Earlier this season, it looked like the Denver Broncos were going to have a very high pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Having the No. 1 overall choice was not out of the question, leading to a belief that the pick must be used on a quarterback. Earlier mock drafts this offseason had the team landing one of the best defensive players in the country.
But as the Broncos have turned their season around, the team has slid down the board in the draft. If the season were to close today, the team would now hold the No. 14 overall selection in the first round.
In a recent mock draft put together by Walter Football, the Broncos land a player who could change the offense entirely.
Tight ends don't often get drafted in the first round unless they are quite special. Brock Bowers has talent in spades and truthfully, would be a bargain with the No. 14 overall selection as he is one of the best prospects at the position in some time.
Bowers has great size but he pairs that size with freakish athleticism which has led to many analysts predicting that he is going to dominate at the professional level. In three seasons at Georgia, he has caught 175 passes for over 2,500 yards with 26 touchdowns.
The Broncos could use a lot of help from a receiving standpoint at the tight end position. This season, the team brought in Adam Trautman and Chris Manhertz through free agency to combine with second-year tight end Greg Dulcich at the position. Manhertz is primarily a blocker. Dulcich has spent a good majority of his young career on injured reserve and Trautman is just an average option who was brought in due to his familiarity with Sean Payton.
Trautman will be a free agent after the season and time will tell when, or even if, Dulcich will ever be a reliable option. But Bowers would be head and shoulders above not only those players but pretty much any tight end the Broncos are going to find anywhere else.
This would be a fantastic draft pick for the team and one that could really open up the offense going forward. If the Broncos fall too much further down the board by winning games this season, they will take themselves out of the running for Bowers, who could easily be a top-10 choice.
This would be one of my favorite first-round picks for the team if it could somehow end up coming to fruition.