This just in: The Broncos don’t have much draft capital this spring.
OK, thatap not a big surprise. Much has been made about Denver heading into the 2023 NFL Draft with just five picks. Their original first- and second-round picks belong to Seattle as the final pieces of the Russell Wilson trade last spring. The first-round pick they acquired for Bradley Chubb was shipped to New Orleans for the right to hire head coach Sean Payton. Itap all well-established how the Broncos got to this point.
When you begin to examine how the team’s decision-makers might approach this draft, a couple of things become clear: First, itap throwing darts at the board to figure out whatap going to happen over the first 66 picks of the draft. Second, if general manager George Paton simply makes the five picks he’s starting with, Denver’s not going to address all the areas it would like to.
The Broncos spent big in free agency in part because of this issue but needs remain. Letap see how many can be taken care of in five picks.
Third round (No. 67)
Edge Zach Harrison, Ohio State
Why: Denver signed Zach Allen to essentially replace Dre’Mont Jones up front but also lost DeShawn Williams on top of trading Chubb at the deadline. The Broncos need a healthy year from Randy Gregory and a big jump from last year’s top pick, Nik Bonitto, on the edge. Even with that, Denver finds itself closer to “not enough” than “never too much” with its edge rushers. Not only that, but Paton has gone to the Buckeye well previously, drafting Baron Browning and Jonathon Cooper in 2021. Itap a deep draft year at edge and Harrison pairs size (6-foot-5, 275) similar to Chubb to go along with an impressive set of athletic traits. Interior defensive line is a possibility, too, if, someone like Wisconsin’s Keeanu Benton doesn’t go in the first two rounds.
Third round (No. 68)
CB Darius Rush, South Carolina
Why: First of all, this is where if I’m in charge, I’m scouring for somebody who wants to move up. Perhaps Detroit or Indianapolis. Or maybe San Francisco wants to flip its trove of compensatory picks and is willing to part with, say, Nos. 99, 101 and 155. That would be moving back by almost a full round’s worth of picks, but nets two extra selections and would give Denver three between Nos. 99-108.
Without a trade, though, the pick is for a fast, rangy corner who checks in at almost 6-2 and 198 pounds and ran 4.36 seconds at the Combine. The Broncos tilted offense in free agency and now target defense first in the draft. Denver’s top line at corner is promising with All-Pro Pat Surtain II, Damarri Mathis and K’Waun Williams in the slot, but Williams is in the last year of his deal and Rush could potentially either take that spot or bump Mathis inside long-term to create an athletic young trio of cover men. Perhaps Denver instead targets a slightly different version of defensive back such as Illinois’ jack-of-all-trades Jartavius Martin or Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson.
Fourth round (No. 108)
OT Blake Freeland, BYU
Why: Obviously, itap impossible to nail down which offensive linemen will be on the board more than 100 picks into the proceedings. Some analysts think Freeland, a 6-foot-8 tackle, will be gone by this point, others think he will still be available. The overarching point is that the Broncos could use a developmental tackle to prepare for the future, whether that includes Garett Bolles beyond 2023 or not. Denver could take a shot on a more versatile lineman, too, but with just the five picks, we’re taking a shot at finding the left tackle of the future and planting him with offensive line coach Zach Strief for — barring a rash of injuries — a year of development. This is where you start making hard choices about buffeting depth or finding a potentially sexier pick like Oklahoma running back Eric Gray or another offensive weapon that perhaps slips a little. At the end of the day, though, Denver hasn’t drafted a tackle since 2017, a streak that has to end at some point, right?
Fifth round (No. 139)
DL Moro Ojomo, Texas
Why: The Broncos are hoping to get second-year jumps from Matt Henningsen and Eyioma Uwazurike and have been active on the back end of the roster by adding Jordan Jackson and Elijah Garcia (late in 2022 season), but even still, they could use more talent on the defensive front. Ojomo at 6-3 and 295 pounds played five years in college (three sacks, 5.5 TFLs in 2022) but will still be 21 years old when training camp starts.
Sixth round (No. 195)
TE Payne Durham, Purdue
Why: The 6-6 Durham ends up available here in a deep tight end class and has the chance to be an all-around contributor. The Broncos have pass-game threats at tight end in Greg Dulcich and Albert Okwuegbunam and signed veteran Chris Manhertz as a quality blocking option, but they need another, and the more well-rounded the better. Durham over his last two years at Purdue had 101 catches for 1,027 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
