The Denver Broncos’ 2024 first-round pick will be the team’s most anticipated selection since at least 2021, and the direction the Broncos are headed in with that pick remains a complete mystery, with so many intriguing options available to them.
Fortunately, we got some idea about what Denver might be planning from the oddsmakers in Las Vegas, who recently released their lines for the Denver Broncos’ first pick.
Per FanDuel, the odds are as follows:
- Quarterback: +170
- Defensive Line/Edge Rusher: +185
- Cornerback: +380
- Offensive Line: +650
- Tight End: +1200
- Wide Receiver: +1300
- Safety: +14000
- Running Back: +20000
- Linebacker: +20000
Looking at the list, a few tiers immediately being to clarify themselves.
The Denver Broncos adding either a quarterback or upgrading their defensive front are far-and-away the most likely options, and this shouldn’t surprise.
Although Jarrett Stidham is a fine bandaid, the Broncos still need to add to their quarterback room and they need to find a potential answer for the future. Meanwhile, the edge-rushing group is devoid of a star player to tie the room together — a la Lebowski’s rug — and the defensive line is maybe the most talent-poor group on the roster.
Pair those facts with the information that the second tier of quarterback prospects and the the top tier of defensive front players have been projected to the mid-teens, and it’s easy to see why the Broncos are being predicted to make those moves.
Cornerback being the next-most likely choice is a bit of a surprise though, considering just how much capital the Broncos have already poured into the group. Nonetheless, if they don’t feel confident in Riley Moss or Damarri Mathis, they appear screwed at cornerback opposite of Pat Surtain II, and are perfectly in range for this draft’s best cornerback talent.
Offensive line lags a little behind corner, which also seems sensible. The only pressing need on the offensive front is at center, and the Denver Broncos won’t target that position first unless they trade out of the top 15. Nonetheless, there’s a ton of talent in the trenches expected to fly off the board between pick 10 and pick 25, where Denver’s first selection will almost certainly fall, and the Broncos have future needs looming on the line.
Garett Bolles is a 2025 free agent and isn’t likely to be retained.
The fact there is such a gap between the offensive line and our next tier — home to tight end and receiver — is probably the list’s biggest surprise.
The Broncos are in desperate need of pass-catching help, and this draft is loaded with it, so it would make sense to target one of the first-round options. That said, at pick 12, Denver finds itself in the draft’s No Man’s Land for pass catchers, as the top three wide receivers are likely to be gone before the 10th pick, while the No. 4 receiver isn’t expected to go off the board until the late teens.
The tight end odds being so low is surprising, considering how much Payton and Paton have both highlighted the position as an area of need, and Brock Bowers likely to be selected in the top 15, but Vegas clearly doesn’t believe Bowers will end up in Denver.
The odds on the backend of the list aren’t surprising at all. There isn’t a linebacker, safety, or running back prospect worthy of a first-round selection in this year’s draft, so the Broncos would either need to make a ridiculous reach with their pick or make a sizable trade down, for any of those positions to be up for consideration.
