The 2024 NFL Draft is now officially in the books, and it looks like the Denver Broncos got a great haul, but could they have some regrets in the future? It'll take several years before we can definitively say whether or not this Broncos draft class ends up being legitimate.
Obviously, the hope is that this can be a foundational class for the future, but you just never know. There isn't such a thing as a perfect draft class, and the Broncos isn't close to it. However, there's quite a bit to like on the surface about what the team did and the players they brought in.
Besides the obvious with Bo Nix, Denver also drafted his college teammate, WR Troy Franklin, and added another EDGE rusher to the mix, so it's clear that Denver went into the 2024 NFL Draft with a plan. Could the Broncos, however, end up regretting some of their choices years down the road?
3 massive mistakes Denver Broncos might regret after 2024 NFL Draft
1. Maybe Bo Nix isn't the answer
Soon after Bo Nix was taken, Ben Allbright had tweeted that Nix was third on the Broncos QB ranking, behind only Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams. Even though Nix was the sixth QB taken in the first round, he was third on the Broncos board, and I do believe a lot of the aftermath of the Nix selection pertains to him being the last QB of the first round taken.
But my gosh, that does not matter at all. What matters is where the Broncos themselves had Nix ranked, but there is always a chance Bo Nix ends up not making it in the NFL, and that might leave Denver regretting the selection. Nix isn't a special athlete and is kind of a boring prospect in that regard.
Someone like JJ McCarthy went just two picks before Nix. McCarthy was lower on the Broncos board, but he's also three years younger than Nix and has a higher ceiling. If Nix does not work out but McCarthy does, the Broncos might end up wishing they had gone in a different direction.
2. No defensive tackle was drafted
The Denver Broncos did not select a defensive tackle during the 2024 NFL Draft, but it looks like they've brought in at least two UDFA defensive tackles in Jordan Miller from SMU and Jaylon Allen from Memphis. And I would be remiss if I did not mention the team committing highway robbery when they sent a measly sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for New York Jets DE John Franklin-Myers, who is a darn good football player and a legitimate pass rush threat.
All of a sudden, between the addition of JFM, the Broncos taking EDGE Jonah Elliss, and their other DT additions in Angelo Blackson and Malcolm Roach, the Broncos defensive front looks competent. However, I would have loved to have seen them take a stab on a defensive tackle during the NFL Draft, as the UDFAs they've brought in have a very small chance at making the roster.
It would have been nice to see Sean Payton and George Paton bring in a mid or late-round defensive tackle, as there is no guarantee that the additions they have made will pan out the way they hope.
3. Maybe the team should have traded down from Round 1
Many people have said that if the Denver Broncos did not take Bo Nix with the 12th pick, he'd have fallen way down in the first round and perhaps out of Round 1 entirely. That may have been the case, and it does make me think that the Broncos could have traded down some slots to acquire more capital and still land Nix.
Now yes, the argument here is that if you want "your guy" especially at QB, you go get him, so I am not at all mad that Denver took Nix at 12, but you have to wonder if he could have been drafted with the Eagles 22nd overall pick, which Denver perhaps could have traded down into. That would have also likely netted them one of Philly's two second-round picks and perhaps another pick included.
Anyway, this might not have a huge impact in the future, and they did kind of make up for it by selecting a second-round talent in Troy Franklin in the fourth-round, but you have to wonder if Denver did have an opening to trade down during the 2024 NFL Draft.