In his first 2024 NFL mock draft, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager has the Denver Broncos selecting UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu with the 12th overall pick.
Schrager has quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy going off the board with the first four picks. With none of the top QBs available, the Broncos pick Latu.
“Viewed by many as the best pure pass rusher in the draft, Latu absolutely could end up in Denver if the board falls this way,” Schrager wrote on NFL.com. “The Broncos would, of course, love to move up and get a top-four quarterback, but I just don’t think they have the ammunition. They’d have to really love Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. to take either at No. 12 overall. (Like really, REALLY love.) So Latu’s the prediction here.”
While many would state that the Broncos should draft a QB, continuing to load up on defense isn’t a bad idea. Latu’s 13 sacks last season with UCLA proved that he can provide the need to get to the quarterback. The Broncos’ defense slipped last season: their rush defense finished 30th, and their total defense was 29th. Using a first-round pick to retool the defense can help it get back to the level it was at in 2022 if it works out.
Nix gets picked at No. 23, for what it’s worth, but Penix falls out of the first round in Schrager’s mock.
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