What if the Denver Broncos don’t acquire Aaron Rodgers or another star QB in a trade? We take a look at an option in the 2022 NFL Draft gaining steam.
The Denver Broncos have a fun offseason ahead of them, don’t they? As of right now, the Broncos have filled two major holes that existed a little over a year ago.
They have one of the most highly respected general managers in the NFL — George Paton — who is coming off of an outstanding “rookie” season on the job with a great rookie class and a few big-money contracts to in-house players that have set this team’s core up well for the future.
They also now have a head coach that was specifically selected by Paton — former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett — to lead the team.
The third major piece should be coming very soon — a new quarterback.
Will the Denver Broncos use their top 2022 pick on a QB?
Anytime an NFL team hires a new GM, you can almost take it to the bank that they will find their own head coach and quarterback. Those are the hills you ultimately live or die on as an NFL general manager, and for Paton, the decision at quarterback will be coming very soon.
As of right now, everyone’s attention is obviously on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He will be the first domino to fall and that could happen literally at any time. Last year, Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams on January 30, although the trade could not become official until mid-March.
That remains the case as of right now, but the Packers could technically agree to trade Rodgers anywhere at any moment.
Rodgers has stated that he will make his decision about whether or not to stay in Green Bay before free agency, but because this is such a massive holdup for other teams, could we see a decision sooner?
Maybe. For the time being, the Denver Broncos should be evaluating all options and keeping those options open. As much as Broncos Country has its collective heart set on getting a star QB in the building — be it Rodgers or Russell Wilson or someone else — there exists a possibility that none of those players will come to Denver.
It could end up being the NFL Draft route for George Paton and Nathaniel Hackett, and that idea has gained some legitimacy just by way of the team hiring a young, offensive-centric head coach along with a young offensive staff.
I want to look at a Denver Broncos mock draft scenario exploring this potential option, specifically taking a guy early in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Denver Broncos mock draft, first-round pick
1. Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
This pick is certain to be highly contested by many of you reading right now.
Hear me out on this one.
There is always going to be an inherent risk in drafting a quarterback. Very few guys are polished or finished products coming out of the college ranks. That’s being too nice.
Nobody is a finished product coming out of the college ranks.
Some players in recent years have been able to have instant success at the NFL level, and that is obviously what every team covets now. That’s part of why the Broncos hired the staff they did, to set up any type of QB up for success, veteran or otherwise.
Malik Willis is not a finished product. He struggled this past season with decision making at the QB position but he has an absolute cannon for an arm and is one of the most athletic playmakers you’ll find at the position.
Given his ability to make plays with his legs and take shots downfield, this is the type of player you would certainly want to take in terms of traits, but what about the top two qualities new head coach Nathaniel Hackett is looking for in a QB — intelligence and toughness?
According to Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy and ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay, the intelligence box is checked.
Toughness? That’s one of Willis’ top traits, and you can see it in the way he plays.
A year ago, I may not have been in favor of this type of pick. Even now, it’s tough because the preference is obviously to get a proven veteran in the building who can take this team into Super Bowl contention.
However, if the Broncos go the NFL Draft route, I love the idea of Willis and his huge upside.
Denver Broncos mock draft, second round (first pick)
2a. Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota
One of the top needs for this Denver Broncos team as of right now is at the right tackle position.
Bobby Massie filled in this past year after the Broncos sort of had to scramble with the Ja’Wuan James injury, and he did a pretty good job.
This has been a position of weakness for a long time now, and the Broncos haven’t done much in terms of the NFL Draft lately to try and strengthen it.
That should change in the 2022 NFL Draft where the offensive line class is rich across the board. One of my favorite prospects in this group who will likely be making repeated appearances in mock drafts is Minnesota’s Daniel Faalele, the 6-foot-8, 387-pound right tackle.
On the surface, people might think that a player this massive is not suited for consistent work in outside zone but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Faalele has outstanding movement skills, long arms, and a punishing mentality.
His pass sets will need some refinement moving to the NFL level, but for a team that is poised to run the ball as much as the Denver Broncos presumably are, Faalele should be a fun player to add into the mix.
Denver Broncos mock draft, second round (second pick)
2b. Travis Jones, IDL, UConn
One of the more underrated areas this Denver Broncos team may need to address in the 2022 offseason is along the interior defensive line.
There’s no doubt that Dre’Mont Jones is one of the most underrated players on the team and in the league. Shelby Harris is in year two of a three-year deal he signed last offseason.
Outside of those two guys, the Broncos need some help.
Mike Purcell’s spot on the roster for 2022 is not guaranteed and the Broncos might opt to get some new blood out there.
Enter UConn defensive lineman Travis Jones.
At this point, this mock draft has a very decidedly Senior Bowl flavor, which highlights the amount of talent available at that particular game this year.
Jones was clearly the best player on a terrible Huskies team, and he’s going to start gaining NFL Draft steam as he gets the chance to shine on the interior defensive line.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 333 pounds, Jones can penetrate into the backfield and make plays as well as take up blockers. Although the Broncos could very well prioritize the EDGE before the interior defensive line, I like Jones and his bully style of play with this pick if he’s still on the board.
Denver Broncos mock draft, third-round (first pick)
3a. Marcus Jones, CB, Houston
The Denver Broncos could kill two birds with one stone here in the third round.
Marcus Jones was one of the best playmakers at the cornerback position in all of college football last season. He picked off five passes and broke up 13 more, also forcing a fumble.
He put together one of the most insane highlight reels in the 2021 season at Houston not only playing the cornerback position, but also getting involved on offense and of course, on special teams.
He finished the season with five interceptions, a forced fumble, a receiving touchdown, two kick return touchdowns, and two punt return touchdowns.
The Denver Broncos desperately need help in the return game once again and I don’t think Diontae Spencer is going to be back next season after an uninspiring year returning kicks and punts.
Jones can help the Broncos fill the void being left behind by Bryce Callahan, who may or may not be brought back in free agency, and he is also going to immediately be a huge help on special teams in the return game.
Denver Broncos mock draft, third-round (second pick)
3b. Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota
The Denver Broncos need to find some help off the edge in the 2022 offseason.
They set themselves up for that with the Von Miller trade, but Miller was projected to hit free agency anyway and his status was uncertain.
They will enter the 2022 offseason with Bradley Chubb and Jonathon Cooper under contract, so they are at a good starting place.
With that being said, pretty much everyone expects the Denver Broncos to pursue some type of help at the EDGE position throughout the offseason, probably starting with looking for instant impact in free agency and then moving to the NFL Draft.
One of the players I am almost certain the Broncos are going to love is Minnesota pass rusher Boye Mafe, a player who has an outstanding combination of size and athleticism.
Keep your eyes peeled for the high RAS (relative athletic score) players for the Denver Broncos, as that is what the team prioritized last year.
Mafe had 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks this past season, the best numbers during his time at Minnesota.
If you can get this kind of a player at the bottom of round three? That’s a crazy value, to me.
Denver Broncos mock draft, rounds 4-5
4. Tyler Allgeier, RB, BYU
I am a huge proponent of taking not only one back from this draft, but two. This year’s running back class has very intriguing depth, and even if the Broncos bring back Melvin Gordon they should be preparing for a future without him.
Look no further than the San Francisco 49ers for evidence of why taking multiple backs in a class that has some depth is worth the while.
Elijah Mitchell became an overnight sensation for them as a sixth-round pick.
Tyler Allgeier, like Javonte Williams, is a converted linebacker who has become an absolute monster at running back. He’s impossible to take down on first contact. He had a whopping 23 rushing touchdowns this past year.
5a. Deangelo Malone, EDGE, Western Kentucky
Once again, keep your eyes peeled for players that excel in the RAS department. Deangelo Malone is explosive off the edge and has the type of athletic traits to be an intriguing day three dart throw as a pass rusher.
He had 32.5 sacks in his time at Western Kentucky, along with 59 tackles for loss and eight forced fumbles (four this past season).
I would love to see the Broncos take a shot here on day three.
5b. Cole Turner, TE, Nevada
The Broncos don’t have a ton of “needs” and on day three of the Draft, you better not be picking for need anyway.
You want to take shots on guys who have a good chance to hit based on standout traits, and Cole Turner’s standout traits are size and playmaking ability as a big slot on offense.
He’s not a traditional tight end, but you can bet he’s going to test pretty well athletically and he gives the Broncos another unicorn type of option in the passing game at 6-foot-6 with outstanding ball skills and red zone productivity.
Denver Broncos mock draft, rounds 6-7
6. Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri
Again I will say — I’m a huge proponent of the Denver Broncos using multiple picks in this year’s draft on the running back position.
Especially moving to a one-cut system and with the NFL moving to 17 regular season games (potentially 18 or more in the future), you’ve got to have outstanding depth at running back.
And frankly, you never know when one of these picks is just going to hit and be awesome.
Tyler Badie was outstanding this past season at Missouri not only as a running back but as a receiver, catching 54 passes out of the backfield.
He’s not as big as Javonte Williams or Tyler Allgeier, so he offers a bit of a contrast in style as well.
7. Danny Gray, WR, SMU
Dart throws, dart throws, dart throws.
I love day three of the NFL Draft because you can take risks on players and talent at positions that you really don’t need guys at in the moment.
Danny Gray is going to show out this offseason at his pro day and the Combine and I think he would be a fun pickup for the Broncos to draft and stash, even though they have a few of those guys already.
I am a huge fan of always growing the wide receiver room, in particular.
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In two seasons at SMU, Gray had 15 total touchdowns and over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. He’s a playmaker.