Denver Broncos mock draft after massive free agency haul

3rd round, 75th overall: Luke Wypler, OC, Ohio State

Okay, I know I just said that the Denver Broncos shouldn't be drafting for need in the third round, but you can't deny that this team has a chance to add a starter at the center position here. The biggest question, before we get into Luke Wypler, specifically, is what does this new regime think of Lloyd Cushenberry III?

The interesting thing is, Cushenberry III was not drafted by the current regime. George Paton didn't take him and Sean Payton obviously didn't have a part in drafting him. Cushenberry would be considered the "incumbent" even after missing some time last year with an injury, and when everyone was asked to drop some weight to play in the zone scheme, I think it affected him in a negative way.

The Saints -- it should be noted -- were in the center market in that 2020 NFL Draft. They took Cesar Ruiz in the first round and at the time, there were people who liked Cushenberry's NFL projection better than that of Ruiz. There were really no connections to the Saints or Vikings before the 2020 NFL Draft for Cushenberry, but that doesn't mean those teams didn't like him.

The team's current view of Cushenberry complicates the process of drafting someone here, in some ways, but at the same time, I just don't think you can bank on Cushenberry being "the" guy in 2023. Someone like Ohio State's Luke Wypler could be like Quinn Meinerz and come right in and start as a third-round pick.