Category: Broncos Buzz

Broncos Wire podcast: Final predictions for 2023 NFL draft

On this week’s Broncos Wire podcast, Ryan O’Leary and Jon Heath review one final, last-minute seven-round mock draft for Denver.

The 2023 NFL draft has finally arrived!

On this week’s Broncos Wire podcast with host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary on Twitter), we discuss the possibility of a Trey Lance trade, reveal a final seven-round mock draft for Denver and more!

You can listen to episode No. 78 below:

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Our unedited notes for this week’s pod can be seen below. 

1. Should the Broncos try to trade for Trey Lance? 
2. Final mock draft for the Broncos 
  • Round 3, 67: CB Julius Brents, Kansas State (6-3, 198) 4.53-40, 4 INTs ‘22 (might not get out of 2nd round)
  • Round 3, 68: C Luke Wypler, Ohio State (6-3, 303) shorter Joe Tippmann (6-6)
  • Round 4, 108: DL Siaki Ika, Baylor (6-3, 335) could be DE or NT, beef up DL
  • Round 5, 139: RB Eric Gray, Oklahoma (5-9, 207) 1,595 scrim yards, 11 TDs
  • Round 6, 195: OT Warren McClendon, Georgia (6-4, 306) backup swing tackle

3. Late-round/UDFA quarterback on deck?

  • The Broncos brought in Oregon State QB/LB/FB Jack Colletto for a pre-draft visit. He’s been compared to Taysom Hill.
  • Denver also had a virtual visit with PSU QB Sean Clifford. Both Colletto and Clifford are late-round prospects at best, perhaps more likely undrafted free agent targets.
  • Other positions Denver met with either at the combine, at their facility, at pro days or college all-star games: 10 DBs, 6 RBs, 6 OL, 4 WR, 3 TE, 3 LBs, 3 pass rushers and 2 DL.
4. Miscellaneous: John Elway’s future, Jerry Jeudy’s number and more 
  • Elway is no longer an official consultant for the Broncos, but Sean Payton said Elway still has an office at the facility and he’s a resource for the team. Elway doesn’t have an official role, though, and he has a lot more free time now and would like to be a villain in a cowboy movie.
  • Jerry Jeudy wore No. 4 in high school and college. When he got to the NFL, skill players weren’t allowed to wear single-digit numbers. They are allowed to now, but the league requires players to pay the unsold inventory of their jerseys if they switch numbers. Jeudy on Twitter: “I want that #4 back so bad 😩 But I ain’t paying.”
  • NFL Sunday Ticket will cost non-YouTube TV customers $449 a year, or $489 a year if you want NFL RedZone. There is a $100 discount until June 6.
5. What’s next? 
  • After the draft, the Broncos will fill their 90-man offseason roster by signing undrafted free agents. If they draft exactly five players, Denver would have room for 13 UDFAs.
  • The next big thing will be the NFL schedule release — the schedule was announced on May 13 in 2021 and on May 12 in 2022. We can talk about intriguing matchups on a future episode.
Ryan and I will return next week to recap the draft and look ahead to the 2023 season. If you enjoy this podcast, you can check out previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or on your podcast service of choice. Please consider giving the podcast a positive rating and review!

You can listen to every past episode below or at this link.

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How much salary cap space do Broncos have going into the NFL draft?

The Broncos have about $7.7 million worth of salary cap space before the NFL draft, and their draft class won’t be a big cap hit this year.

As the 2023 NFL draft prepares to begin on Thursday evening, the Denver Broncos have 72 players under contract and $7,792,451 in available salary cap space, according to NFL Players Association records.

The Broncos are set to make five picks in the NFL draft (barring trades), which would leave them with room to sign 13 undrafted free agents following the draft’s conclusion this weekend.

Denver’s first pick in the draft is set to be No. 67 overall in the third round. That player will have a salary cap hit of $1,072,834 this season, according to Spotrac.com. The Broncos’ complete draft class (if picked at the team’s current selections) will cost $4,762,939 in cap space.

It’s not as simple as subtracting $4.7 million from the team’s current $7.7 million to calculate the remaining cap space, though. During the offseason, only the Top 51 cap hits on a roster count against a team’s salary cap. Right now, player No. 51 for Denver is Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who has a cap hit of $940,000.

The Broncos’ first-round pick will bump Humphrey out of the Top 51 for a net cap space loss of just $132,834. So instead of the draft class eating $4.7 million worth of cap space, after bumping out players currently in the Top 51, the draft class will likely cost less than $400,000 worth of cap space.

TLDL: Denver has about $7.7 million worth of cap space going into the NFL draft and after signing their draft class, the Broncos will still have around $7.3 million worth of cap space going into the summer.

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Phillip Lindsay’s agent reached out to Broncos about potential reunion

Phillip Lindsay’s agent has reached out to the Broncos about the possibility of the running back returning to Denver.

Former Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay, who is currently playing for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL, would like to return to the NFL with the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

“I would love to come back to Denver,’’ Lindsay said in a recent interview with The Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson. “That would be a great storybook ending to a big-time fairy tale. I would be ecstatic. It would be a dream come true again.”

Lindsay made NFL history when he became the first undrafted running back to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons from 2018-2019. His role was then reduced in 2020 and he left the team in 2021 seeking an opportunity for more playing time elsewhere.

Since then, Lindsay, 28, has had brief stints with the Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts. He’s now playing in the XFL in an effort to get back on the radar of NFL teams.

Lindsay’s agent, Mike McCartney, has reached out to the Broncos about a possible reunion, but Denver told him they want to see how the draft goes before considering free agent running backs.

Lindsay believes he could have a role with the Broncos even if they do draft a running back this week.

“I wouldn’t be there trying to be a starter,” Lindsay told Tomasson. “At this point of my career, being a role player would be just fine with me, going in there and doing my part on special teams and bringing a spark when I can. Just being a great person and a great vet.”

There’s no doubt that Lindsay has a perfect team-first mentality, but whether or not Denver believes his on-field contributions warrant a roster spot remains to be seen. The draft will conclude on Saturday night, then the Broncos will revisit possible free agent additions.

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Last-minute 7-round NFL mock draft for the Denver Broncos

With the 2023 NFL draft set to begin tonight, here is our final seven-round mock draft for the Broncos!

The 2023 NFL draft will begin with the first round on Thursday evening and while the Denver Broncos are not currently set to pick until the third round on Friday night, it’s only fair to release mock drafts before the picks begin.

So today, one day before the Broncos are set to make their first pick on Day 2, we are revealing our final seven-round mock draft for Denver.

It’s possible that the Broncos could trade back up into the second round if a prospect they like begins to fall, but trading back to acquire more picks might be a more likely scenario for Denver.

Related: April 13 mock draft and April 20 mock draft.

This final mock draft does not officially include any trades because they are impossible to predict, so we’re only making picks with the five selections the Broncos currently hold, starting with No. 67 overall in the third round.

Let’s get to it!

Broncos have an offer on the table for safety Kareem Jackson

The Broncos made safety Kareem Jackson a contract offer last week. He’s still considering his options.

The Denver Broncos offered a contract to free agent safety Kareem Jackson last week, the veteran defensive back told KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis on Wednesday.

Jackson did not reveal specifics of the deal, but it is presumably a one-year contract near the league minimum. Last season, the Broncos gave Jackson a one-year contract worth $2 million.

For a player with 13 years of experience, the minimum salary in 2023 is $1.165 million. It’s probably safe to assume Denver’s offer falls somewhere between $1.165 million and $2 million.

Klis reported Wednesday that the offer hasn’t enticed Jackson enough to accept it, “at least not yet.” Jackson, 35, wants to have a deal soon, though, so it’s possible the safety might make up his mind after the NFL draft this week.

Jackson, a team captain, has started 61 games for the Broncos over the last four seasons, playing across from Justin Simmons. If he returns in 2023, Jackson might transition to a rotational role if Caden Sterns emerges as a starter this summer.

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Why don’t the Broncos have a 1st-round pick in the NFL draft?

After trading for Russell Wilson in 2022 and Sean Payton in 2023, the Broncos do not have a first-round pick to use in the 2023 NFL draft.

The 2023 NFL draft will begin on Thursday evening, but the Denver Broncos will be excluded from the first-round festivities (barring a trade).

The Broncos will not make a pick on Day 1 of the draft because they do not hold first- or second-round picks in this year’s draft. Denver traded both of their top two picks to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the trade for quarterback Russell Wilson in 2022.

In addition to trading their 2023 first- and second-round picks to Seattle, the Broncos also traded their top two picks in 2022 plus a fifth-round pick and quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris. In exchange for those picks and players, Seattle sent Wilson and a fourth-round pick to Denver.

The Broncos later re-gained a first-round pick from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for pass rusher Bradley Chubb last fall, but Denver traded that pick to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for the rights to coach Sean Payton earlier this year.

So after acquiring Wilson in 2022 and Payton in 2023, the Broncos will not have a first-round pick in this year’s NFL draft. Denver will have five total picks, with their first selections set to be made in the third round.

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Complete order of picks for 2023 NFL draft

This is the complete order of picks for all seven rounds of the 2023 NFL draft.

The 2023 NFL draft will begin on Thursday evening in Kansas City, Missouri. The draft will be televised on NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes, and available to stream on fuboTV (try it free).

After completing a trade with the Chicago Bears, the Carolina Panthers now own the first overall pick in the draft. The complete order of the draft can be seen below, courtesy of the league’s official website.

Round 1

1) Carolina Panthers (from Chicago)
2) Houston Texans
3) Arizona Cardinals
4) Indianapolis Colts
5) Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)
6) Detroit Lions (from L.A. Rams)
7) Las Vegas Raiders
8) Atlanta Falcons
9) Chicago Bears (from Carolina)
10) Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans)
11) Tennessee Titans
12) Houston Texans (from Cleveland)
13) Green Bay Packers (from N.Y. Jets)
14) New England Patriots
15) New York Jets (from Green Bay)
16) Washington Commanders
17) Pittsburgh Steelers
18) Detroit Lions
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20) Seattle Seahawks
21) Los Angeles Chargers
22) Baltimore Ravens
23) Minnesota Vikings
24) Jacksonville Jaguars
25) New York Giants
26) Dallas Cowboys
27) Buffalo Bills
28) Cincinnati Bengals
29) New Orleans Saints (from San Francisco through Miami and Denver)
30) Philadelphia Eagles
31) Kansas City Chiefs

Round 2

32) Pittsburgh Steelers (from Chicago)
33) Houston Texans
34) Arizona Cardinals
35) Indianapolis Colts
36) Los Angeles Rams
37) Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)
38) Las Vegas Raiders
39) Carolina Panthers
40) New Orleans Saints
41) Tennessee Titans
42) Green Bay Packers (from Cleveland through N.Y. Jets)
43) New York Jets
44) Atlanta Falcons
45) Green Bay Packers
46) New England Patriots
47) Washington Commanders
48) Detroit Lions
49) Pittsburgh Steelers
50) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
51) Miami Dolphins
52) Seattle Seahawks
53) Chicago Bears (from Baltimore)
54) Los Angeles Chargers
55) Detroit Lions (from Minnesota)
56) Jacksonville Jaguars
57) New York Giants
58) Dallas Cowboys
59) Buffalo Bills
60) Cincinnati Bengals
61) Chicago Bears (from San Francisco through Carolina)
62) Philadelphia Eagles
63) Kansas City Chiefs

Round 3

64) Chicago Bears
65) Houston Texans
66) Arizona Cardinals
67) Denver Broncos (from Indianapolis)
68) Denver Broncos
69) Los Angeles Rams
70) Las Vegas Raiders
71) New Orleans Saints
72) Tennessee Titans
73) Houston Texans (from Cleveland)
74) Cleveland Browns (from N.Y. Jets)
75) Atlanta Falcons
76) New England Patriots (from Carolina)
77) Los Angeles Rams (from New England through Miami)
78) Green Bay Packers
79) Indianapolis Colts (from Washington)
80) Pittsburgh Steelers
81) Detroit Lions
82) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
83) Seattle Seahawks
84) Miami Dolphins
85) Los Angeles Chargers
86) Baltimore Ravens
87) Minnesota Vikings
88) Jacksonville Jaguars
89) New York Giants
90) Dallas Cowboys
91) Buffalo Bills
92) Cincinnati Bengals
93) Carolina Panthers (from San Francisco)
94) Philadelphia Eagles
95) Kansas City Chiefs
96) Arizona Cardinals (Compensatory Selection)
97) Washington Commanders (Compensatory Selection)
98) Cleveland Browns (Special Compensatory Selection)
99) San Francisco 49ers (Special Compensatory Selection)
100) Las Vegas Raiders from Kansas City Chiefs through New York Giants (Special Compensatory Selection)
101) San Francisco 49ers (Special Compensatory Selection)
102) San Francisco 49ers (Special Compensatory Selection)

Round 4

103) Chicago Bears
104) Houston Texans
105) Arizona Cardinals
106) Indianapolis Colts
107) New England Patriots (from L.A. Rams)
108) Denver Broncos
109) Las Vegas Raiders
110) Atlanta Falcons (from Tennessee)
111) Cleveland Browns
112) New York Jets
113) Atlanta Falcons
114) Carolina Panthers
115) New Orleans Saints
116) Green Bay Packers
117) New England Patriots
118) Washington Commanders
119) Minnesota Vikings (from Detroit)
120) Pittsburgh Steelers
121) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Tampa Bay)
122) Kansas City Chiefs (from Miami)
123) Seattle Seahawks
124) Baltimore Ravens
125) Los Angeles Chargers
126) Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota)
127) Jacksonville Jaguars
128) New York Giants
129) Dallas Cowboys
130) Buffalo Bills
131) Cincinnati Bengals
132) Carolina Panthers (from San Francisco)
133) Chicago Bears (from Philadelphia)
134) Kansas City Chiefs
135) New England Patriots (Compensatory Selection)

Round 5

136) Chicago Bears
137) Buffalo Bills (from Arizona)
138) Indianapolis Colts
139) Denver Broncos
140) Cleveland Browns (from L.A. Rams)
141) Las Vegas Raiders
142) Cleveland Browns
143) New York Jets
144) Las Vegas Raiders (from Atlanta)
145) Carolina Panthers
146) New Orleans Saints
147) Tennessee Titans
148) Chicago Bears (from New England through Baltimore)
149) Green Bay Packers
150) Washington Commanders
151) Seattle Seahawks (from Pittsburgh)
152) Detroit Lions
153) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
154) Seattle Seahawks
155) San Francisco 49ers (from Miami)
156) Los Angeles Chargers
157) Baltimore Ravens
158) Minnesota Vikings
159) Detroit Lions (from Jacksonville through Atlanta)
160) New York Giants
161) Houston Texans (from Dallas)
162) Indianapolis Colts (from Buffalo)
163) Cincinnati Bengals
164) San Francisco 49ers
165) New Orleans Saints (from Philadelphia)
166) Kansas City Chiefs
167) Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection)
168) Arizona Cardinals (Compensatory Selection)
169) Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Selection)
170) New York Jets* (from Green Bay — Compensatory Selection)
171) Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection)
172) New York Giants (Compensatory Selection)
173) San Francisco 49ers (Compensatory Selection)
174) Las Vegas Raiders (Compensatory Selection)
175) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Compensatory Selection)
176) Indianapolis Colts from Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Selection)
177) Los Angeles Rams (Compensatory Selection)

Round 6

178) Kansas City Chiefs (from Chicago through Miami)
179) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Houston)
180) Arizona Cardinals
181) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Indianapolis)
182) Los Angeles Rams
183) Detroit Lions (from Denver)
184) New England Patriots (from Las Vegas)
185) Jacksonville Jaguars (from N.Y. Jets)
186) Tennessee Titans (from Atlanta)
187) New England Patriots (from Carolina)
188) Houston Texans (from New Orleans)
189) Los Angeles Rams (from Tennessee)
190) Cleveland Browns
191) Los Angeles Rams (from Green Bay)
192) New England Patriots
193) Washington Commanders
194) Detroit Lions
195) Denver Broncos (from Pittsburgh)
196) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
197) Miami Dolphins
198) Seattle Seahawks
199) Baltimore Ravens
200) Los Angeles Chargers
201) Houston Texans (from Minnesota)
202) Jacksonville Jaguars
203) Houston Texans (from N.Y. Giants)
204) Las Vegas Raiders (from Dallas)
205) Buffalo Bills
206) Cincinnati Bengals
207) Green Bay Packers (from San Francisco through Houston, N.Y. Jets)
208) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Philadelphia)
209) New York Giants (from Kansas City)
210) New England Patriots (Compensatory Selection)
211) Minnesota Vikings (Compensatory Selection)
212) Dallas Cowboys (Compensatory Selection)
213) Arizona Cardinals (Compensatory Selection)
214) Las Vegas Raiders (Compensatory Selection)
215) Washington Commanders (Compensatory Selection)
216) San Francisco 49ers (Compensatory Selection)
217) Kansas City Chiefs (Compensatory Selection)

Round 7

218) Chicago Bears
219) Philadelphia Eagles (from Houston through Minnesota)
220) Las Vegas Raiders (from Arizona)
221) Indianapolis Colts
222) San Francisco 49ers (from Denver)
223) Los Angeles Rams
224) Atlanta Falcons (from Las Vegas)
225) Atlanta Falcons
226) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Carolina)
227) New Orleans Saints
228) Tennessee Titans
229) Cleveland Browns
230) Houston Texans (from N.Y. Jets through Tampa Bay)
231) Las Vegas Raiders (from New England)
232) Green Bay Packers
233) Washington Commanders
234) Los Angeles Rams (from Pittsburgh)
235) Green Bay Packers (from Detroit through L.A. Rams)
236) Indianapolis Colts (from Tampa Bay)
237) Seattle Seahawks
238) Miami Dolphins
239) Los Angeles Chargers
240) New York Giants (from Baltimore)
241) Pittsburgh Steelers (from Minnesota through Denver)
242) Green Bay Packers (from Jacksonville)
243) New York Giants
244) Dallas Cowboys
245) New England Patriots (from Buffalo through Atlanta)
246) Cincinnati Bengals
247) San Francisco 49ers
248) Philadelphia Eagles
249) Kansas City Chiefs
250) Kansas City Chiefs (Compensatory Selection)
251) Pittsburgh Steelers (from L.A. Rams — Compensatory Selection)
252) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Compensatory Selection)
253) San Francisco 49ers (Compensatory Selection)
254) New York Giants (Compensatory Selection)
255) San Francisco 49ers (Compensatory Selection)
256) Green Bay Packers (Compensatory Selection)
257) New Orleans Saints (Compensatory Selection)
258) Chicago Bears (Compensatory Selection)
259) Houston Texans (Compensatory Selection)

The Denver Broncos are set to make five picks in the draft this year.

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Denver Broncos: Order of picks for 2023 NFL draft

The Broncos are scheduled to make back-to-back picks in the third round of the NFL draft.

After trading for quarterback Russell Wilson and head coach Sean Payton in consecutive offseasons, the Denver Broncos are now set to go into the 2023 NFL draft without picks in the first or second rounds.

The Broncos will have back-to-back picks early in the third round, though. Denver’s own selection will be No. 68 overall. That will be the fifth pick in the third round — the Broncos landed that spot in the draft after going 5-12 last season.

Denver also holds the pick immediately before that, No. 67 overall, that it acquired in a draft-day trade with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. It wouldn’t be surprising to see general manager George Paton make a few trades to acquire more picks this year as well.

With the draft set to begin tonight, here’s a reminder of the Broncos’ order of picks:

Round 3: No. 67 overall via Colts (2022 draft trade)
Round 3: No. 68 overall (own selection)
Round 4: No. 108 overall (own selection)
Round 5: No. 139 overall (own selection)
Round 6: No. 195 overall via Steelers (Malik Reed trade)

Denver’s first- and second-round picks now belong to the Seattle Seahawks after the Wilson trade. The team’s original sixth-round pick was traded to the Detroit Lions as part of the Trinity Benson trade in 2021.

The Broncos’ seventh-round pick was traded to the San Franciso 49ers as part of the Jonas Griffith trade, which also happened in 2021.

The 2023 NFL draft will be held in Kansas City from April 27-29.

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Broncos’ team needs in 2023 NFL draft

Do you agree with these positions of need for the Broncos going into the NFL draft?

Denver Broncos general manager George Paton only has five picks to use in the 2023 NFL draft this week, so he will need to get the most out of the club’s mid-round picks.

Denver did a good job patching up holes during free agency, so the Broncos do not have many big draft needs going into the draft. Denver does have a few positions of need that could be addressed, though.

Here’s a quick look at our list of the top five draft needs for the Broncos.

  • Cornerback: CB2-caliber defensive back to pair with Pat Surtain, bumping Damarri Mathis to CB3 duties.
  • Defensive end: Starting-caliber player to help replace DeShawn Williams on the defensive line.
  • Center: Real competition for Lloyd Cushenberry.
  • Running back: RB3 with upside to pair with Samaje Perine early in the season while Javonte Williams recovers from knee injury.
  • Offensive line depth: Backup swing tackle and guard depth.

There are, of course, many other positions Denver could target, ranging from pass rusher to tight end. The Broncos have said they plan to draft “the best player available” at each pick, so the team won’t be reaching to fill needs during the draft.

If the team can walk away from the draft with several of these positions solidified, though, the roster will look much better going into training camp.

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2023 NFL draft order and trade value chart

Here’s a look at the complete order of the 2023 NFL draft with trade values for each pick.

The 2023 NFL draft will begin tonight and while the Denver Broncos aren’t scheduled to make their first pick until Day 2, it will be a busy weekend for general manager George Paton.

Paton loves draft-day trades and Broncos fans can probably expect Denver to make several moves over the weekend.

Courtesy of the NFL Wire’s Coley Cleary, we have a graphic of the complete order of the 2023 NFL draft that includes trade values for each pick.

The values assigned to each pick are from Rich Hill‘s trade value model. Using this chart, fans can have some fun creating hypothetical trade scenarios for the Broncos during the draft.

(Coley Cleary, NFL Wire Network)

(To view a larger version of the image, click here.)

Denver currently has five picks in the 2023 NFL draft, including back-to-back selections (Nos. 67-68 overall) in the third round. The picks have a combined value of 148 points on the trade value chart.

If, for example, the Broncos want to trade back into the second round of the draft, pick No. 62 has a trade value of 84 points. Denver could trade its later third-round pick (73 points) plus a fifth-round pick (16 points) in exchange for the second-round pick (84 points) and perhaps another late-round pick.

The first round of the draft will begin on Thursday evening.

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