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3 players the Denver Broncos could release after the 2022 NFL Draft

By Sayre Bedinger

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAR 01: George Paton, general manager of the Denver Broncos speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 1, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAR 01: George Paton, general manager of the Denver Broncos speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 1, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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The 2022 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and roster spots will be hard to come by with the Denver Broncos. Which players could be released?

The Denver Broncos are poised to make some big additions in the 2022 NFL Draft even after the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade.

There’s no question that general manager George Paton’s war chest has been slightly depleted when it comes to draft capital. He no longer has the 9th or 40th overall picks.

Even though those picks belong to the Seattle Seahawks now, Paton can still make a big splash in this year’s draft and that could ultimately lead to some roster casualties.

Depending on what the Denver Broncos end up doing in the 2022 NFL Draft, we could see a few veterans let go to pave the way for younger players to come in, or perhaps the Broncos will find some post-Draft matches via free agency to upgrade the roster.

Let’s take a look at some players that could be let go depending on what happens in the NFL Draft…

Denver Broncos, Mike Purcell
Dec 22, 2019; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos nose tackle Mike Purcell (98) reacts after a play against the Detroit Lions in the third quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Denver Broncos that could be released after the Draft

1. Mike Purcell, DL

I could be way off regarding the team’s perception of Mike Purcell, but the production simply hasn’t been there in the last couple of seasons.

Purcell has been dealing with injuries limiting him to just 19 games and 580 snaps over the last two seasons, preventing him from being the high impact player that earned a contract extension back in 2019.

In that 2019 season, Purcell broke out with a 48-tackle campaign that included 8.0 tackles for loss.

Since then?

He’s had just 3.0 tackles for loss in the last 19 games and has not been consistently available for the Broncos.

The Broncos could add more than $2 million in cap space by cutting Purcell and depending on what his role is, the time might be drawing near where the Broncos give the majority of their defensive line snaps to Dre’Mont Jones, DJ Jones, McTelvin Agim, De’Shawn Williams, and potentially some other younger players coming in.

There are also some intriguing free agents still available like Akiem Hicks.

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