John Elway and the Denver Broncos aced the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with their selection of Jerry Jeudy at 15.
With another pick right around the corner early in the second round, here are five players the Broncos could target at the 46th pick to make Friday just as sweet, if not sweeter than, Thursday.
Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor (48th player overall, 9th WR)
Technically, there are better receivers still available in the draft, but none fit better with Denver’s new receiving core than Denzel Mims.
Jerry Jeudy can operate outside, but he fits best in the slot and the Broncos would also love to add some speed to pair with Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. Mims happens to be the best outside speed threat available and maybe in the whole draft.
He owned the combine with a sub-4.4 40-yard dash, and among receivers finished eighth in the vertical, fourth in the broad jump and first in the three-cone (by nearly three-full-tenths of a second).
He can be the Broncos’ speed threat on offense, and he also has the verticality to come away with some 50/50 balls.
Willie Gay Jr., LB, Mississippi State (37th player overall, 3rd LB)
The Broncos need a linebacker, and while three went off the board Thursday night, there are still some great options available in Round 2.
Atop that list is Willie Gay Jr., who might’ve been a shoe-in first-rounder if he was given more opportunities in college. Gay didn’t start for the Bulldogs last season and only appeared in five games due to academic issues.
Teams felt good about his interview at the combine though which led to him sky rocketing up the boards. On the field, Gay is a big play machine who shows off his five-star athleticism in coverage and has impressive instincts for an inexperienced player.
Josh Jones, OT, Houston (30th player overall, 6th OT)
Plenty of analysts thought Josh Jones was the best tackle available after the big four, he was even mocked to the Broncos at pick number 15 on occasion, and yet he surprisingly didn’t hear his name called on Day 1.
Jones improved in every game he started for Houston in 2019 before an ankle injury cut his season short. He’ll need some time to develop, but the Broncos have players that can hold the fort at left tackle (no pun intended) so they can take their time with Jones.
However, he is already one of the best pass protectors and athletes at tackle in the draft, which makes Jones an incredibly intriguing option. He needs to improve in the run game, but under Mike Munchak’s tutelage, he could turn into something incredibly special.
Jeremy Chinn, S/LB, Southern Illinois (28th player overall, 3rd S)
The Broncos already have pretty incredible luck drafting safeties from Atwater bloodline, so why not double-down with Jeremy Chinn, Steve’s nephew?
Chinn is the version of Isaiah Simmons you never heard of. Rather than suiting up for national championship contenders under Dabo Swinney, Chinn was leading the charge defensively for the Southern Illinois Salukis.
He would be a dream fit in Denver, where he could fill the hole left by Will Parks at safety, before eventually replacing Kareem Jackson, and he also has the athleticism and versatiliy to move into the box on third downs and play linebacker.
He’s a do-it-all defensive chess piece that would never have to leave the field for Vic Fangio’s defense and could be a cure-all to opposing offensive mismatches.
Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah (25th player overall, 3rd CB)
Outside of the draft’s elite corners, Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson, there isn’t a player that better exemplifies the idea of a “Vic Fangio cornerback” than Jaylon Johnson.
Johnson is a supremely sticky man coverage corner who excels in zone coverage as well. He’s got excellent ball skills and he’s incredibly aggressive at the catch point, making him a threat to take one to the house whenever he’s targeted.
There are times you would like to see him make more of an effort to get involved in the run game, something that is a problem for Fangio’s defense, but when he’s put in range of a ball-carrier, Johnson has no problem getting physical.
Day 2 kicks off at 5 p.m. MT Friday and can be seen on NFL Network or ESPN.