Ahead of the Draft, multiple round-ups were made regarding who analysts thought the Broncos were selected with the 12th overall selection (or in a trade). Now, that the 2024 NFL Draft is over, let's look at how these analysts graded the Denver Broncos class ...
Before getting into the grades, here are the seven picks the Broncos made during the 2024 NFL Draft.
- Round 1: Bo Nix, QB Oregon (12th overall pick)
- Round 3: Jonah Elliss, EDGE Utah (76th overall pick)
- Round 4: Troy Franklin, WR Oregon (102nd overall pick - trade via Seattle)
- Round 5: Kris Abrams-Draine, CB Missouri (145th overall pick)
- Round 5: Audric Estimé, RB Notre Dame (147th overall pick)
- Round 7: Devaughn Vele, WR Utah (235th overall pick - trade via Seattle)
- Round 7: Nick Gargiulo, G South Carolina (256th overall pick)
I would not say I like to grade draft picks because we have not seen these players play. On paper, the names could be something, but on the field something different, for better or worse. That being said, let's look at what analysts think regarding the 2024 Denver Broncos draft class.
Chad Reuter - NFL.com: B-
Reuter gives teams their overall grade based on their day 1, day 2, and day 3 grades average. He gave Denver a C on day 1 (Round 1), a B on day 2 (Rounds 2 and 3), and an A on day 3 (Rounds 4-7), which gives an average of B-. Denver got their quarterback, but for many, it was a bit of a reach.
"Time will tell whether Nix will be a top-notch starting NFL quarterback or viewed as a reach by a team in desperate need of talent under center. Time will also tell whether the 2023 first- and 2024 second-rounders the Broncos sent the Saints to acquire coach Sean Payton (along with a 2024 third-round pick) will lead to a championship in Denver."Chad Reuter - NFL.com
"Elliss isn’t a fantastic athlete but was productive at a need position for Utah, where he played for his father, former NFL lineman Luther Elliss. Denver traded up early in Round 4 to unite Franklin with Nix; the former is not the toughest receiver, but he can make defenders miss after the catch. The Broncos then found value at corner in wiry competitor Abrams-Draine before grabbing a power back in Estimé."Chad Reuter - NFL.com
Sean Payton compared the Bo Nix situation to the 2017 draft, where he had the 11th overall pick and was ready to select Patrick Mahomes, but then Kansas City jumped them and got him at 10th overall, which could have happened to the Broncos with Nix if they traded down.
Trevor Sikkema - PFF: A-
In this one, Sikkema gives a short analysis of each selection after grading the overall class. The Broncos got their quarterback, and they addressed other positions of need like the edge rusher and defensive line (by trading for John Franklin-Myers during the Draft). Here is what PFF said regarding every selection for the Broncos.
"The run on quarterbacks continues. Denver had one of the worst quarterback rooms in the NFL on paper. It’s not a surprise to see them address the position, though the way they did it — taking the QB6 at 12th overall — is a bit surprising. Nix excelled at getting the ball out quickly and accurately in the Oregon offense over the past two seasons. His 70.0% accurate pass rate since 2022 ranks second among Power Five quarterbacks with at least 250 pass attempts."Trevor Sikkema - PFF
"Edge rusher was a need for the Broncos heading into Day 2, and they get some good value here with Elliss early in the third round. In 10 games last year, he racked up 39 pressures, 13 of which were sacks, and won 17.7% of his pass-rushing snaps. Getting their quarterback and edge defender with limited picks in the first two days of the draft is good business by Denver."Trevor Sikkema - PFF
"This is an obvious fit for Franklin, as he will be reunited with his Oregon teammate and 12th overall pick, QB Bo Nix. Franklin averaged 3.32 yards per route run in 2023, the third-best mark among all receivers in the draft class."Trevor Sikkema - PFF
"Playing opposite Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at Missouri, Abrams-Draine posted a career-high 89.9 coverage grade in 2023 and now provides the Broncos with another great depth piece in the secondary. He forced 34 incompletions in off-coverage from 2021 to 2023, which ranked first among all college cornerbacks."Trevor Sikkema - PFF
"Estime’s 94.0 overall grade was the highest among all Power Five backs in 2023. His grade was due in large part to his ability to break tackles, as he forced a whopping 64 misses for the season."Trevor Sikkema - PFF
"Vele is the type of wide receiver that many offensive coordinators gravitate toward in today’s NFL. He is solid in mesh concepts, understands reading safeties and linebackers in coverage and knows how to get open quickly. Although he doesn’t necessarily have a signature tool, Vele is a solid football player. He recorded a 69.1 PFF receiving grade in 2023."Trevor Sikkema - PFF
"Having played over 350 snaps at left tackle, left guard and center in his career, Gargiulo has proven positional versatility that could lend itself well to holding onto a roster spot in Denver. A transfer from Yale, he has allowed just two sacks on over 1,400 pass-blocking snaps since 2019."Trevor Sikkema - PFF
Mel Kiper Jr. - ESPN: C+
Kiper is one of the most popular draft analysts, he has coved over 40 NFL Drafts. In this year's one, he is not giving a good grade for the Broncos. Regardless of the grade, Kiper was one of the guys who thought the Broncos should have selected a cornerback in round one and had Bo Nix as the 6th-best quarterback, so the grade makes sense for what he was saying/predicting before the Draft.
"A year after picking just three times in the top five rounds, the Broncos were without their Round 2 pick in this draft. I never felt confident they'd take a quarterback at No. 12; they had too many roster questions to reach for a passer, too many holes to fill. Right? I thought they'd either take the best available cornerback there or trade down to build up their capital. If they really wanted to add a passer to compete with Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, they could have landed one later in Round 1."Mel Kiper Jr. - ESPN
"And I was wrong. Coach Sean Payton & Co. saw the run on quarterbacks -- five in the top 10 -- and stood pat, selecting Bo Nix (12). I wrote at length about the move on Thursday, but to sum it up: That's way too high for Nix, who put up massive numbers at Oregon but played in an offense in which he wasn't asked to go through read progressions. There's a ton of risk here. No one will remember that this pick was questioned if Nix becomes an immediate star, but Payton's Denver tenure is now tied to a passer with question marks."Mel Kiper Jr. - ESPN
"Now, I did like the Broncos pick of Troy Franklin (102), who was Nix's top pass-catcher at Oregon. I thought he'd go in Round 2, and instead they were able to get him on Day 3. Franklin and Nix's connection already is strong, as they combined for 1,383 yards and 14 scores a year ago. Denver had to give up Nos. 121, 136 and 207 for Nos. 102 and 235, though. Kris Abrams-Draine (145) is a high-risk, high-reward cornerback who can make a big play but also get beat deep. Edge rusher Jonah Elliss (76) had 12 sacks last season but is undersized at 6-2, 248 pounds. Audric Estime's (147) stock dropped after he ran a 4.71-second 40-yard dash at the combine, but his tape doesn't lie -- I think he can be a good running back at the next level."Mel Kiper Jr. - ESPN
"As I said, Payton's future is aligned with the sixth-best signal-caller in this draft, and we know there's not a great history of six QBs being stellar in one draft class. Likely half of those guys will end up having mediocre careers. For Payton's sake, he better hope it's not his guy or he won't last long with the Broncos."Mel Kiper Jr. - ESPN
Chris Trapasso - CBS Sports: B+
Trapasso, the lead writer for CBS Sports graded every team's class and every selection. For the Broncos picks, he had the following grades ...
Bo Nix: C-
Jonah Ellis: A-
Troy Franklin: A+
Kris Abrams-Draine: A+
Audric Estimé: A-
Devaughn Vele: B
Nick Gargiulo: B-
An average for the entire class here is B+, and what Trapasso said regarding the Broncos Draft class is the following ...
"The Broncos did admirable work even without a second-round pick, although I don't have as much confidence in Nix as Sean Payton."Chris Trapasso
"Elliss is a supercharged edge rusher with untapped potential around the corner. Franklin, and particularly Abrams-Draine, have the refined skill sets to be stars as Day 3 selections. Estime has unusual wiggle for being a crazy-wide powerful rusher. This was a class in which the Broncos had to add weapons beyond getting a quarterback, and they did that. Plus, they didn't mortgage the future in landing said quarterback."Chris Trapasso