After the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft concluded on Thursday evening, the Denver Broncos will make their first selections of the event on Friday evening. How has the board fallen so far and is Denver in a good position when they are on the clock?
Denver Broncos in a good position for Friday’s selections
Despite not having a first or second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos appear to be in a great position ahead of Friday’s continuation of the jam-packed event.
The first round saw various NFL teams trade up, trade back, and make questionable draft day decisions. Thankfully, the Broncos are still projected to be in a great spot when they are on the clock.
As it currently stands, the Broncos will be set to draft with the 67th and 68th overall picks in the third round.
Will they stay put in this position or could they even look to trade up into the second round?
As the NFL Draft has shown, anything is possible — but this author strongly feels that Denver should stay exactly where they are at and let the board fall to them.
So much of their strategy on Friday will involve seeing how the board falls during the second round, but if they wanted to move up or move back, Denver’s brass believes they can.
“It’s easy to obtain draft capital, generally speaking,” Payton said during his Pre-Draft press conference. “If you want to move back, you can—or forward, you can. If you choose to move forward, it’s because there is someone you really like. If you chose to move back, there is a feeling that maybe the player we would select at the current slot, we can select a few picks later. If the value is right relative to a trade, you can always acquire picks. All teams have charts. I think the first question generally was, ‘What charts are we working off of so we’re talking the same language?’ If we’re moving back, here is our expectation. [Going] forward, [it’s] the other way around. Moving in and around the draft is—I don’t want to say easy, but it’s very feasible. It’s a matter of whether you want to or not and what’s the reasoning for it.”
Whether you take a look at tight end, cornerback, or offensive line — there are several intriguing players remaining that Denver could look at if they were available when they select.
Tight ends available ahead of the second round feature Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave, Georgia’s Darnell Washington, and Iowa’s Sam LaPorta.
Cornerbacks available feature Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State, Miami’s Tyrique Stevenson, Kansas State’s Julius Brents, Michigan’s DJ Turner, and Georgia’s Kelee Ringo.
On the offensive line, Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann, Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz, Syracuse tackle Matthew Bergeron, and North Dakota State offensive tackle Cody Mauch headline some of the key players available.
Regardless of how the board falls in the second round, the Denver Broncos will be in a pretty good position to add two players of value if they do in fact stay put in the third round.