The Denver Broncos were heavily involved during the second day of the NFL Draft by acquiring three total players. They concluded the draft by adding a thumper at safety and executing a trade with the New Orleans Saints for a tight end and adding another center to the offensive line.
Denver Broncos finalize draft selections on Saturday
It took a while on Saturday for the Denver Broncos to get back on the clock while they waited for the sixth round to come up. Coming into Saturday’s finale of the NFL Draft, the Broncos had selections with picks 183 and 195.
With the 183rd overall pick, the Broncos selected Boise State safety JL Skinner.
In 2022, Skinner played and started in 12 games for the Broncos and accounted for 65 tackles and four interceptions, and five passes defensed. During his four-year stint at Boise State, he finished with 208 total tackles, seven interceptions, 12 passes defensed, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles.
He joins Justin Simmons, Caden Sterns, Delarrin Turner-Yell, and P.J. Locke at the safety position as the team begins transitioning toward Phase 2 of the offseason program.
Prior to the NFL Combine, Skinner experienced a torn pectoral muscle but stated that he is ahead of schedule in terms of his recovery.
“I’m actually ahead,” Skinner told local media on a conference call moments after he was drafted. “I’m running and doing everything right now, lifting and all of that stuff. Not too far, I’m about a month out from my full expected recovery to be fully cleared. I’m back to doing my normal activities and my normal things every day.”
The Broncos’ newest safety has some size to him, listed at 6’4 218 lbs. Is he more comfortable playing in the box or being able to play in the middle of the field?
“At my school, we did a lot of both,” Skinner said during his conference call with media. “I got very experienced doing both. I’d say I do a lot of work down by the box, my school had me rotating down in the box a lot. Depending on those situations that the Denver Broncos want me to do, I’m able to do both and feel very experienced down on the field.”
The Broncos trade pick 195 to the New Orleans Saints for tight end Adam Trautman
Prior to being on the clock with the originally scheduled 195th overall pick, the Broncos initiated a trade with the New Orleans Saints to add a tight end to their thin position group depth.
The Broncos sent the 195th overall pick to the Saints in exchange for Trautman and the 257th pick in the 7th round.
Trautman played for Sean Payton as a member of the Saints in 2020 and 2021. In his three seasons as a member of the Saints, Trautman appeared in 43 games and started 28 games.
Through his time in New Orleans, he hauled in 60 catches for 641 yards and could emerge as a chain mover on third down. In 2020, Trautman had 16 targets and 15 catches, with nine of those receptions moving the chains for a first down.
In totality, Trautman has 60 career receptions with 31 of them leading to a first down. His prior familiarity with Payton adds a security blanket option to the tight-end position that currently features Greg Dulcich, Albert Okwuegbunam, Chris Manhertz, and now Trautman.
With the 257th overall pick, the Broncos took Oregon center Alex Forsyth with their final pick of the NFL Draft.
Forsyth has positional versatility having played center, right guard, right tackle and left guard during his time at the University of Oregon.
He was an Associated Press All-Pac 12 second-team selection, Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year finalist, and Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference first-team selection.
Forsyth joins Sean Payton and new offensive line coach Zach Strief this upcoming season while looking to compete with Lloyd Cushenberry, Kyle Fuller, and Luke Wattenberg.