With the team entering the post-Russell Wilson era of Denver Broncos football, this draft, more than ever, was crucial for the team’s future.
Opting to cut Wilson and eat $85 million over the next two years, the Broncos are now in an extreme rebuilding phase and are in dire need of young talent to kick off a successful turnaround.
With the cap making the only reasonable avenue of attaining young talent the NFL draft, the Broncos have to come away from the 2024 offseason with not only a successful first-round selection but enough diamonds in the rough to compensate for their faulty drafting of the past.
While only time will tell if general manager George Paton made the right evaluations, here are the Broncos draft grades for the immediate aftermath of the NFL draft.
Round 1, Pick 12: Oregon QB Bo Nix
While the national consensus opinion on the Bo Nix selection is much lower, the Broncos’ need at the most important position in football could not be understated.
When the Atlanta Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix with the eighth overall pick, it sent the draft in a tailspin for all quarterback-needy teams. Where the Broncos probably could have traded back to select Nix in most draft day scenarios, because of the Falcons’ selection, there was no guarantee Nix would still be available later in the draft, already having had five quarterbacks taken by the time the Broncos were on the clock at pick twelve.
Because of this, it’s hard to be too harsh on Sean Payton for selecting the player he thinks will lead the Broncos to future success, even if most did not believe Nix was worthy of such a high draft selection.
Only time will tell if Nix was the right choice or whether Payton should have kicked the can down the road, ultimately riding with a quarterback room of Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson for the year, but for the time being, Broncos Country should feel okay with Payton having the conviction to select “his guy”.
Grade: B
Round 3, Pick 76: Utah Edge Jonah Elliss
On the surface, Jonah Elliss is just another small edge rusher, which the Broncos already have an abundance of. But, on a closer look, there are plenty of differentiating parts of his game that will give Vance Joseph another chess piece to get after the passer with.
For starters, while being smaller than most desire, only being 6-foot-2 and weighing 248 pounds, Elliss is much more physical than his new teammates Baron Browning and Nik Bonitto. As those two win almost purely with finesse, there are plenty of examples of Elliss destroying tight ends and occasionally setting a strong edge against tackles in the run.
Whether this translates to the NFL is in question, as his small frame could lead to him being overwhelmed by the bigger and stronger tackles of the NFL but with added strength to his lower half, Elliss has the potential to be a fine run defender.
As a pass rusher, Elliss is shockingly polished, having an array of different moves in his arsenal and even being able to tie them together, demonstrating the ability to counter once his initial pass rush has been shut down.
At the end of the day, the Broncos got good value in the third round by selecting Elliss, but just how good will be determined by whether his frame limits him to being a designated pass rusher or if he can develop into more of an every-down player.
Grade: B
Round 4, Pick 102: Oregon WR Troy Franklin
There is no doubt that the Broncos got a ton of value with this selection in terms of where he was supposed to be picked, as the consensus big board had Troy Franklin ranked as the No. 42 player in the class, but one could wonder if the media was just a lot higher on Franklin than should’ve been warranted.
Being Nix’s top target last season, Franklin is a height and speed monster, being 6-foot-3 and running a 4.41 40-yard dash.
Those numbers are very indicative of Franklin’s game as his best skill comes with burning opposing defensive backs deep or through crossing routes, where he can outrun his coverage assignment.
The main concern with Franklin comes with how he deals with physicality. As Broncos Country saw through the selections of Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in the 2020 NFL draft, being able to catch through contact or give the quarterback a bigger window by having the ability to come down with a tough catch is imperative to being a successful wide receiver in the pros, and both are areas where Franklin struggles.
To add to the list of concerns, Franklin’s best qualities are shared with Marvin Mims Jr., who the Broncos just traded up to select in last year’s NFL draft and is coming off a promising rookie campaign.
Being that neither is an “X” wide receiver and how Payton typically likes bigger blocking slots, it’s hard to imagine how both players operate at the same time.
Nonetheless, the Broncos did get a high-potential player in Franklin. He’s probably just a bigger project than most realize.
Grade: C+
Round 5, Pick 145: Missouri CB Kris Abrams-Draine
Another player the Broncos scored on in comparison to the consensus big board, Kris Abrams-Draine probably fell because of his lack of ideal size for the position, only being 5-foot-11 and weighing 179 pounds.
While being smaller, Abrams-Draine had fantastic production playing in the SEC, having seven career interceptions and 33 career pass breakups.
Cool and collected when traveling with his opposition down the field, Abrams-Draine consistently shows his ball skills, being able to locate the ball and make a play, which makes sense considering he was a former wide receiver himself.
As mentioned earlier, the biggest concern with Abrams-Draine is his size. While being plenty physical, this affects his ability to help in the run and also raises questions on if he can match up with larger wide receivers in the NFL.
With that being said, the Broncos were able to bring in another young and talented cornerback without having to invest a premium pick.
Broncos Country should celebrate that development!
Grade: A
Round 5, Pick 147: Notre Dame RB Audric Estimé
Despite not testing like an elite athlete, Audric Estimé is a ready-made NFL running back who should improve the Broncos running game immediately.
Being an absolute unit, at 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds, Estimé isn’t your typical big running back, showing nimble feet to hit cut-back lanes and even make defenders miss in the open field.
Despite that nimbleness, he’s still a runner you want to hit before he gets a head of steam. Estimé has awesome contact balance and the ability to bounce off of should-be tacklers and gain extra yards.
As a pass protector, he is also plenty capable. While there is processing and technique to clean up on, Estime can meet defenders in the hole and stonewall them with his great size and power.
The real only negative side to Estimé’s game is a lack of game-breaking speed and questions on if he can be a consistent pass catcher out of the back field.
Last offseason, the Broncos very clearly had a desire to be more of a smashmouth football team signing the likes of Mike McGlinchey, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Samaje Perine, and Chris Manhertz, yet while the want was clearly there, the results were rarely seen.
This pick does raise questions on which running backs will make the final roster, as the running back room is pretty full, but it goes without question that the Broncos must improve their running game. Estimé helps them accomplish just that.
Grade: A
Round 7, Pick 235: Utah WR Devaughn Vele
At 26 years old, Devaughn Vele is one of the oldest NFL draftees you could imagine, which, unfortunately, dropped his draft stock pretty substantially.
A great tester, Vele is a 6-foot-4, 203-pound player who ran a 4.47 40-yard dash and had a 36-inch vertical this offseason.
Used as a big slot in college, it is easy to see his fit in Payton’s offense but he must be ready to have an impact as a rookie. If Vele is not ready, there may be no point in trying to develop him, as he already is in his prime years.
For further context, Vele will be 30 years old by the time his rookie contract is up. When Marvin Mims Jr. signs his next NFL contract, he’ll still be over a year younger than Vele is today.
Ultimately, seventh-round picks rarely make the roster, so it is hard to be overly critical of the selection at this point in the draft.
Grade: C
Round 7, Pick 256, South Carolina IOL Nick Gargiulo
With the Broncos’ last selection, they finally took an offensive lineman to come into camp and compete.
A transfer from Yale, Nick Gargiulo has experience across the entire offensive line but best projects as a guard or center at the next level.
While the Gamecocks’ offensive line was largely atrocious through the 2023 season, Gargiulo was a bright spot, opening run lanes and protecting for now-Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler.
Like most seventh-round picks, the expectations should not be too high for Gargiulo but he does have the physical skill set to become an NFL backup, which would make this selection a home run.
Grade: B
