Broncos pre-draft presser takeaway no. 1: Moving up in round two is possible
The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft is going to be reserved for watching Russell Wilson highlights, so you don’t have to worry about the Broncos trading their remaining picks to move back into the top 32.
At least, it’s not very likely.
Never say never, but George Paton told the media during his pre-draft press conference that it’s much more likely for the Broncos to be moving up in the second round than the first.
"It’s going to be tough to move up into the first, but I wouldn’t rule it out. I would say it’s much more likely that we move up in the second or move back. It’s going to take a lot of capital. We’ve gone through all the models to get up there in the first [round]. You never rule it out, but I think it’s more likely we move up into the second. George Paton via Broncos PR"
The price to move up in round two is simply going to be much easier to pay than the price to move up into round one.
Not only that, but Paton made a joke about how, unlike the Los Angeles Rams, the Broncos like picks.
He said it in jest, but he wasn’t really kidding. The Broncos don’t have any picks in the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft and they don’t plan on picking until later in the third round.
Having Russell Wilson on board certainly makes that easier to deal with, but that doesn’t mean Paton is going to remain content with what he’s got in next year’s war chest. He’s going to start building it now.
The Broncos have flexibility but unless there’s one specific player they feel is really going to make a huge impact this year or down the road, the safe bet is that they will be moving back, not moving up.