3 surprise positions the Denver Broncos could target atop 2022 NFL Draft

Denver Broncos surprise target no. 2: Interior offensive line

After the anticipation builds for 63 selections, you would probably be able to hear the air being let out of Broncos Country like a balloon slowly deflating if the team uses its top pick on a center or interior offensive lineman.

There is nothing more boring than this position group when it comes to the NFL Draft.

Still, sometimes the more boring picks are the ones your team needs the most.

George Paton did not draft Lloyd Cushenberry III. He did not draft Dalton Risner. I don’t think those players’ starting gigs are as set in stone as it maybe seems to a lot of the fan base.

Risner is entering a contract year and he’s coming off of two slightly disappointing seasons.

Cushenberry was not good as a rookie and while he showed improvement in year two, is there a better fit for the new offensive scheme at center in this Draft class?

The Broncos have certainly been doing a lot of homework on the guys at center and guard in this class, bringing a number of them in for top-30 visits including Memphis’ Dylan Parham, Nebraska’s Cam Jurgens, Chattanooga’s Cole Strange, and other players who project to the offensive interior at the NFL level like Tulsa’s Tyler Smith.

The team also sent offensive line coach Butch Barry to the Central Michigan pro day where he got to see Bernhard Raimann and Luke Goedeke up close.

There are a variety of options out there for Denver to consider for the interior offensive line and with the emphasis the team has placed there in the pre-draft visit process, George Paton could surprise by picking one with his top selection.