The Denver Broncos will select five times within the first 96 picks of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The draft has long been one of the most exciting events on the annual NFL calendar and as such, it’s one of the most exciting things to talk about.
As the world of the draft has evolved, so has the world of talking about it within platforms such as this one and that is why mock drafts are so much fun. Pro Football Focus recognized this fact and now, fans can use this PFF simulator to run their own mocks.
So for the purpose of this exercise, I used the simulator to play George Paton for a few minutes to make selections for the Broncos in each of the first three rounds of the draft.
Looking at the players that were available when the Broncos went on the clock in each round and taking into consideration each of the team’s most pressing needs, the players that will follow were selected.
Of course, the free-agent signing period starts in a couple of weeks and could change things up drastically in terms of a draft strategy. But for now, take a look at how things came out in this particular draft.
First-round, No. 15 overall: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
Number 15? The Broncos hold the No. 9 overall pick, correct? They do, but in this scenario, they were able to trade down and get an extra first-round choice for the number 9 pick, in which most of the players you would expect were off the board. Here were the first eight choices:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
2. Detroit Lions: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
3. Houston Texans: Derek Stingley, Jr., CB, LSU
4. New York Jets: Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
5. New York Giants: Ikem Ekwonu, T, North Carolina State
6. Carolina Panthers: Charles Cross, T, Mississippi State
7. New York Giants: Evan Neal, T, Alabama
8. Atlanta Falcons: George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
You will see many mock drafts that have the Broncos getting Devin Lloyd with the No. 9 overall choice and that would be a solid pick, but in this scenario, they were still able to nab him six slots later. But first, let’s look at that trade:
With that pick, the Eagles selected Drake London, a wide receiver out of USC.
The Broncos went with Lloyd who many see as the best overall linebacker in this draft. The reason why is because he has the ability to be a three-down linebacker, something that seems to be becoming more and more rare.
But Lloyd can give you a little bit of everything. He has sideline to sideline range and he can also drop back into coverage better than probably any backer in this class. He is not only able to do that, but he also does so at a high level, able to stick with many different types of players including wide receivers, tight ends and running backs.
A three-year starter for the Utes, Lloyd also had 15.5 sacks during his college career, including seven in 2021.
This would be a terrific pick at No. 15 for the Broncos.
Second-Round, No. 16 overall: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
After selecting Lloyd, the Broncos have the very next pick and use it to take one of the more impressive offensive line prospects in this class, Trevor Penning.
While Penning can play left tackle at the next level, he does have experience on the right side and could begin his career there. If Garett Bolles were ever to falter or see a decline in his level of play, Penning could be shifted over.
Penning’s tape at the Senior Bowl, where he was an absolute animal, would just be too good to pass up on if he was still on the board at this spot.
The Broncos could re-sign Bobby Massie to a cheap, one-year deal and then have him work with the rookie to get him ready to see the field, which would likely be sooner rather than later. Massie would just be used as depth and insurance at that point.
The mean streak of Penning, combined with that of the attitude that Bolles brings to the field, would give the Broncos’ offensive line a great identity heading into next season in Nathaniel Hackett’s new offense.
Third-Round, No. 64 overall: Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota
Boye Mafe goes to the Broncos in the third round, where it was a bit of a surprise to see him still on the board.
Mafe is not a complete prospect as his run defense will need some work at the next level, but at Minnesota, he showed the ability to play with his hand in the dirt and as a standup linebacker and was effective in both roles.
He is athletic and versatile, able to step out and cover running backs in the flat, for instance. But his bread and butter, and the reason the Broncos will take him, will be for his pass-rushing abilities.
Adding him to their stable of pass-rushers would be something that Paton would be highly interested in. He had 15 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss during his career with the Gophers.
The Broncos would be looking to tap into his huge upside and if he could become a player who could become effective against the run later in his career, he would be a handful to deal with.
Mafe’s quickness off the snap is quite impressive and will be the reason he is no worse than a day-two pick, though you can find some mocks out there right now where he is a late first-round choice.
Mafe was named Player of the Game for the National Team in the Senior Bowl.
This would be good value if the Broncos were able to snag him 64 picks into the process.
Third-Round, No. 73 overall: Josh Jobe, CB, Alabama
Josh Jobe never fully developed into the first-round prospect that many thought he would become down in Tuscaloosa, but there is more than enough to work with here.
Though the Broncos prioritized the cornerback position last offseason, there are plenty of questions at the position going into the 2022 season with Kyle Fuller and Bryce Callahan both about to hit free agency and 2020 third-round pick, Michael Ojemudia, having missed most of last season.
But the team does have last year’s first-round pick, Patrick Surtain, who happened to line up with Jobe in college. That was part of the thought in selecting Jobe right here.
Jobe possesses good length and physicality to go along with sound ball skills. He’s certainly not a refined prospect as his aggressiveness, another aspect of his game to really like, can lead him to drawing a few too many flags and giving up some big plays.
The Broncos likely would not want to rely on him as a day one starter as a rookie, but if he can clean a few things up, there is no doubt that there is enough talent there for him to be entrenched in a starting position early on in his career.
Third-Round, No. 96 overall: Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky
The Broncos wait until the end of day two to add a quarterback. Going into this draft, the hope would be that adding a quarterback won’t be a pressing need, but that will depend on what the team does prior to the draft.
Nevertheless, Bailey Zappe was still on the board in this spot and is an intriguing enough prospect to take a shot at. This may be a bit too high to take him but the team decides to pull the trigger on a guy who could surprise at the professional level the same way he did for the Hilltoppers in 2021.
He played just one season at Western Kentucky after transferring over from Houston Baptist, a tiny school out of the Southland Conference. All Zappe did in 2021 was passed for 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns, setting single-season NCAA records in both categories.
He doesn’t have the kind of arm strength pro scouts generally salivate over but he displays solid footwork, is incredibly accurate, particularly on the short to intermediate throws and his deep ball is always laid out right where it needs to be for his receiver to make a play on it.
He also shows a high football IQ and a good understanding of what is in front of him.
Zappe has the traits that generally fit a backup quarterback at the pro ranks but in today’s NFL, a backup quarterback is called on much more often than not. In addition, he has enough raw talent that could be developed into a guy a team could count on for a lot more in the future.
The Broncos have a lot of picks and if they hit big in free agency and have a nice offseason prior to the draft beginning, they’ll have the ability to roll the dice here.