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Denver Broncos draft rumors: Players the Broncos won’t pass on

By Sayre Bedinger

GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes the football against the Washington Huskies during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 30: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions rushes the football against the Washington Huskies during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The Denver Broncos have some huge decisions to make in the 2018 NFL Draft. Here are some players they probably won’t pass on if available at number five…

The Denver Broncos won’t have to wait long once the 2018 NFL Draft kicks off to make a decision. The question at this point is, which player are they going to take?

Obviously, that depends entirely on which players are available, but at this point, that seems like such an unknown that it’s really difficult to predict.

The latest rumors indicate that Baker Mayfield is going to go first overall to the Cleveland Browns. After this power move, how could he not?

Amazing.

I’ve come to the realization that Mayfield will probably not be available to the Broncos with the fifth overall pick, whether he goes first to the Browns or third to the Jets.

Rightfully so.

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With that being said, I think there are four players the Broncos would not pass on if they were available at pick number five, based on my pre-draft evaluations as well as things I have heard from people close to the Broncos:

1. Sam Darnold, QB, USC

Darnold is the top quarterback on my draft board, but we haven’t talked about him much this offseason because getting him has seemed like a pipe dream at best. Darnold’s combination of intangibles and natural playmaking ability remind me of a better version of Jameis Winston.

2. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

Mayfield is reportedly the favorite to go first overall to the Browns. The Broncos have little to no chance of getting him but on the off chance he’s on the board at five, I feel like he would be the pick.

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3. Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State

Chubb is the top ranked defensive player in this year’s draft class. He’s scheme versatile and would plug right in as the Broncos’ starting weakside defensive end. Putting him on the field at the same time with Von Miller would give the Broncos two elite edge defenders and an incredibly deep rotation up front, which helped them win Super Bowl 50.

4. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

The Broncos released C.J. Anderson and have Devontae Booker and De’Angelo Henderson on the roster.

That’s it.

Saquon Barkley is a rare type of athlete with rare intangibles who can bring a home run threat every single play. When you talk about instant impact, there may be no better player in this year’s draft to bring it than this guy.

What if these guys are all gone?

If these four players are selected with the top four picks in the draft, no matter what the order, I think the Broncos are highly likely to trade down. They will have a variety of suitors willing to trade up for their pick, and should net at least an extra first round pick, whether this year or in 2019, and could get some extra valuable capital in 2018 to move up or down as they please.

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