Denver Broncos defense only 2021 NFL mock draft.
The Denver Broncos are one week away from officially being into full offseason mode.
The team’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers pushed them into the top 10 of the overall 2021 NFL Draft order, just making the cut at 10th overall.
Truly the only perk to losing games is getting a better draft standing, and even then, the sting of defeat has to wear off before accepting the exciting draft position can be palatable.
The Broncos, as we head into week 17, are poised for a top-15 pick again. They could get as high as the fifth overall pick depending on how this week of games plays out.
How will the Broncos use their draft picks in 2021? Even though it’s not always likely that one side of the ball gets all of the attention, it would make some sense for the Broncos to completely emphasize defense early on in the 2021 NFL Draft. What if they do that?
Here is a mock draft scenario where the Broncos spend their top three picks on defense.
Picking 10th overall, the Broncos may actually have a shot at one of the top three defensive prospects in this class: Penn State’s Micah Parsons, Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley, and Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II.
In this mock draft scenario, the Broncos finally land a first-round linebacker, something they’ve been flirting with for a couple of offseasons.
In 2019, Vic Fangio’s first year with the team, the Broncos nearly used their top pick on Michigan linebacker Devin Bush. In 2020, they were in talks to move back into the first round for LSU linebacker Patrick Queen.
As well as Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell have played on a whole in 2020, a playmaker like Parsons would raise all boats on that side of the ball.
Parsons is the definition of a playmaker defensively and could be a weapon for the Broncos in a variety of ways. He is not limited to an off-ball linebacker role and frankly, Parsons is one of the best natural pass rushers in this draft when he’s asked to do it.
At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, Parsons is a missile on the field and one of the best athletes pound-for-pound in this draft class.
He opted out of the 2020 season to focus on draft preparations but there’s no doubting his star quality. If he falls to the Broncos he would be a tremendous asset immediately.
Denver Broncos 2021 mock draft: Round 2
The Denver Broncos may be in the market for some help off the edge in 2021.
There is no question that Bradley Chubb looks back to form after his season-ending ACL injury in 2019, and there is no question that Malik Reed has established and proven himself as a capable starting EDGE in the NFL.
With that said, how big is the Broncos’ need at outside linebacker really?
That is a fair question and certainly one of the biggest determining factors will be whether or not the team exercises the option on Von Miller’s contract. Miller is set to have the highest cap hit against the Broncos’ 2021 salary cap, and coming off of a season-ending injury, there’s no telling how that could wind up going.
Hopefully, Miller is able to work out a deal to retire a Bronco.
If nothing else, what 2020 has shown us is the need for more of a dynamic presence off the edge. Azeez Ojulari, who is generating a bunch of first-round hype of late, is someone who could do just that.
There is no telling if Ojulari would be there at this juncture of the draft, but with the way he has played in 2020, it’s doubtful.
In the simulation, however, he was there, so we’ll take a look at it.
Ojulari has tremendous explosiveness, bend, and natural finishing ability as a pass rusher. He could be an excellent situational rusher as a rookie or obviously step into a larger role in case of injury.
Denver Broncos 2021 mock draft: Round 3
Let’s open this up by clarifying that it’s just as likely that the Broncos will use their first-round pick on the cornerback position as any other position.
Cornerback could become a pressing need in the coming months, but it’s also not out of the question that the Broncos could just simply plan on a top 100 pick at the cornerback spot and hope a guy falls to them who fits Vic Fangio’s scheme the right way.
One guy who is very intriguing is Northwestern’s Greg Newsome, somewhat of an underrated player on a talented team this season who declared himself eligible for the 2021 NFL Draft after three seasons for the Wildcats.
This season, he played in just three games but wound up with a whopping seven pass breakups and his first career interception.
The Broncos’ coaching staff will love Newsome’s aggressive style of play and at 6-foot-1, he has the type of length that any NFL club would covet as an outside corner.
Fangio and Ed Donatell have a rich history together of developing unheralded defensive backs and making them into stars. There is no doubt they could do great work with an even higher selection (which Newsome could end up being) but Fangio’s defense is about scheme fit and guys who really know how to play his brand of football.
Denver Broncos: 4 positions the team must address in 2021
The Denver Broncos must address a number of positions in the 2021 offseason. Which positions are atop the priority list for John Elway?
Newsome would be a tremendous fit.