Broncos may suddenly have great chance to get a top 3 WR in draft

When looking at their big board, the Denver Broncos would likely love to snag a wide receiver with their first-round pick.

The team could go in many different directions with the No. 15 overall pick. The Broncos could be looking at a defensive lineman or for more help on the offensive line, despite the recent signing of Graham Glasgow.

But wide receiver is high on the list as well and if you believe what you see in mock drafts, most of them have the Broncos selecting a wide receiver in the first round. Who that player is has varied but Henry Ruggs has been the most popular pick. Some of those mocks have found a way to get the Broncos either Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb.

Prior to Monday, the Broncos would have needed some things to bounce their way in the draft in order to land one of those guys, because there were no less than three teams in front of them that would likely have been looking at a wide receiver as well.

Wide receiver is arguably the deepest position in this class but to have one of the best of the bunch would be big.

One of the things the Broncos needed to have bounce their way did on Monday when the Arizona Cardinals made a huge trade. In one of the biggest blockbuster deals in years, the Houston Texans shipped DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona in a deal that includes the Texans acquiring running back David Johnson.

The Cardinals get a player who many feel is the best wide receiver in football in Hopkins. The Cardinals, who hold the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, will likely turn their attention elsewhere. Just about every mock draft had them taking a wide receiver with that pick before the trade.

But now, with a depth chart that includes Hopkins, Christian Kirk, Larry Fitzgerald and second-year receivers Andy Isabella, KeeSean Johnson and Hakeem Butler, the Cardinals may be out of the Broncos’ way in terms of drafting a wide receiver.

So which teams are still in the way?

The Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 9 could look for another guy in the passing game, but it’s far from their biggest need. If the New York Jets lose Robby Anderson, they could take a wide receiver with the No. 11 pick. Most experts expect the Las Vegas Raiders to take one at No. 12.

Many of the teams will look at the fact that the wide receiver position is so deep that great options will still exist well into the second round or even on day three of the draft. One of those teams could be the Broncos.

But one thing seems clear. If the Broncos covet one of the top three wide receivers in this class, they should have a terrific chance of being able to bring one to Denver. Monday’s surprising trade between Arizona and Houston only helped those chances.