The Denver Broncos had themselves a small 2023 NFL Draft class -- just five players in total coming in through the draft (unless you count TE Adam Trautman coming in a trade) -- and everyone has been evaluating what kind of early impact this draft class will make.
Despite having just five picks, and despite not picking until 63rd overall, I think it's safe to say the Broncos had a good draft, overall. That doesn't mean we aren't going to analyze and over-analyze every selection until we see what these guys can do on the field. The on-field grade over a period of a couple of years will be what actually matters, but did the Broncos get these picks right in terms of prospect valuation, the positional value, and the slots these players were taken?
What picks did the team get right and what picks might the team regret? Let's take a look.
Broncos pick they got right: Alex Forsyth, C, Oregon
Alex Forsyth was the Denver Broncos' seventh-round pick out of Oregon. It's kind of easy to sit here and say they got this pick "right" but I think it's worth mentioning, for sure. Forsyth was considered the top center in the draft by some NFL Draft analysts out there. Not all of them, but some of them. He had three years of starting experience at Oregon and when you listen to him answer a question from noted OL expert Brandon Thorn at the Scouting Combine, you get a sense of just how intelligent this kid is:
I got to ask former Oregon C Alex Forsyth about a sequence of plays I noticed studying his film vs. Jalen Carter that showed an impressive ability to adjust mid-game. pic.twitter.com/5JEMtyt9i6
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) March 4, 2023
A lot of Broncos fans obviously wanted the team to take a center much earlier than they actually did. The Broncos waited until the 7th round when people felt like this was a pressing need, something the team should target with its highest selections. All throughout the offseason, the Broncos haven't really given the impression that they are desperate for an upgrade here, as surprising as that may be.
It seems like Lloyd Cushenberry III is penciled into the starting spot and players like Forsyth will be able to compete for that job. Time will tell. At this point, however, it's clear that Forsyth was a good value no matter what way you slice it.