Denver Broncos pre-combine mock draft: Perfect pairings

Take a trip down hypothetical lane with me for just a moment.

Let’s say the Broncos are unable to retain Chris Harris Jr., but in free agency they bring in veteran Prince Amukamara as well as Byron Jones.

Not only that, but the Broncos are able to strike a long-term deal with Justin Simmons to be their free safety for the next five years.

If those moves happen, I would say the Broncos still only have three of five secondary spots pretty reasonably locked in for the next two or three seasons.

What is Bryce Callahan going to give you? Hopefully he can be a starting corner and bounce back for this team in a big way.

Kareem Jackson has one year left on his contract in Denver before the team has an option for a third year.

If you figure Simmons and someone like Byron Jones are true long-term options for your team with players like Jackson, Callahan, and Amukamara as viable short-term options, then someone like Alabama’s Xavier McKinney makes a lot of sense in round one.

If only just for the fact that McKinney is going to be a pretty unanimous top 20 player by the time he’s done showing everyone what he can do athletically, this pick could make sense from a BPA standpoint.

The Broncos also love to enhance strengths between the draft and free agency, and McKinney would further strengthen the secondary in a variety of ways.

Initially, I think McKinney could step in and play the nickel spot right away for the Broncos. Down the line, and perhaps only a year down the line, I think he’s the ideal player to take over for Jackson at strong safety.

McKinney can cover exceptionally well, he reads the field, he attacks the football, he can blitz, and he is an aggressive tackler.

He’s a player who doesn’t have to come off the field and can float around the secondary. He could end up being the long-term quarterback of Vic Fangio’s defense.