4 Denver Broncos predictions during the 2022 NFL Draft

3. Tight end does not get selected with a premium selection

After including Noah Fant in the deal that saw the Denver Broncos acquire Russell Wilson, the tight end room may be one of the thinnest on the roster. Even with that, I could see a scenario where George Paton entrusts Albert Okwuegubnam as tight end one.

Andrew Beck is on the roster, Eric Tomlinson was signed as what I see being the jumbo tight end, and a member of the 2021 practice squad, Shaun Beyer, is expected to be in play for a roster spot as well.

That doesn’t look pretty to anyone, but I do think that the Denver Broncos draft a tight end, just not a Trey McBride type, but in the likes of a Cole Turner. Someone that would require George Paton to spend one of his fourth-round picks on, but would still send the message to Albert Okwuegbunam that he is the Denver Broncos’ starting tight end.

Turner is a guy who is able to block and catch the football at an adequate rate and could fill in just fine as tight end two. Turner has the ability to line out wide and play in that x-receiver role, or hop in the slot and be a size matchup for slot cornerbacks across the league.

If Tom Brady happened to be the Denver Broncos quarterback, someone who is privy to the tight end matchups, maybe Paton chases someone like Trey McBride. Russell Wilson has a lot of targets on the outside as he did with Tyler Lockett, D.J. Metcalf, and Doug Baldwin.

Throughout his career, he has never “leaned” on the tight end position for success and operates throughout big plays to his wide receivers more often that not. That stays true with his time in Denver I believe, at least for 2022.

That room gets reinforcements during the draft, just not throwing heavy artillery to an area that does not have heavy traffic passing through.