There is a lot of time between now and the NFL Draft, but various draft experts are already putting together their scouting reports and early mock drafts that shed light on where the Denver Broncos could go with the 12th overall pick.
Denver Broncos take a cornerback in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest mock draft
NFL Network media analyst and draft expert Daniel Jeremiah usually has a good pulse on player evaluation and is one of the biggest names people pay attention to during the NFL Draft cycle.
In Jeremiah’s 1.0 mock draft, he has the Broncos selecting a cornerback with their 12th overall pick. He has Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback Terrion Arnold as Denver’s selection.
The redshirt sophomore stands at 6’0 tall and 180 lbs and is coming off of a strong season at Alabama. He finished 2023 with 63 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, five interceptions, 12 passes defensed, and one forced fumble.
He appeared in 14 games for the Crimson Tide.
“I think Arnold could go as high as fifth overall,” Jeremiah said in his mock draft. “He’s the best cornerback in this draft and he would pair with Pat Surtain II to give the Broncos one of the best CB tandems in the league, if not the best.”
He has the ability to play inside the nickel or on the outside. Arnold would be an appealing pick for the Broncos, but there are some more pressing needs facing the organization that might need to be addressed before cornerback.
While the Broncos need another cornerback on the outside who can make plays on the football and generate takeaways, quarterback is going to be the team’s biggest need, especially with this year’s upcoming class.
Oregon’s Bo Nix, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, and Washington’s Michael Penix are all names that have been thrown out there as names to keep an eye on for the Broncos.
So much is contingent on whatever head coach Sean Payton’s plan is for a quarterback. With the team expected to part ways with Russell Wilson in March, the QB position becomes the top priority.
However, if Payton has another plan at QB that doesn’t involve a young prospect in this year’s draft, I wouldn’t be opposed to Denver adding Arnold. Broncos Country, on the other hand, have expressed displeasure of this selection in Jeremiah’s mock draft.
Picking a CB in the first round would be horrible
— JaRunIt🏃 (@BroncosRuntry) January 19, 2024
Oh hell no. If fashanu and bowers are still there. HELL NO
— jahusya (@civtech96734) January 19, 2024
Some fans wouldn’t mind the move if Denver somehow addresses the QB position before the draft, or Russell Wilson somehow returns.
Wouldnt be a bad thing. Team has so many holes to fill they just need to draft well. They have to hit on some later round picks to replenish the talent void all along the roster
— Paul Spiteri (@PSpiteriTLP) January 19, 2024
A lot will happen between now and the buildup for the NFL Draft, and there will be tons of mock drafts pumped out leading up to the big event. With the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine coming up in the near future, these events will help potential prospects’ stocks elevate, or we could see some players’ stocks fall.
A pairing of Arnold and Surtain wouldn’t be a bad move, in my opinion, but I’m a defensive back guy and might be a little biased in that department.