The first half of the Denver Broncos season has come and gone, with the team enjoying their bye week this week. Our MHS staff reflected on several keynote topics as we all looked back on the first 13 weeks of the season.
Denver Broncos Roundtable: Grading the 2023 Draft class
The 2023 NFL Draft class for the Denver Broncos is entering their second season with the team. Who has emerged or stood out, and who hasn’t?
Cody Roark’s take:
Marvin Mims has come along strongly as of late, with Sean Payton and his staff finding the perfect mix of using him as a true weapon. Last year and a good part of the first half of this season, the utilization of Mims has been frustrating, but if finally seems like they’ve found a way to weaponize him. Whether that’s lining up in the backfield as a potential rusher or as a receiver in the slot, he’s had a drastically big impact inside of the offense the last handful of weeks, and that makes it hard to hand out a grade because of how he’s been used through the first year and a half. He’s trending towards a B+.
Drew Sanders hasn’t played a down yet in 2024 after tearing his Achilles in April, so his grade right now is inconclusive. Riley Moss has emerged nicely, earning an A grade. He can play man-to-man coverage in press and off-ball, his technique is perfect, and he’s not afraid to come up and tackle. From the 2023 class, Moss has been the biggest surprise this season, too, and it’s been fun to watch.
JL Skinner and Alex Forsyth have been very solid backend additions to that class. Skinner is emerging to be one of the team’s best special teams players, and Forsyth looked good at center in the smaller sample size he had filling in for Luke Wattenberg. Their grades are inconclusive right now.
Doug Ottewill’s take:
How did last year’s rookie class jump from a D- last year to a B+ this year? How about three parts Riley Moss and one part Marvin Mims – that’s how. Turns out that Paton and Payton were dead on with their assessment of Moss, who apparently just needed a season to get healthy. Nothing told us more about Moss’ value than when he wasn’t in the lineup following a knee injury; the defense didn’t even look the same. And Mims, while obviously talented even last season, has been utilized more – and better – than he was a season ago. The jump from these two guys alone moves the class up at least a couple of grades.
Rich Kurtzman’s take:
It’s still too early to fully evaluate 2023’s class, but I’d give it a D. Moss seems to be the one starter out of a tiny class. Mims looks like the one guy who could also become a bigger impact player, but he’s mostly disappointed to this point, too.
Shawn Drotar’s take:
Incomplete. Speedy wideout Marvin Mims, Jr. was an All-Pro as a rookie returner, but is only now starting to carve out a role in the Broncos’ offense. Rangy linebacker Drew Sanders has battled injuries that have limited the third-rounder’s development; what role he plays for the Broncos going forward is still uncertain. Sixth-round safety J.L. Skinner appears to be an adequate backup, as is seventh-round center Alex Forsyth (field goals notwithstanding). Fortunately for the Broncos, third-round cornerback Riley Moss looks like a star… if he can stay on the field. Injuries have limited him in both of his first two NFL seasons.