After a long offseason, the NFL Draft is finally here, Broncos fans!

And, following a fifth straight losing season, Denver is sitting in a precarious position at No. 9 overall. It’s a problematic position because, if they wanted to land a long-term quarterback like Justin Fields, they’ll likely miss out unless George Paton and the team wants to move up.

After trading for Teddy Bridgewater yesterday — who will at least compete for the starting QB spot, if not win it — the Broncos could still be looking for a quarterback tonight around 7 p.m. MT when No. 4 is on the clock, or at 8 p.m. MT when their No. 9 is on the clock.

But, the scuttlebutt around town is that Denver is much less likely to move up than they are to move back and acquire more draft capital tonight.

And according to a report, that’s exactly what the Broncos will do.

Eric Goodman of our Mile High Sports Radio says, per his two sources, the Broncos will look to trade back tonight or take an offensive lineman at No. 9 overall.

Honestly, if Denver can’t trade back and they do take Slater — an NFL-ready offensive tackle who will have to sit a year — Broncos Country may be quite disappointed. Especially when considering that Ja’Wuan James will start at right tackle this year and Denver’s offensive line has quickly become the best in the AFC West.

However, James isn’t necessarily going to be on the roster in 2022, so getting a quality, long-term starter at a key position would go a long way toward keeping Denver relevant for years to come.

Of course, quarterback is the position most Broncos fans want to see the team take tonight. But, it’s possible all four of the top quarterbacks will be gone in the top-5 picks.

Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are the surefire Nos. 1 and 2 picks, with the San Francisco 49ers moving up from No. 12 to No. 3 to take a QB, too. That could be Trey Lance, Justin Fields or Mac Jones, with the latest intel pointing to Lance being their man.

So, what if Fields is taken before No. 9 and the Broncos decide to trade back?

Well, it’s possible they could trade back and still take a QB like Jones — who at, say, No. 23 wouldn’t be a reach — or even Kyle Trask out of Florida in the third round tomorrow. Paton said at his press conference last week there could even be six quarterbacks taken in the first round this year, so maybe he has his eyes on someone like Trask or Kellen Mond?

We just don’t know because Paton himself said he hasn’t told anyone yet who the Broncos are planning on selecting today.

If the Broncos don’t go QB, and they don’t take Slater, there is say, Penei Sewell but he will likely be gone by 9. Micah Parsons would be a phenomenal pick at 9 considering Denver’s lone weakness on defense is their linebackers. That and the fact that Vic Fangio is a linebacker guru who could do something special with a standout at the position.

If Denver trades back, the options open up to cornerback (Patrick Surtain II?), possibly safety (Richie Grant or Trevon Moehrig?) or there are plenty of other options on the line and at linebacker as well as the edge (Azeez Ojulari?).

To this point in the offseason, George Paton has done a phenomenal job not only constructing a top-5 defense, but his trade for Teddy Bridgewater was tremendous because he could help take the offense from awful to competent.

But this initial draft, and his first-round pick, are incredibly important, too. The exciting part is no one knows for sure what to expect since it’s Paton’s first draft.

So, when it all kicks off at 6 p.m. MT tonight, enjoy it, Broncos Country!