:12 p.m.): New Broncos safety Jamar Johnson’s pass break-up skills jump off his stat sheet. In 31 games, he had 14 pass break-ups, including seven interceptions. “I take pride in the ball just in general,” he said in a video conference. “Thatap the most important thing as a DB. You’re supposed to try and go in there and not allow a single catch and if anything touches my hands, I’m trying to come down with the pick.” Johnson said he did his Combine training earlier this offseason in Arizona with fellow new safety Caden Sterns. — Ryan O’Halloran
Another safety (12:54 p.m.): The fifth round of the Broncos’ NFL draft is all about safeties. Twelve picks after adding Texas’ Caden Sterns, the Broncos used selection No. 164 on Indiana’s Jamar Johnson. Johnson, 21, is 6-foot and 205 pounds. He started only 9 of 31 career games for the Hoosiers, posting totals of 70 tackles, four sacks, 14 pass break-ups and seven interceptions. Johnson was second-team all-Big Ten last year (four interceptions). He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds. The Broncos’ safety room is suddenly crowded behind Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson. Sterns and Johnson join Trey Marshall and P.J. Locke. — Ryan O’Halloran
Sterns speaks (12:35 p.m.): During a video conference call with Broncos media, new safety Caden Sterns had plenty to say. It appears Justin Simmons has a fan in the Texas product. “The way he makes plays out of the post – very rangy and versatile, he’s in the box a lot and you can put him anywhere and he’s going to be around the football,” Sterns said. “I literally watch him all the time and he’s somebody I try to model my game after.” Added Sterns on his draft position: “I understand things happen in the draft process,” he said. “I know what type of player I am. I’m thankful for the Broncos taking a chance on me. I’m going to give them everything I got and play my role.” — Kyle Newman and Ryan O’Halloran
Broncos select safety (12:17 p.m.): The Broncos are in action today. They stayed at No. 152 in the fifth round and drafted Texas safety Caden Sterns. The 21-year old Sterns played 29 games for the Longhorns (28 starts) and had 172 tackles, two sacks, 13 pass break-ups and five interceptions. He missed four games in ’19 because of injury and three games in ’20 (one for injury and two after opting out of the season). He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds at Texas’ Pro Day. The Broncos figured to add a safety because Kareem Jackson is in on a one-year deal. — Ryan O’Halloran
RELATED: Broncos NFL draft picks, Day 3: What to know about Caden Sterns and Jamar Johnson
We have a kicker (12:15 p.m.): A kicker has finally been selected. With pick No. 149 the Cincinnati Bengals took Evan McPherson, the first kicker to go in the 2021 NFL Draft. The right-footed Gator was the top kicking prospect coming out of high school and won his college job his freshman season. He went perfect on PATs in 2020, hitting all 52 and made 17-of-22 FGs. McPherson’s stellar career at Florida ended early as he left school after his junior year. — Jake Shapiro
On to the fifth round (11:54 a.m.): And that’s a wrap for the fourth round. The Broncos have the eighth pick (No. 152 overall) and 20th pick (No. 164) in round 5. More offensive tackles came off the board in round 4 — James Hudson (Browns), Dan Moore (Steelers), D’Ante Smith (Bengals) and Royce Newman (Packers). … Top players available include USC DT Marlon Tuipulotu, Iowa DT Daviyon Nixon (who we mentioned in our Day 3 board last night) and Florida State S Hamsah Nasirildeen. Miami (Fla.) TE Brevin Jordan is also on the board. — Ryan O’Halloran
Day 3 priorities (11:11 a.m.): Day 3 of the draft is underway and we’re in the middle of the fourth round. The Broncos don’t have a fourth-round pick — they flipped it to Atlanta last night to move up for North Carolina running back Javonte Williams. The Broncos have six picks today (two in round 5, one in round 6 and three in round 7) and some of the positions that should be prioritized are safety, blocking tight end, another linebacker, maybe an offensive tackle. The offensive tackles flew off the board last night and the tight ends are steadily being selected. — Ryan O’Halloran
Colorado shutout continues (10:59 a.m.): We’re now well into the fourth round and neither Colorado nor Colorado State has seen one of its players drafted. CSU receiver Warren Jackson could hear his named called today, same with Colorado offensive lineman Will Sherman. One other local to watch: former Gold Helmet award winner Carlo Kemp, a Fairview High School graduate who played on the defensive line at Michigan. Just in case you were wondering: The last time both of Colorado’s three FBS schools (Air Force included) were shut out of the draft was way back in 1989. — Matt Schubert
And we’re back (10:02 a.m.): The third and final day of the NFL draft is underway. The Broncos have six picks spread out over the final four rounds, with none of those in the fourth. George Paton showed a penchant for wheeling and dealing on Friday night. Expect more of the same today. — Matt Schubert
