The NFL Draft takes place on Thursday, and the Denver Broncos could find themselves choosing to build the offense with their premier capital in the Top 100. Broncos Country wants to know how likely this may be.
Denver Broncos Mailbag: NFL Draft is two weeks away
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Do you think the Broncos will use their premier draft capital on offensive players? – Rick in Thornton.
Happy Draft Week, Rick. I think the Broncos are in a unique position to do some fun things this week. Right now, with three picks in the Top 100, they have the flexibility to add impact talent and depth.
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I think if they keep the 20th, 51st, and 85th selections, I personally believe they will use two of them on offensive players and one of them on a defensive lineman.
I could even see a scenario pop up where they trade up in the first round, likely swapping 20th and 51st with a team and keeping 85th, and then back into the top 100.
Regardless, it should be fun.
What were your takeaways from George and Sean’s press conference? – Ryan in Centennial.
I think George and Sean shared a lot regarding the actual process that takes place in predraft conversations, how they evaluate players, and how they also feel about a handful of positions in this year’s draft.
They’ll never share any insight into where they are truly leaning, but I couldn’t help but invest in what Payton said about the running back position in the draft.
“There will be focus on the running back position,” Payton said. “It’s a pretty good draft for running backs. It’s a pretty good draft for interior defensive linemen. When we sign a good football player in free agency, [such as LB] Dre Greenlaw, we feel like we’ve helped our team, and in turn our defense and then in turn the quarterback position.”
Internally, the Broncos like Audric Estime, Blake Watson, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Tyler Badie and there’s a chance one of them can do the things Payton would like offensively, but if there’s a specific back in this draft that is a premium target for Denver, they’ll add to the room and let competition iron things out.
Estime is a player who the team would like to become that three-down back, and he’ll likely get the first opportunity but there will be plenty of competition at training camp.
Who do you think will be the best fit for the Broncos offense in the draft? – Thomas in Littleton.
It all depends on the position. If it’s running back, I feel like TreVeyon Henderson out of Ohio State would be the best overall fit for what Payton is looking for. Omarion Hampton would also fit into this category. At wide receiver, Emeka Egbuka would be a great fit as a round one selection. Tory Horton as a late rounder.
From a tight end perspective, Colston Loveland would be the perfect first-round fit. Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson would be the ideal candidate as a third or fourth rounder. These are the primary candidates on my list, at least.
Which of the Broncos current wide receivers are the best route runner? – Brock in Loveland.
This is a great question. I think right now, Courtland Sutton is the most polished. For some reason, a lot of fans don’t talk about his route running, but it’s slept on. His size and the speed he possesses at it is great for the deep ball, but I think Sutton’s in-breaking routes are a strength of his that I hope get featured more.
I’d say Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims are up next in the conversation. Marvin’s downfield impact is big for the offense, but I’d love to see him and Franklin featured more on crossing patterns.
Is there any player on the roster currently that you believe isn’t being talked about enough going into next season? – Lindzie in Denver.
Damarri Mathis is a name that I feel has been written off by a large portion of Broncos Country. People forget he shined as a rookie after being thrown into the fire after Ronald Darby’s injury. His sophomore year saw him take some lumps, particularly early on in the season when Denver was having Vance Joseph run Ejiro Evero’s scheme.
After the Miami debacle, the Broncos not only made widespread personnel changes, but they also began to implement more of Joseph’s actual scheme. Mathis didn’t see as much time after that, but he put his head down and grinded, and worked his way into playing more on special teams.
Despite the emergence of Riley Moss, Mathis has shown that he can play and have an impact in the NFL. He’ll get a lot of opportunities to get reps during training camp and the preseason. After embracing playing in the slot in the Broncos’ dime package last season, Mathis has shown a willingness to play inside or outside — combine that with his willingness to play special teams, and it only increases his shot at making the roster again.