Broncos Draft Recap 2022: Complete breakdown of Denver’s picks

We take an in-depth look at all nine of the Denver Broncos’ picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. What can we expect from these rookies?

The Denver Broncos’ 2022 NFL Draft class seems to be drawing mixed reviews, which is fascinating.

On the one hand, it’s understandable that many fans would be a little off-put by certain things the team didn’t do, or particular players they didn’t select.

On the other hand, the correct perspective is that the Denver Broncos and general manager George Paton absolutely aced this draft because they invested their top two picks in quarterback Russell Wilson.

No other team in the entire league invested their most important selections better than the Denver Broncos, who started off with five picks in the first three rounds before the trade to acquire Wilson.

But what about the picks themselves? How did George Paton and company do in their efforts to upgrade the roster around Wilson? That’s worth diving into.

Denver Broncos top pick: Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma

For all of the grief I get for putting together a million mock draft scenarios that a lot of people consider to be pointless over the course of about five or six months, the fact that no player was predicted to land in Denver more than Nik Bonitto throughout mock draft season is fascinating.

This is a fit that you could almost see coming from a mile away.

The Broncos traded Von Miller for the Rams’ second and third-round picks in this draft, and with the top selection they received from Los Angeles, they took Bonitto, whose physical and athletic profile is at least somewhat comparable to that of Von Miller coming out of Texas A&M back in 2011.

Miller was obviously much more dynamic overall, but just like Miller, Bonitto has an incredible first step. In fact, his 10-yard split of 1.53 seconds is faster than Miller’s 1.62.

Bonitto’s unreal athleticism pops off the tape when you watch him play. He’s a versatile athlete with the ability to pin his ears back and rush the passer, but he was used a ton at Oklahoma as QB spy as well as in coverage.

Watching even a handful of Oklahoma games, you will quickly discover that when Bonitto is able to just time the snap and get after the quarterback, tackles can’t get their hands on him cleanly. He has good bend around the edge and instinctively looks to pop the ball loose.

He’s not a true edge setter at this point but you can see the flashes of ability to be a full-time edge setter when it comes to playing the run and staying disciplined instead of just trying to take the quickest path into the backfield as possible.

Overall, at pick number 64 in this draft, I think Bonitto is going to bring a presence off the edge immediately as a rookie and he is an NFL-ready pass rush specialist.

The fact that Elvis Dumervil announced this pick at the NFL Draft in Las Vegas gives this selection an even better vibe.

Denver Broncos pick no. 80 overall: Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA

Considered by some (like NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah) to be the best tight end in this class, even over the beloved Trey McBride, Greg Dulcich effectively fills the widely perceived need of tight end after sending Noah Fant to the Seattle Seahawks.

With Dulcich in the fray, the Denver Broncos now have two young tight ends with the ability to truly stretch the field and be absolute monsters after the catch.

That was an underrated element of Noah Fant’s game that had really been missing in the Pat Shurmur offense, and with Dulcich coming to Denver from Chip Kelly’s scheme at UCLA, I think we’re going to see the return of tight end YAC in the Mile High City.

Dulcich averaged a pretty astounding 18.6 yards per reception over the last two seasons for Chip Kelly’s Bruins, his two years as a primary starter.

That kind of production doesn’t happen by accident and it wasn’t a very small volume of catches, either. Dulcich averaged 18.6 yards per reception on 68 catches while adding 10 touchdowns.

https://twitter.com/pac12/status/1434334253815193600

Dulcich had three touchdowns among his 10 of over 50 yards. His speed is deceptive but where he’s really fascinating is playing a big slot role.

Dulcich was a no-star prospect coming out of high school as a 215-pound tight end. His high school coach played at UCLA and got him preferred walk-on status.

Dulcich wasn’t on scholarship until 2020 and after putting on all of the weight and muscle he did to play the tight end position, he still has some of the same moves you would expect from a much smaller player when lined up in the slot.

In some ways, Dulcich’s game is reminiscent of Travis Kelce’s.

I’m not saying he’s Travis Kelce, but he does some similar things and I think that Broncos fans are going to be extremely pleased with the way he pairs up with Albert Okwuegbunam in the passing game.

Denver Broncos 4th-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft

115. Damarri Mathis, CB, Pittsburgh

Heading into day three of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos had to take advantage of the outstanding depth at the cornerback position that was still left on the board.

They did so by taking Pittsburgh senior Damarri Mathis, one of the top athletes at the position in this entire class.

Including running a blazing 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine, Mathis showed off his elite athleticism with a 43.5-inch vertical jump at the Pitt pro day.

More than just athleticism, Mathis packs a huge punch as a defensive back and plays with outstanding toughness. He played primarily press quarters coverage at Pitt and I think he’ll be an outstanding fit for what new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero wants to do.

Mathis has the ability to really break on the ball and be a huge weapon as a blitzer.

It will seem like hyperbole, but he was ascending into top-100 status after a great week at the Senior Bowl capped off with his tremendous metrics in the testing process.

At 5-foot-11, Mathis is well built at 196 pounds with a wingspan in the 81st percentile. He’s going to be a future starter and immediate contributor in nickel and dime packages.

With his speed and toughness, Mathis is also going to be an asset for Dwayne Stukes’ special teams unit.

Denver Broncos 2022 NFL Draft pick no. 116: Eyioma Uwazurike, DL, Iowa State

After the Denver Broncos sent Shelby Harris to the Seattle Seahawks in the Russell Wilson trade, it amplified a need that had, frankly, already made itself well-known on the defensive line.

The Broncos responded in free agency by signing DJ Jones from the San Francisco 49ers, one of the most productive run stuffers in the NFL with 17 tackles for loss over the last two seasons.

Even after adding DJ Jones, what is the Denver Broncos’ actual depth on the defensive line? They have Mike Purcell, who hasn’t been able to stay healthy the last two seasons.

They have DeShawn Williams back on a one-year deal.

McTelvin Agim is back for a third season, but he was inexplicably riding the pine last season after a strong camp and preseason.

With depth an uncertainty, the Broncos turned to Iowa State’s Eyioma Uwazurike, a truly massive defensive line prospect whose frame is reminiscent of Akiem Hicks. As a matter of fact, Uwazurike’s testing numbers coming out of Iowa State were far better than Hicks’ back in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Last season, Uwazurike had 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks and in each of the last two seasons, his 85-inch wingspan has helped him block a field goal.

I view Uwazurike as basically the Broncos getting a bonus Day 2 draft selection and with the versatility he showed at Iowa State to play all over the defensive line from the 0 all the way out to the 5T positions, he should have an immediate role in Denver.

Denver Broncos 2022 NFL Draft recap: 5th-round picks

5a. Delarrin Turner-Yell, S, Oklahoma

After using two fifth-round picks at the safety position in 2021, George Paton made a third straight selection at safety with the Delarrin Turner-Yell pick near the top of round five.

For a lot of the 2021 offseason, Broncos fans spent time looking for the eventual replacement for Kareem Jackson. As it turns out, that player may have come onto the roster right here with this pick.

Turner-Yell, physically, is just about a carbon copy of Jackson.

The Broncos liked Turner-Yell’s ability to play center field and there’s no question that the safety room is getting more athletic with this pick.

The question is — how do the Broncos view their three young fifth-rounders at safety? Will they’ll  all be able to crack the roster in 2022?

5b. Montrell Washington, WR/KR, Samford

If you need any evidence of what this guy can do, turn on the highlight reel from his game against the Florida Gators.

The Broncos let Diontae Spencer walk in free agency after a very underwhelming 2021 season, and they are obviously hoping that Washington can come in and provide an immediate spark.

Not only that, but Washington looks like he will be able to do what Spencer simply couldn’t — figure out a way to contribute on the offense.

This pick was seemingly of the deep sleeper variety, not unlike when your buddy in fantasy football drafts the rookie on his favorite team five founds too early.

Even if that’s the case, the Broncos’ scouts loved what Washington brought to the table as a return man to seriously prioritize him, and that says it all.

5c. Luke Wattenberg, IOL, Washington

By my count, George Paton has now traded up for two players in the two drafts he has been part of with the Denver Broncos as general manager.

He traded up in 2021 for running back Javonte Williams, and here he traded up a handful of spots in the fifth round for Luke Wattenberg, an interior lineman out of Washington.

As of right now, it seems like Wattenberg was drafted to play center, but things may be more in flux on the offensive line than meets the eye.

The Broncos have clearly prioritized high-level athletes under George Paton’s watch and Wattenberg had some of the best testing scores of any interior lineman in this year’s class.

In combination with his high athletic score, Wattenberg also has very long 34-inch arms.

This pick is highly intriguing for the long term and possibly even the short term.

Denver Broncos 2022 NFL Draft recap: 6th-7th round

6. Matt Henningsen, DL, Wisconsin

The Denver Broncos capped off their nine player draft with a pair of Wisconsin Badgers defenders.

What’s important to note is that the Broncos have a high level of respect for the pro-style defense Jim Leonhard (yes, the foremr NFL safety Jim Leonhard) runs with the Badgers.

What does it matter that the Badgers run a pro-style defense? It means that they ask a lot out of the guys that actually see the field in terms of playing a variety of positions, understanding different responsibilities and playing different coverages.

For defensive lineman Matt Henningsen, the fact that Wisconsin runs a rather complicated style of defense makes it all the more impressive that he was able to crack the starting lineup as a walk-on freshman (albeit, a redshirt freshman in 2018), the first Wisconsin Badgers football player to do that since at least 1990, if not longer.

He got a masters in engineering in five years and managed to crack Bruce Feldman’s annual “freaks” list, proving his elite athleticism.

Henningsen proved his athleticism with rare explosiveness. A 37.5-inch vertical jump for most players is great. For a 295-pound defensive lineman? It’s outrageous.

Even as a 6th-round pick, do not be surprised to see Henningsen crack the rotation in his rookie season.

7. Faion Hicks, CB, Wisconsin

Again, the defense Jim Leonhard runs at Wisconsin is highly respected by the Broncos’ scouts and coaches.

Nathaniel Hackett referenced after the draft the fact that he spent some time in Buffalo with Leonhard back in the day, so they are obviously still connected.

Faion Hicks played the cornerback position in Leonhard’s defense and in 15 games over the last two seasons, he has 12 passes broken up.

Denver Broncos have some gems among 13 undrafted free agents

The Denver Broncos may have found some gems among their 2022 undrafted free agent class, which includes 13 new players added to the roster.

Another prospect with tremendous speed, Hicks has the speed, explosiveness, and agility to play inside or outside at the next level.