The 2022 NFL draft begins on April 28 in Paradise, Nevada, and it gives the teams a chance to freshen up their roster with new talent.
What can we expect from the Denver Broncos in this important event? If you are unaware of the draft and what odds it involves, click here for more information.
The Basic Details
The Denver Broncos are in 9th place on the list of NFL teams, with the Jacksonville Jaguars getting the first pick, followed by the Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans. They then have the 40th pick, in the second, 75th pick in the third round, and a fourth-round pick.
The Broncos have already reached an agreement with the Detroit Lions to trade their fifth and seventh-round picks this year, in exchange for Trinity Benson and a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft.
Overall, the Denver team has five picks in the top 100, giving them an interesting opportunity to add new players to the roster. This means that fans will be keen to check out the top prospects from college football at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine on March 3 to 6 at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Who Could They Draft?
Expect to see a number of mock drafts appear in the run-up to the real thing. While it’s incredibly difficult to get all of the different factors right in this way, the mock drafts give us a good idea of what areas the experts think that the Broncos will look to improve and their chances of doing so.
The mock draft carried out by Luke Easterling of Draft Wire covered the first three rounds and had the Broncos picking linebacker Devin Lloyd in the first round, although this was done before the story that Josey Jewell could be re-signing for Denver appeared online. This mock draft also had DeMarvin Leal joining the defensive line and Nik Bonitto being drafted in from Oklahoma.
What About the Quarterback?
Interestingly, the mock draft we just looked at didn’t include a new quarterback for the Broncos. Von Miller joined Denver in 2011 and enjoyed a tremendous career here before leaving for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and leading them to victory in Super Bowl LVI.
This had led to mock drafters coming up with a variety of possibilities for filling the gap. One of the most ambitious would see them sign Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for current and future draft picks.
The theory is that the Broncos are just an excellent QB away from being a Super Bowl-challenging team in 2022. Therefore, it could be argued that bringing in a veteran outside the draft might be their best way to immediately enhance the team.
If they chose to get a new QB through the 2022 draft, the Broncos could choose Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh. One potential issue with Picket that scouts are keen to resolve is the size of his right hand, which he says is smaller than average because it’s double-jointed.
Malik Willis from Liberty is another name we’ve seen linked with the QB role at Denver. The dynamic player has caught the eye with his powerful, athletic performances for the Flames and some mock drafters have him being picked in the first ten players, and the first QB to get chosen in the draft.
The problem with solving the QB area in the draft is that there are other NFL teams who need a QB and who can grab the highly-rated Willis before Denver have a chance to do so. In fact, the Atlanta Falcons have the 8th pick, one ahead of the Broncos, and it’s widely predicted that they might choose Malik Willis with one eye on the future.
As for Kenny Pickett, there are widely varying opinions on how quickly he might get chosen in the draft. Most mock drafts see him getting picked after Denver’s turn, so they appear to have the chance to land him if they feel that he’s a priority pick for the team.
Will the Broncos Come Out of the 2022 Draft Stronger or Weaker?
This is the big question that every Broncos fan wants to know the answer to. The key position is QB and if they solve this outside the draft then we can expect a relatively-stress free draft from a Denver perspective. If they rely on the draft for the new QB, it could go either way, with no guarantee of success.
Most mock drafts show the team focusing mainly on defensive players like Jermaine Johnson II from Florida State or George Karlaftis from Purdue. With some smart choices, the Broncos could improve their team and give themselves an excellent chance of aiming for glory in Super Bowl LVII, which will be held on February 12, 2023, at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
More Considerations:
