With the 2024 NFL Draft, the Broncos filled a number of significant voids in their roster. But did they choose some dubious candidates?
Under new head coach Sean Payton, the Denver Broncos have been hard at work reassembling their roster. The botched Russell Wilson trade two years ago has left a lot of work to be done.
In terms of draft picks, Denver has now paid off its debt to the Seattle Seahawks; but, the Broncos are now in a difficult predicament due to the salary cap consequences of removing Wilson this offseason. This season, the Broncos are carrying a $53 million dead cap hit, and there will be more in the future. That ought to slow down Denver’s process of retooling.
The Broncos have added talent on both sides of the ball this offseason with some wise additions, despite their limitations.
Through free agency, the team acquired a number of rotational and depth players. Josh Reynolds, Cody Barton, Josh Wallace, and Malcolm Roach were all wise additions on inexpensive contracts.
Moreover, the Broncos selected some quality players in the 2024 NFL Draft. They did, however, make a few errors.
Check out our list of the Denver Broncos’ top three draft errors.
Bo Nix was chosen by the Broncos with the 12th overall pick. He set an NFL record as the sixth quarterback selected in the first 12 picks.
The main critique of this draft pick revolves around the decision-making process given Denver’s situation. Did they genuinely view Bo Nix as their top choice all along? Or did they select the sixth-best quarterback at 12th overall simply because of a pressing need?
It’s difficult to say for certain.
The Las Vegas Raiders were the only other team likely considering a quarterback in this stage of the NFL Draft. With this in mind, Denver might have been wise to trade down from the 12th pick to gather more draft assets and still select Bo Nix later in the draft.
Of course, a trade requires a willing partner, so it’s possible no suitable deal could be arranged.
Ultimately, if Bo Nix becomes Denver’s franchise quarterback, the specifics of where he was drafted will become irrelevant. However, at this moment, it’s reasonable to question the process behind the pick.
Overinvestment in wide receiver depth
Without a doubt, a team’s wide receiver depth is crucial. The Broncos might have overpaid for the position in the draft, though.
The wide receivers on the Broncos’ depth chart heading into the 2024 NFL Draft were as follows:
Courtland Sutton
Josh Reynolds
Marvin Mims Jr.
Tim Patrick
Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Brandon Johnson
Jalen Virgil
Phillip Dorsett
Michael Bandy
David Sills V
To be clear, the Troy Franklin selection was a good pick. Franklin slots in immediately as Denver’s fourth or fifth wide receiver and could quickly climb the depth chart. However, it might have been more strategic to use the seventh-round pick to address a different position of need rather than adding receiver Devaughn Vele.
It would have been beneficial to see more investment in the offensive line. Speaking of…
Underinvestment in the offensive line
The Denver Broncos have a solid offensive line when looking at their starters. In fact, Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked Denver within the top five offensive lines in the NFL for both run blocking and pass protection.
But it starts to look fairly difficult when you go past those five players.
Denver acquired an offensive lineman for just one draft selection. The team selected South Carolina guard Nick Gargiulo with their 256th overall draft choice. Right now, he fills in as a third-string guard.
In a perfect world, Denver would have selected an offensive lineman with their first or second round pick. especially in light of the strength of this year’s offensive linemen class across the board.
In order to make up for that, expect the Broncos to add some seasoned offensive linemen closer to training camp.