3 draft picks the Broncos got right and 2 they will regret

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:

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.

Broncos pick they got right: Riley Moss, CB, Iowa

I think people might be surprised to see the inclusion of Riley Moss in the "picks the Broncos got right" category.

Moss was a player the Broncos traded up to get in a deal that certainly wasn't unanimously beloved by fans across Broncos Country. The team had already made two selections on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, and their day was presumably done until George Paton and Sean Payton moved up from the 108th overall slot, trading a 2024 3rd-round pick in the process, to get up to the 83rd overall slot.

I'm sure if it had been for Joe Tippmann (if he were available) fans wouldn't have really cared, but Riley Moss didn't come up in this range of picks in many mock drafts. He was considered a Day 3 pick by the mock draft simulators, and therefore fans didn't really see the player as a good value or someone worth trading up for. This is all extremely subjective until guys actually play on the field, but what Riley Moss showed at Iowa was certainly worthy of a top-100 pick and a lot of prominent people had him ranked high on their boards.

At least, compared to the simulators.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network had him ranked 61st overall. ESPN had him ranked 67th. Matt Miller had him ranked 61st overall.

I got the chance to watch Moss' entire career unfold at Iowa and he was always one of Phil Parker's (Iowa DC) most reliable playmakers in the secondary. Moss finished his time in Iowa City with 11 interceptions and he was always getting around the ball. He has tremendous explosiveness, speed, and ability to attack the football in the air.

While this pick was highly contested by some, I think this was a good pick and the right pick for the Denver Broncos, even as costly as it was to trade up. Moss could start as a rookie.

Broncos pick they got right: Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma

When Sean Payton was a member of FOX as part of the media, he was asked how he would "fix" Russell Wilson. Among the things he said was that he would make sure they had a list of Russ' "greatest hits" and those song lyrics available in the playbook. We all know what Russell Wilson has done well throughout his career, and some of the most prominent highlights from him have been bombs deep downfield to guys like DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Doug Baldwin, Percy Harvin, and whoever else the Seahawks had out there at receiver the last 10 or so years.

Not that the Broncos don't have any receivers to win deep, but there probably weren't many receivers better at winning deep downfield in this draft than Marvin Mims, who averaged over 20 yards per reception at Oklahoma.

If your plan is to play Russ' greatest hits, what do you need? You need a strong run game as a foundation and you need guys who can take the top off, especially off of play-action. Marvin Mims is going to be able to come in and do that.

Aside from picking up Jerry Jeudy's 5th-year option, the Broncos also don't really have much clarity at receiver beyond this year. The contracts of Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick -- combined with their age and injury history -- are getting to the point where we don't quite know what the future holds for those guys. KJ Hamler is also in a contract year and currently is recovering from a pectoral injury.

I think Mims is going to play early, and I think he's going to play a lot. Not to mention, Sean Payton said after this selection was made that they identified Mims as one of two "elite" punt return specialists in this year's class along with Houston's Tank Dell.

Although after this pick was made, a lot of people were quick to say, "the Broncos don't need another receiver" I think it will be fascinating to see everything unfold this season and just how friendly the fans are toward this player as he's stretching the field and making plays with his game-changing speed.

Broncos pick they might regret: The players they didn't take at 67

Some of the picks the Denver Broncos might regret are the ones they didn't make. After taking Marvin Mims with the 63rd overall pick, there were a plethora of guys on the board left on the board for the Broncos with the 67th pick that they might end up regretting passing on.

Here's a quick trio of options to consider:

1. Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

The Broncos traded pick 68 to the Detroit Lions for the 63rd overall pick, and right behind the Broncos at pick 67, the Lions took Hendon Hooker at no. 68 overall. Of course, they had a ton of picks to work with in the draft, so taking a QB was not nearly the luxury kind of pick for the Lions at that juncture as it would have been for the Denver Broncos.

With that being said, Hendon Hooker would have been a calculated risk-reward option there in round three that might have been worth the Broncos' while, even if things don't pan out. You take a talented QB in round three and it doesn't work out? Oh well. It's a good shot to take. Some people felt like Hooker might still land in round one of this draft despite being in recovery from a knee injury.

Seems like that could have been a good risk to take given the team's situation beyond this year at QB.

2/3: Tucker Kraft and Darnell Washington, TE

As much as I loved the Adam Trautman trade for the Broncos, I would have loved to have seen the team go after Tucker Kraft or Darnell Washington with that 67th overall pick. Yes, those guys could have fallen for very good reasons (injuries, in all likelihood) but I couldn't help but be tempted by the value at that pick.

Especially with Washignton, a physical specimen out of Georgia who was one of my favorite players in this draft class.

Broncos might regret this pick: Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas

When I saw the pick come through for the Denver Broncos taking Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders, my hopes were slightly dashed. Of course, we all have some level of "desire" for what we want to see the team do in the NFL Draft, and one of the things I wanted this team to do, specifically, was pass on the linebacker position in their earliest pick slots.

It has nothing really to do with Drew Sanders, who is an interesting prospect in his own right, and almost everything to do with positional value, potential for early impact, and what was still on the board there in that slot for the Broncos.

For my money, as previously stated, I would have much rather spent this pick on someone like Hendon Hooker, but that might just be me.

Sanders showed out in his lone year as a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks. The former five-star prospect at Alabama was stuck behind a couple of future first-round picks as an edge player, so he made the most of his special teams chances before transferring to Arkansas and getting a shot as an off-ball linebacker. He became an All-American and generated some first-round hype along the way.

Ultimately, Drew Sanders is a very talented football player with a ton of room to grow physically. This is the pick I'm being most critical of because I didn't like the position in that 67th overall slot, and I think Sanders warrants a bit of skepticism.

This guy didn't have a true position coming out of high school. He didn't rapidly ascend on Alabama's depth chart despite being a highly-touted five-star prospect. He is still learning the off-ball linebacker position and his frame is really unconventional at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds.

I like the idea of having a big, rangy, explosive linebacker who can play in coverage, rush the passer, and contribute early on special teams. But is Sanders going to be able to really hone in on an area in the NFL and become a full-time starter? As Sean Payton stated throughout the NFL Draft, they have a clear "vision" for each of these guys, so I'm going to be fascinated to see what it is with Sanders.

Despite just being a third-round pick, Sanders feels like the "riskiest" selection the Broncos made overall.