The Denver Broncos made a bold trade last March to get Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks, and that trade certainly hasn’t paid the immediate dividends many hoped that it would. The Broncos were hailed by many as being a “quarterback away” from true contention in the AFC West, but that hasn’t proven to be the case.
Instead, Wilson has had a rather disappointing year, the Broncos are 4-10, and if the season ended today (thank goodness it doesn’t), the Broncos would be sending the Seattle Seahawks the third overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
With a couple more wins in the final three weeks of the 2022 season, the Broncos can push that pick down the board a bit to limit the damage, but what if they end up giving Seattle a top-five pick? What kinds of prospects will the Broncos be missing out on? Let’s take a look at five guys that could have potentially worn orange and blue in the NFL, but won’t, at least not in Denver.
Denver Broncos missing out on top-flight prospects in 2023 NFL Draft
1. Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
Taking a defensive lineman with a top-five pick is perhaps not the ideal scenario if your team is really bad, but a player like Jalen Carter could certainly upgrade the whole of the Denver Broncos’ defense and would give an already top-tier unit another blue-chip player.
Carter is listed at 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, but he moves around out on the field like he’s an outside linebacker. He’s got tremendous length, power, quickness, and playmaking instincts. Again, taking a defensive lineman within the top five picks is not an ideal situation for every team but this is the kind of guy you can really build around up front in terms of his talent and ability to wreck games from the inside.
Given the fact that the Broncos could be looking at a pretty substantial reshuffling of the defensive line in the 2023 offseason, Carter might have been a nice piece for them to at least consider if they finish with a top-five pick.
2. Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Alabama
This might be a bit hotly contested, but I’m not overly disappointed about the Broncos missing out on EDGE guys early on in this year’s draft class given the team’s current situation and circumstances.
The Broncos made the unpopular decision to trade Bradley Chubb. Given the fact they were offered a first-round pick (and then some) to trade Chubb, you can’t really blame them though. The Broncos made the decision in the 2022 offseason to have Baron Browning change positions, they used prime free agent dollars to sign Randy Gregory, they used their top pick in the draft on Nik Bonitto, and they have other guys in-house worth developing.
I don’t think an EDGE would be on the radar for the Broncos even if they had this pick but Will Anderson Jr. out of Alabama might be the type of guy you make an exception for. In three seasons at Alabama, he’s got 34.5 sacks and 58.5 tackles for loss.
3. Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
I’m sure this name will be hotly contested as well, but the closer the 2023 NFL Draft gets, I have a feeling this is a name we’re going to be hearing more and more about. Will Levis may take mayonnaise with his coffee and he may eat bananas with the peel, but he can sling the rock.
Levis’ arm talent is impressive. His athleticism and arm talent combined will make him a coveted player for NFL teams regardless of the numbers he put up at Kentucky. I’m not saying he’s Josh Allen, but you could see teams thinking he might be the “next” Josh Allen or convincing each other in war rooms that if you pass on this guy, you might be passing on the next Josh Allen.
The Broncos won’t be having that debate because they won’t pick high enough to have a shot at him.
4. CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
I think if you are going to talk about Will Levis, you’ve also got to talk about CJ Stroud. You could certainly add a player like Bryce Young out of Alabama to that list, but in reality, Young is the odds-on favorite to go no. 1 overall and the Broncos aren’t catching the Texans there.
But CJ Stroud out of Ohio State may have been a possibility for this team if they were picking in the top five of the 2023 NFL Draft without Russell Wilson in the fold.
Stroud has shown outstanding arm talent and ball placement throughout his time at Ohio State and the ability to distribute the ball to all of his playmakers. He’s had no shortage of elite receiver prospects to throw to there at Ohio State, but those guys just go out there and help highlight the great throws Stroud makes on a week-to-week basis.
I don’t think Stroud is nearly as dynamic of a talent as Justin Fields was coming out in 2021, however, so perhaps the Broncos — who passed on Fields — would not be hot on Stroud either.
5. Jordan Addison, WR, USC
This might be the biggest disappointment of all. For a brief time, the mock draft machines had Jordan Addison lasting well into the later portion of the first round, but those times have changed. I think Addison might end up being the best receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft class with shades of his game that remind people of Stefon Diggs and others that are reminiscent of Davante Adams.
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Those are some pretty big names and comparisons but you don’t have to try very hard to see those things when you watch Addison play. The Broncos not having a top-five or potentially top-10 pick that will be going to Seattle has prevented them from adding the WR1 on their board, and I would venture to guess Addison is up there.