The Denver Broncos are “investigating” the possibility of trading up from No. 15 overall in the first round of the NFL, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer.
“The Bucs and Broncos, I’ve heard, could be going up for one of the top four linemen ([Mekhi] Becton, Jedrick Wills, Tristan Wirfs and Andrew Thomas), making Jacksonville’s slot, at No. 9, a potential hotspot, given the needs the Browns and Jets have at 10 and 11,” Breer wrote on Monday.
It’s hard to imagine Denver actually trading up for an offensive tackle. Garett Bolles isn’t a great left tackle but he has stayed healthy and still has a year remaining on his contract. The Broncos seem more likely to groom a mid-round left tackle prospect than to trade up for one of the top tackle candidates.
In an article looking back at John Elway’s drafts in Denver, KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis noted that trading up would “be rolling against his personal historical trend,” suggesting that the Broncos would be wise to stay put at No. 15, or perhaps trade down.
With three picks in the third round, Denver might trade back into the first round after picking at No. 15. But it’s hard to imagine the team trading up in the first round for an offensive tackle.
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