5 Denver Broncos 2023 NFL Draft predictions: Finding value

Denver Broncos: 5 predictions for the 2023 NFL Draft

1. Broncos will trade up

The NFL Draft philosophy of general manager George Paton is typically to accumulate as many picks (darts) as possible. If you've got more darts to throw at the board, you've got a better shot at hitting a bullseye. The NFL Draft is not an exact science, no matter how good your analytics or pre-draft studying is.

You might find yourself with an "A+" grade from the analysts when the draft is all said and done, but you might have the worst draft in the league three or four years down the line. While Paton has made 19 picks in two years on the job in Denver, Sean Payton averaged about five selections per class in his time in New Orleans.

Whether it's from 67, 68, or 108, I think we'll see the Denver Broncos trade up for someone.

2. Broncos will trade down

Ultimately, I think we're going to see everyone get their wish. I think at some point, the Broncos will use assets to trade up, but don't be shocked to see them trade down off of the 67th or 68th slot to try and pick up additional capital. They might be able to turn one of those picks into two or even three picks, depending on how far they want to move down and how many players they're targeting.

The reality for the Denver Broncos is this: With five selections to work with, projecting a quality draft class is like trying to figure out an impossible Sudoku puzzle. It just doesn't fit. This team needs depth at a variety of positions and unless they just love the value of certain guys with those top two picks, I think we're going to see them trade up from one and down from the other.