The NFL Draft is fast approaching, and that means that on every Monday, there will be a mock draft simulation that paints the picture for where the Denver Broncos may choose to go when they are on the clock.
Denver Broncos address needs in five-round mock draft simulation
The Denver Broncos currently have eight picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, and I conducted a five-round simulation utilizing Pro Football Network’s Mock Draft simulator.
With Denver’s offense needing to take a huge step forward this season, the simulator seemed to agree with that notion.
Bo Nix to the Broncos at 12th overall
Without question, most agree that quarterback is the most important pick for the Broncos at 12th overall. The simulator saw Oregon Ducks QB Bo Nix land himself in the Mile High City.
Sean Payton gets his quarterback. Nobody knows who Payton’s preference truly is ahead of the draft, but if he believes Nix or somebody else is the guy or can be the guy, that has to be the direction he goes.
Nix, on paper, adds a lot of value to what Payton would love to run offensively. He’s a quick processor, excels in the quick passing game, and is very accurate in the short to intermediate passing game.
Some people have made Drew Brees-like comparisons, but those have to stop, because with these prospects, it’s incongrous with Nix‘s body of work.
At Oregon this past season, Nix threw for over 4,500 yards and 43 passing touchdowns compared to just three interceptions, and had a ridiculous completion percentage of 77.4%. One of the criticisms that seem to be echoed on social media is very similar to the criticisms we saw made about Justin Herbert — he threw a lot of screens.
While Nix may have capitalized on the screen game, an area the Broncos were horrendous with last season, he still demonstrated the ability to be a consistent three-level thrower. He can hit the deep ball, he can hit the short, quick passes across the middle of the field, and he can attack the second level.
Bo Nix in 2022 playing in 40 MPH winds.
20-24 (83.3%)
274 yds
2 TDs
2 Rush TDs
0 turnovers pic.twitter.com/OScI0ybNL7— Mighty Kaos aka Coach Williams 🏈 (@mightykaos41) March 24, 2024
Nix can also be effective on the ground with his legs, and Payton will build his offensive foundation around some of those strengths. Will he explode onto the scene in Week 1? It’s hard to ever lock that down as a realistic expectation, but that’s where patience and development matter, and that has to be the path Denver takes with this pick.
Crissy Froyd of AtoZ Sports spoke with Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein about the negative criticisms surrounding Nix and his completion percentage.
“I think it’s an absolute joke narrative, to be honest,” Stein said. “We are a West Coast system passing game, which is a catch-and-run game. We throw slants, we throw hitches, we throw a true quick game. Bo is a master of taking what the defense gives us, and we’re going to take our plenty of shots per game.”
He also went on to say that Nix’s ability to get the ball out on time fits well with Payton’s desire to have a high-level processor.
“He throws the ball on-time,” Stein said to Froyd. “They can have all types of narratives they want, but to me, it’s a sign of having a quarterback who knows exactly what he wants to go with the ball.”
Could Nix get his wings in Denver? It’s very possible.
Xavier Legette could be perfect addition to Denver’s receiving unit
With Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick having just one year remaining on their contracts in Denver, the NFL Draft is the perfect place to add a potential star to the receiver position.
That’s where the simulator went for Denver in the third round at 76th overall. South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette could be a great option for what Payton and Denver want to achieve offensively. At 6’1, 221 lbs, Legette boasts explosiveness and athleticism and could be a legitimate yard after-the-catch option.
With the way the WR market is going, Howie Roseman MUST take a deep, hard look at Xavier Legette in round two
Crazy upside, versatile, BRING ME XAVIER LEGETTE #Eagles pic.twitter.com/nH5xihVUMV
— MRCROCKPOT (@mrcrockpot) March 21, 2024
Last season, Legette hauled in 71 catches for 1255 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged nearly 17.8 yards per reception and demonstrated breakaway speed after the catch often for the Gamecocks offense.
In Denver’s offense, he could be a perfect complement to a receiving core that features Sutton, Patrick, and Marvin Mims, who is expected to have a more involved role next season. Legette has the tools and traits to also emerge as a potential future WR1 or WR2 if the Broncos get the QB position right.
It’s more realistic that Legette goes in the first two rounds than he does in the third round, but the NFL Draft is widely unpredictable each year.
Maason Smith reunites with Jamar Cain
The Broncos need to add impactful depth to their defensive line if they hope to find success this upcoming season. They made one move in NFL free agency by adding Malcolm Roach, but he’s not an every-down defensive lineman.
In this simulated mock draft, the Broncos take LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith, reuniting him with Jamar Cain, who coached him in 2022. Unfortunately, Smith was injured in the first game of his sophomore year in 2022 and missed the rest of the season, but Cain knows exactly what type of player Smith is.
“The beauty of Maason is he can play any position on the front, so we can move him around as much as we want,” Cain said. “He’s got such a work ethic that he knows every position and I forced him to learn every position. In spring ball, I threw him out there and he was like, ‘I don’t know it,’ and I told him he had to figure it out. I can see him playing multiple positions. We’re going to put our best players on the field.
Smith had an impactful 2023 season at LSU on a defensive line that featured the likes of other players like Mekhi Wingo and Jordan Jefferson. He played in 12 games in 2023, accumulating 28 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, and two passes batted down at the line of scrimmage.
He would be a solid plug-and-play player for Cain on the Broncos’ defensive line, which needs help. A rotation of Smith and Roach could be just what the Broncos need defensively to better anchor themselves against the run.
Broncos continue to beef up offense in the fifth round
With three picks in the fifth round alone, in this mock draft, the Broncos took advantage of their positioning and splurged on the offensive side of the ball by adding an athletic tight end, a center, and a bruiser at the running back position.
With the 136th overall pick, the Broncos snagged Penn State tight end Theo Johnson. This would be a solid move for the Broncos offense that desperately needs another potential body at the position.
Greg Dulcich, Lucas Krull, Nate Adkins, and Adam Trautman make up the room currently, but adding a player like Johnson automatically opens up competition for players like Dulcich, Krull, and Adkins.
Despite Dulcich’s prior draft status, the injuries he’s dealt with have impacted his roster security. Krull is in a position to emerge as one of the biggest potential surprises this upcoming season, and Trautman is a steady veteran presence.
Adding Johnson to the mix – at 6’6, 259 pounds – gives them another player with similar athletic makeup to Krull. Johnson’s RAS score was also an astounding 9.95, which lands him in the elite athleticism category.
In 2023, he hauled in 34 catches in 13 games for 341 and seven touchdowns, which ranked fourth overall in the Big 10. This move would add another threat to the passing attack, and in this mock draft in particular, gives Bo Nix another solidified young weapon on offense.
Nine picks later, at 145th overall, the simulator has the Broncos adding Michigan center Drake Nugent to the offensive line. Nugent not only contributed heavily to the Wolverines’ national championship team this season, but he also has local ties, having played at Highlands Ranch High School.
If the Broncos viewed Luke Wattenberg more as a guard/center swing option, Nugent could be a solid addition to compete with Alex Forsyth, who was selected in the seventh round last year in the NFL Draft.
To round out this five-round mock draft simulation, the Broncos also took a running back at 147th overall, selecting USC running back MarShawn Lloyd.
Considering that Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine are both in contract years, and Denver’s overall rushing attack wasn’t good enough production-wise last season, Lloyd would throw an interesting wrinkle into the position room.
He doesn’t possess great size from a height standpoint at 5’8″, but he is 220 pounds and runs violently. In 2023 at USC, Lloyd ran 116 times for 820 yards (7.1 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns in 11 games.
Lloyd also contributed out of the backfield, hauling in 13 catches for 232 yards. A combination of Lloyd and Williams, in a balanced offense, could be very useful if Denver were to land a quarterback like Nix. Payton wcould to build the offense around him and all of Denver’s other offensive weapons.
Overall, this mock draft would be very appealing, in my opinion, considering the overall need for an offensive overhaul. Payton and Broncos ownership won’t be happy with eight wins or less in 2024, and putting up points could be the difference-maker this team needs to get over the hump.
