The NFL Draft is just one week away, making now the perfect time to finally unveil our consensus NFL Draft Big Board for the Denver Broncos.
So, what is this and what’s the methodology behind it?
This is your draft cheat-sheet that will help you know all of the best first-round options for the Denver Broncos, even the ones that might not make it to their pick or would require a trade-up. This is not a prediction of what will happen, but rather analysis of who the Broncos should want.
It was developed by gathering a top-21 Denver Broncos big board from eight of LTB’s 10 members, and averaging out the results.
A week from now, we’ll release our final updated big board, complete with even more players and takes! But until then, this top-24 will have to suffice.
Tier I: Elite Prospects
Barring an unlikely and extremely aggressive trade-up, none of these prospects will be available to the Denver Broncos.
The top of this class is especially loaded. Quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle have somewhere between one and three prospects that would be the unquestioned No. 1 prospect among their respective position groups most any other year.
1. Caleb Williams, QB, Southern California (No. 1 QB)
Average Ranking: 1.125
Highest ranking: 1 (7 votes)
Lowest ranking: 2 (1 vote)
Caleb Williams is one of the most special quarterback prospects we’ve seen this century. In an era defined by quarterbacks with the athletic ability to create magical plays and the mental ability to foster down-to-down sustainability, Williams is an idyllic prospect, as he’s a master of both worlds.
He’s also the one player the Denver Broncos have a 0.000% chance of selecting.
Some might take issue with just how frequently he lived off the script, but that play style was necessitated by the talent and coaching around him, rather than a lack of ability on his part.
2. Drake Maye, QB, Northern Carolina (No. 2 QB)
Average Ranking: 1.875
Highest ranking: 1 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: 2 (7 votes)
Williams might be an impossibility, but Drake Maye isn’t a bad consolation prize.
Maye is one of the best quarterback prospects of the last half-decade in his own right, with prototypical size, arm strength, accuracy and pedigree, plus maybe the second-best legs in his class.
You will regularly find examples of Maye turning water into wine on tape, and while his play is too cavalier at times, he makes magic far more often than he makes mistakes.
Given the state of the roster and their limited capital, trading up could prove to be a poison pill for the rebuild. Maye is the one player in this class (outside Williams, who, again, is off the board entirely) worth that gamble.
3. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State (No. 1 WR)
Average Ranking: 3.5
Highest ranking: 3 (5 votes)
Lowest ranking: 5 (1 vote)
Broncos Country can at least fantasize about trading up for Drake Maye. That’s not the case with Marvin Harrison Jr., despite how amazing he is.
It’s just so hard to imagine a reality in which the Denver Broncos trade up into the top five for a wide receiver.
That said, Harrison Jr. is one of the best wide receiver prospects we’ve ever seen.
He can run every route in the book, and run it well. He knows how to tempo his routes, and has incredible stop-and-start ability to capitalize on that understanding. His release package is varied and downright lethal. From the nuance in his game, much like Patrick Surtain II, it’s very clear that he’s the child of an all-time great.
That’s not even to mention the exceptionally rare physical traits that Harrison Jr. possesses.
4. Malik Nabers, WR, Louisiana State (No. 2 WR)
Average Ranking: 5.0
Highest ranking: 4 (4 votes)
Lowest ranking: 7 (2 votes)
Any other year, Harrison Jr. wouldn’t see a challenger for the title of WR1. Malik Nabers is the rare talent who could give him a run for his money.
Where Harrison Jr. is an athletic marvel who majors in refinement and separation, Nabers is an outstanding alien-like talent who majors in explosiveness.
Nabers boasts track-star speed and high-end ball skills, making him a terror downfield, and his ability to create back-breaking plays after the catch is unrivaled in this class (and markedly better than Harrison Jr.).
5. Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame (No. 1 OT)
Average Ranking: 5.25
Highest ranking: 3 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: 8 (1 vote)
Joe Alt is the tackle prospect of your dreams.
He’s a dancing bear, with shockingly nimble feet for his 6-foot-8, 321-pound frame. He’s fairly new to the tackle position, as he played defensive end and tight end before outgrowing those, explaining his special movement skills for the position.
Much like how a late one-foot growth spurt helped Nikola Jokic be a towering center with guard skills, Alt’s late growth spurt has made him a mammoth tackle with exceptional movement and leverage for a player of his size.
Unlike some of his peers in this class though, Alt isn’t just a fresh slab of clay. His footwork and hand placement have taken massive strides during his time in South Bend, and his eyes are remarkably disciplined.
The athletic potential, development trajectory, and the fact he’s one of the youngest players at his position all make the prospect of Alt very exciting. He’s a high-floor and high-ceiling prospect at the hardest-to-find position that isn’t quarterback.
6. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington (No. 3 WR)
Average Ranking: 6.5
Highest ranking: 4 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: 10 (1 vote)
Rome Odunze’s placement at No. 6 on this list is a testament to the other talent in this class, as Odunze has the build, athletic traits and film of the prototypical wide receiver prospect.
He’s a crafty route-runner who thrives at creating massive plays downfield. He’s a savant at the catch point, and is a master of winning his reps before the catch point too. It’s hard to imagine him not finding a path to success at the next level.
If the Los Angeles Chargers land any of these top three receivers at the top of the draft, headaches are in store for Broncos Country.
Tier II: Excellent Values at Pick No. 12
This tier is where we start to see some players that could feasibly wind up wearing orange and blue in a week.
Some might require trades up the draft board, but many could also realistically fall to the 12th pick in the draft.
Defining this group are incredibly tantalizing prospects that each boast one or two serious warts.
7. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia (No. 1 TE)
Average Ranking: 8.375
Highest ranking: 6 (2 votes)
Lowest ranking: 10 (3 votes)
Brock Bowers is one of the best tight end prospects the NFL has ever seen.
You hate the idea of highly rated tight end prospects? Fine, call him WR4, and call it a day.
In reality, with the Denver Broncos, the majority of Bowers’ snaps would come from the slot, where he would fill a role closer to that of Lil’Jordan Humphrey — a mismatch weapon from the slot who can outmuscle diminutive slot defenders in both the run game and the pass game — albeit a dramatically better version.
Bowers is a problem through the route, with his tremendous route-running ability and a clear understanding of leverage and where the soft spots of the defense’s zone coverage is. He’s a monster at the catch point, with hands like a vice grip and natural ball skills. Plus, he’s a playmaker after the catch, with prototypical strength for the position paired with rare speed, acceleration and nimbleness.
8. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan (No. 3 QB)
Average Ranking: 8.625
Highest ranking: 3 (2 votes)
Lowest ranking: NR (1 vote)
Some will surely prickle at the low ranking of quarterbacks No. 3 and No. 4 on this big board, but this shouldn’t be a surprise.
Very few people legitimately view all four of this draft’s top-four quarterbacks as elite prospects. The demand at the position is just going to push a few of them up the board, past their slotted value, and with that in mind, the Denver Broncos should be careful about trading multiple top-12 selections for one of these over-drafted prospects.
Nonetheless, J.J. McCarthy is a very tantalizing option for a quarterback-needy team like the Broncos, especially considering the quarterback whisperer under the employ.
McCarthy is a blank canvas. There’s nothing especially magnificent about it, but there’s nothing really wrong with it either.
There are very few bad habits on his tape, his mechanics are pretty natural, and he delivered at a high level whenever he was asked to, all while playing in a ‘pro-style’ offense. He might not have the gaudy physical gifts we’ve come to expect from our top-10 quarterback selections, but he’s a very good athlete, with better-than-average mobility and an arm that can make any throw on the field when given a proper platform.
9. Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington (No. 2 OT)
Average Ranking: 11.0
Highest ranking: 8 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: 16 (1 vote)
The Denver Broncos don’t need a tackle or a guard right this moment, but they will very soon.
Garett Bolles is in the final year of his deal and — considering his unwillingness to restructure his deal in the past — likely to play hardball during negotiations. Also, because of his oddly old drafted age, he has a lot more mileage than most tackles have before their third contract, and he’s demonstrated more inconsistencies too.
On top of all that, the Broncos need additional draft picks, and don’t have many means of acquiring it.
Sure, trading down is idyllic, but if the top quarterbacks are off the board, who sacrifices a haul to trade up? And if the top quarterbacks aren’t off the board, why is Denver trading the pick? It ultimately just seems far-fetched.
Trading Bolles might be their best avenue to acquiring that capital they crave, while addressing a major future need.
Now that we’ve justified the position with that brief column, let’s talk Troy Fautanu.
Fautanu is an athletic tackle with lovely techincal prowess. His smaller frame has led some to project him as a top-20-caliber guard instead of a tackle, and while that is an unfair insult to Fautanu — as he checks the necessary length thresholds and his height only aids his leverage — it’s also a credit to his talent that most think of him so highly at all five positions along the line.
The Washington product packs a powerful punch in his arms, an impressive anchor, and above-average footwork. While he does need to become more disciplined overall, and he might wind up kicking inside at the next level, he’s one of the best linemen in one of the strongest line classes we’ve seen.
Tier III: Picks Broncos Country Should Like
This tier is a slight step down from the last, but still features fantastic prospects.
If the Denver Broncos secured any of these players, they will have done a good job finding good value for the 12th overall pick.
Making this extra sweet is the fact that at least two (and likely three) of the players discussed in these first three tiers will be on the board for the 12th selection.
10. Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State (No. 3 OT)
Average Ranking: 12.0
Highest ranking: 6 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: NR (1 vote)
Taliese Fuaga bears some of the same concerns as Troy Fautanu — the fact he might have to ultimately slide inside at the next level — but it’s easy to see why he would be appealing to Sean Payton.
Fuaga, a true glass-eater, would further the road-grading philosophy Payton is attempting to instill in Denver. He’s an absolute mauler up front and is probably the most advanced run-blocker in the draft.
That said, given Zach Strief’s apparent ability of coaching up offensive line talents, one could argue the Broncos might be better served swinging on a prospect with a higher ceiling.
11. Byron Murphy, IDL, Texas (No. 1 IDL)
Average Ranking: 13.25
Highest ranking: 9 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: 16 (1 vote)
The defensive line was arguably the worst position group on the Denver Broncos a season ago, and trading Mike Purcell and Jonathan Harris for Malcolm Roach isn’t enough to remedy that concern.
Adding the best defensive tackle in this class, on the other hand, would be a major leap in that department.
Byron Murphy is a remarkably strong stalwart in the middle of the Longhorns defense. He operates as a black hole in run defense — his instincts creating a gravitational magnetism to the ball as his mass and jaw-dropping power make him seemingly unavoidable. He’s also an impact pass-rusher, with fiery explosion off the snap.
The big concerns with LTB’s top defensive player are his lack of ideal physical traits and the fact his production hasn’t measured up to his talent.
12. Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State (No. 1 EDGE)
Average Ranking: 13.375
Highest ranking: 11 (3 votes)
Lowest ranking: 16 (2 votes)
The Denver Broncos have some interesting supporting pieces at edge rusher, but they’re still without their leading man.
Jared Verse could change that, and his skillset beautifully compliments the best members of the Broncos’ EDGE room as it currently stands.
Verse is a power-first rusher that explodes into opposing tackles and knocks them off the line. He would have a case as Denver’s best run-defender off the edge from Week 1 of his rookie season, and will be an impact in the passing game immediately as well.
If that didn’t sell you on Verse, his draft profile certainly will.
13. Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State (No. 4 OT)
Average Ranking: 13.625
Highest ranking: 8 (2 votes)
Lowest ranking: NR (1 vote)
If Denver misses out on a quarterback, one could argue their top priority has to be setting up their eventual quarterback draft pick for success — creating the perfect nest to increase the chances of hitting.
In that case, what better choice than arguably the draft’s best pass protector, Olu Fashanu.
Fashanu is still very young and relatively inexperienced, and that still shows on tape, at times, but generally speaking, he’s advanced beyond his years. He also has strong athletic traits, which, when paired with his relative lack of coaching, and developmental trajectory suggests a high ceiling.
That said, Fashanu’s game presently is built much more on finesse and pass protection, which runs counter to the run-first punch-you-in-the-mouth identity Payton seems to be prioritizing, dinging his Broncos-focused ranking.
Tier IV: Mild Reaches
This tier features some very talented prospects, most of whom, could easily go in the top-10 picks, but for one reason or another, they just don’t quite seem right for the Denver Broncos, or are just a little too risky for a top-12 selection given the state of Denver’s roster. Nonetheless, it’d be hard to be upset with any of these choices.
14. Jayden Daniels, QB, Louisiana State (No. 4 QB)
Average Ranking: 14.125
Highest ranking: 4 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: NR (3 votes)
Jayden Daniels’ talent is phenomenal. He has legitimate 4.4 speed at the quarterback position, a strong arm and has used those traits well to produce at a very high level.
That said, there are some serious gaps in his game that should be major hangups for the Denver Broncos, if not every team.
While Daniels is a wickedly smart decision-maker from the pocket, seldom putting the ball in harms way and consistently making big plays, he can be a little too focused on the big play. He often holds the ball too long as a result, and when the play breaks down, he relied on scrambling more than almost any other quarterback in college football a season ago. He was also able to get away with that boom-or-bust style more frequently because he had an all-star line and two top-15 receivers, which made the ‘boom’ much more likely than the ‘bust’.
Beyond that, Daniels is incredibly risky with his own health, and often exposes himself to harm while running with the ball.
In Daniels, it’s easy to see all the things that are great and exciting with Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, and it’s easy to see all the things that went wrong with Justin Fields or Russell Wilson.
Considering Sean Payton’s apparent disinterest in those two options, Daniels likely isn’t the quarterback for Denver, although the tools excite.
15. Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Louisiana State (No. 4 WR)
Average Ranking: 14.625
Highest ranking: 10 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: 19 (1 vote)
A few rankings on this big board underline, bold, and highlight the immense talent at the top of this class.
That’s especially true of this pair of wildly gifted LSU products.
If not for his peers in this class, Brian Thomas Jr. would be one of, if not the best wide receiver prospect of the last three drafts. He has exceptional physical traits, demonstrated by the fact only three other prospects have run a comparable 40-yard dash at his size over the past 20 drafts — Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, D.K. Metcalf and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
As one would expect, he’s a menace as a vertical threat and can cause havoc with the ball in his hands
He also demonstrates ability in some of the finer points of the game. He naturally wins in the red zone, thanks in part to a rapidly developing release package and understanding of leverage. The fact he can jump out of the gym and has a stronger grip than a giant pacific octopus, also helps.
His routes still need work, but he has the athletic capability to improve dramatically there. The biggest concern with Thomas Jr. right now for the Denver Broncos is his stylistic overlap with both Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr.
If Thomas Jr. is the pick, Sutton’s days are numbered in Denver, though considering the need for mid-round capital and Sutton’s trade-market value, that might not be the worst thing.
16. Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama (No. 2 EDGE)
Average Ranking: 15.5
Highest ranking: 11 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: NR (2 votes)
Dallas Turner is primarily projected as an edge rusher, but he’s such a remarkably fluid athlete that most expect him to also see a lot of time dropping back in coverage semi frequently at the next level.
That rare athletic ability is one of his key selling points, but also could be a detriment to his projection with the Broncos.
Although his versatility might be appealing for Vance Joseph’s creative pressure packages, it should be noted that he falls victim to ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ trope, meaning he’s not the ready-made dynamite pass-rusher Denver presently lacks. Now, he can get there, but it is a fairly serious projection.
Also, Joseph’s past injury with hyper athletic, versatile, semi-positionless linebackers should give Broncos Country nausea when considering his ability to develop and maximize Turner’s talents.
17. Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia (No. 5 OT)
Average Ranking: 15.875
Highest ranking: 10 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: NR (2 votes)
It’s easy to love Amarius Mims.
The titanic tackle is an absolute freak of nature. His height and weight rank in the 94th percentile and 96th percentile for the position, respectively, and he has 36-inch tree branches for arms. In spite of this, his 40-yard dash is in 87th percentile, his 10-yard split is in the 79th percentile, and his broad jump is in the 89th percentile.
Possessing the size and power that Mims has with his twitchy explosiveness and movement skills is rare and an offensive line coaches dream. Zach Strief is almost certainly salivting at the possibility of the Denver Broncos landing Mims.
Mims also has marvelous tape, especially considering how little he played in college.
The catch is that lack of playing time. Mims isn’t raw, but he also hasn’t been tested nearly as much as most of his peers, with only eight games under his belt. While some of that is due to simply being buried behind a bevy of NFL linemen at Georgia, a fair deal is also due to Mims struggling stay healthy when on the field, as he suffered two ankle injuries in his limited playing time, and missed half of his lone starting season as a result.
Some of that is small sample, but it’s also fair to wonder if Mims’ unique build will stand up to an NFL beating. His frame can also be detriment in his ability to create leverage.
Tier V: 1st-Round Trade-Down Targets
This tier is where we start to see the picks that would be disappointing if not paired with a trade-down in the first-round.
In some cases, the problem is positional. Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold are some of the best defensive players in the class, but George Paton has already poured four of his nine top-115 picks into the position, and one would hope for an investment of young talent elsewhere on the roster.
Others are a better fit, but just have too many flaws to justify a top-12 selection, although they are still first-round talents.
18. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo (No. 1 CB)
Average Ranking: 18.125
Highest ranking: 12 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: NR (2 votes)
Coming from the MAC, Quinyon Mitchell hasn’t been tested as much as one would like, but he checks damn near every other box.
He was the prototypical athletic build for the position, and the movement skills to match. Not only does his physical profile, fluidity, and understanding of route concepts allow him to match up with most any receiver, but he has the ball skills to be a big-play corner, as well, highlighted by six interceptions and 52 pass deflections during his two seasons as a starter.
The problems for Mitchell come out of coverage, where he’s a fairly subpar run-defender and tackler, though his willingness and toughness in those situations isn’t a problem.
19. Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA (No. 3 EDGE)
Average Ranking: 18.375
Highest ranking: 16 (2 votes)
Lowest ranking: NR (1 vote)
Laiatu Latu might be the most pro-ready pass-rusher in this class. He’s a mentally and technically advanced rusher, whose pass-rush moves and pre-snap plans are amongst the best you’ll ever see from a collegiate prospect.
He’s also a solid athlete, with violent punches.
All that said, his build might be redundant with the Denver Broncos’ other pass rushers, and it’s fair to wonder just how high Latu’s ceiling is, because it’s hard to pinpoint many aspects of his game that require heavy coaching, making it seem like he might be maxed out already.
Plus, the medical concerns with Latu seem very serious.
20. JC Latham, OT, Alabama (No. 6 OT)
Average Ranking: 18.875
Highest ranking: 17 (2 votes)
Lowest ranking: NR (1 vote)
JC Latham is a bulldozer personified. He possesses absurd strength that you can see in every single one of his lethal strikes to an opposing defender. When he gets his hands on the opposing lineman, it’s all over. He also understands the brutish power at his disposal, and utilizes it to punish opponents with a violent play style.
All that said, his footwork is fairly sloppy at the moment, and will need some serious work, although the potential for him to be a much better mover is there. He’s also not a left tackle currently, and making a prospect flip sides is always tricky and a little dubious.
That’s a problem as the Broncos are pretty cemented at right tackle, especially after restructuring Mike McGlinchey. What they need, is a left tackle.
21. Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama (No. 2 CB)
Average Ranking: 19.375
Highest ranking: 12 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: NR (4 votes)
Terrion Arnold isn’t quite the athlete that Mitchell is, but he has the same high-end instincts and has received better coaching, faced stiffer competition, and was used in more ways during his time at Alabama, all while still meeting every threshold one wants from the position.
He’s also a true junkyard dog at cornerback.
Some lack of discipline with penalties in coverage and his pursuit angles are concerning, especially as the NFL will punish both those faults much more frequently, but Arnold is generally an easy and safe projection.
22. Jer’Zhan Newton, IDL, Illinois (No. 2 IDL)
Average Ranking: 19.5
Highest ranking: 12 (1 vote)
Lowest ranking: NR (3 votes)
If Latham is a Bulldozer, Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton is the personification of a sawed-off shotgun — a compact, yet explosive weapon with a potent kick.
Newton didn’t test at the combine, but even if he had, he likely wouldn’t have wowed. That said, what he lacks in raw athleticism he makes up for fantastic instincts, power, and quick-twitch ability. He’s a master at creating interior pressure and knows how to use his stout frame to his advantage for easy leverage. Unfortunately, he can be swallowed up on occasion in the run game and will struggle to make first contact at the next level.
Nonetheless, the Denver Broncos need pass-rush help and reinforcements on their defensive line. Newton checks both boxes.
23. Graham Barton, OL, Duke (No. 1 IOL)
Average Ranking: 20.5
Highest ranking: 18 (2 votes)
Lowest ranking: NR (4 votes)
Although Graham Barton spent his last three seasons at tackle, his slower foot speed in pass protection suggests he’d translate better to the next level if placed on the interior, especially when considering how strong and impressive he is, once attached to his block. He does move well in the run game, flowing smoothly to the second level and blocking comfortably in space.
Prior to engaging in the block, he can play with inconsistent pad level and can ruin his balance by lunging. If the Denver Broncos don’t feel comfortable with Alex Forsyth though, Barton appears to be their best option in draft.
24. Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon (No. 2 IOL)
Average Ranking: 21
Highest ranking: 20 (3 votes)
Lowest ranking: NR (3 votes)
Right behind Barton is the other elite center prospect in the class — Jackson Powers-Johnson. Johnson.
Johnson is an ass-kicker in every way. He savors contact and seeks it out from the moment the ball is snapped and through the whistle. He creates easy push in the run game, and has the footwork and anchor to be a headache for any defender in pass protection.
Medical concerns are an issue though for Powers-Johnson, as he was sidelined with multiple different lower-body ailments and concussions during his time at Oregon.
