Denver Broncos 2021 Mock Draft: New defensive weapon heads to Mile High

The Denver Broncos hold the ninth pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. They could go many different ways.

At this point, we don’t know exactly what they will do. They could choose to trade up. They could choose to stay put. They could choose to trade down and acquire more picks in this year’s draft and potentially next year’s.

The Broncos have had some pretty solid drafts over the past couple of years and even got a nice pass-catching tight end in Noah Fant by trading down in 2019.

However, in the 2021 NFL Draft, I can see them going either way. It really depends on how the first number of picks play out. We anticipate that the first four selections will all be quarterbacks.

That’s great news for the Broncos.

It may end up that the Broncos take the first defensive player off the board. In fact, that’s exactly what I did here.

With the 13th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, linebacker, Notre Dame.

Trade details:

Broncos Receive: Pick 13, Pick 47, 2022 4th-round pick
Chargers Receive: Pick 9 (CB Patrick Surtain)

Owusu-Koramoah—aka JOK—is a versatile player who is listed as a linebacker, but at 6-foot-2, 216 pounds, can play some safety when asked to. That includes being able to play in coverage, which is something the Broncos desperately need help in.

Owusu-Koramoah is a smart and instinctive player. He’s fast at reacting to what is happening on the field and runs toward the ball carrier and effectively makes plays.

Having him in Vic Fangio’s defense would be crushing for offenses because of his versatility and effectiveness.

The Broncos should absolutely consider him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.