The Denver Broncos have their franchise quarterback, but the rest of the quarterback room around Bo Nix could change drastically this spring. Both Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson are set to hit the open market in the coming weeks, and both could command sizable paydays as strong backups. And Wilson, as a potential starter for a team as the former 2nd overall selection, might look to try and revitalize his career elsewhere.
If both Broncos backups leave, the team could turn to the draft to bring in Nix's understudy, which could save them significant money against the cap.
3 prospects the Broncos could draft
Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Riley Leonard might just be the apple of Sean Payton's eye. Potentially a new Taysom Hill, Leonard was one of the more athletic quarterbacks in college football. He ran the football like a tank engine moving through the battlefield, and his size and athleticism might allow him to become a pass-catching threat as well.
At least in the short term, Leonard can provide many of the same skills that Nix can, obviously to a lesser extent. Leonard could also find himself of use in different offensive packages, which could be another factor leading the Broncos to select him in this April's draft.
Will Howard, Ohio State
One of the best abilities that a backup quarterback on a playoff team can have is the ability to handle big games. If Nix were to need replacing during a game with playoff implications late in the season, would the Broncos' backup be comfortable playing in a big game with pressure? One easy box to check for Will Howard is his ability to play in big games. He became the first quarterback in NCAA history to win all four playoff games in the new expanded format, with most of the time on the field for the Buckeyes coming with a commanding lead.
Howard's big game experience is undeniable and could be a major talking point around his draft status as we get closer and closer to April's draft.
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Dillon Gabriel was the heir to Bo Nix's throne in Eugene, Oregon, and could follow Nix to a destination again. Gabriel is one of the more accomplished quarterbacks in NCAA history, starting 64 games over five years, winning 47 of them. Gabriel's 47 wins are just three behind Kellen Moore for the most in D1 football history.
Gabriel, much like Howard, has plenty of big game experience from his six years in school, ranging from his time at the helm of top-25 UCF teams to his time dominating the Big 12 as a top-5 team at Oklahoma and ending with a CFP Playoff appearance at Oregon. Gabriel has a strong arm, good pocket awareness, and could be a steady hand for any team needing a backup this spring.