This year’s NFL Draft will set the stage for the Denver Broncos’ rebuild, and according to Sean Payton’s most recent comments, it looks like the Broncos are prepared to open the show with a splash.
While attending this week’s NFL Owners Meetings, in Orlando, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport asked Coach Payton how realistic it was that Denver trades up in this year’s draft, to which, Payton replied, “Realistic.”
“It’s good to be [Cardinals GM] Monti [Ossenfort] right now,” Coach Payton further elaborated.
That’s exciting news for a fanbase that’s been clamoring for one ever since Peyton Manning left, especially considering they are presently staring down the barrel of 17 games of Jarrett Stidham and it seems a trade up is the only way to avoid that at this juncture.
That said, trading up will be quite difficult for the Denver Broncos to pull off, given their current capital. They have one first round pick this season, no second round pick, and only one other pick in the top 100. Meanwhile, following a recent trade with the Houston Texans, the Minnesota Vikings have two first-round selections in this year’s draft.
In order to construct a compelling enough package for the Cardinals, the Broncos will likely have to sacrifice a mountain of future of picks, or some of the few remaining building blocks on their roster, Patrick Surtain II or Garett Bolles.
Trading those building blocks would be a concern, as Denver already has so little talent on the roster, while trading the picks is a concern because it could prevent them from adding talent to the roster to support their young quarterback, especially considering how high the Broncos will likely be selecting in 2025.
It would be especially painful to re-live the 2023 NFL Draft, where the roster is in desperate state of repair, but the top-five pick that should be in Denver’s possession, now belongs to an NFC West team.
If the Denver Broncos do decide to trade up, it’s unclear who their target would be.
There has been plenty of scuttlebutt connecting them to J.J. McCarthy, but it’s fair to wonder if that was only the case because he was, at the time, the best quarterback option to likely be available where Denver was picking. However, the moment McCarthy’s stock soared, the rumors just shifted their focus to Bo Nix — the next-best available quarterback likely to be available for Denver.
So, do the Broncos love McCarthy, or is it just people connecting dots?
It’s certainly possible that the Broncos truly are infatuated with McCarthy, and are ready to move Heaven and Earth to secure him. That said, it’s similarly possible that Payton is even more infatuated with Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels, and is preparing to snatch them up in case they fall.
No matter what the plan is, the NFL Draft just got a whole lot more interesting for Broncos Country.
