The Denver Broncos only have five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, so why not have some fun with the picks, right? Things might get a little weird for the Broncos in the 2023 NFL Draft, given they are starting with so few picks. I think it would be a complete shocker to see them end with just five picks, but for the time being, what if we consider some off-the-wall types of possibilities?
In fact, what if we just put together a draft class full of off-the-wall options this team could look into? I think there are even more scenarios that you could look at with this team in terms of mock drafts that think outside the box, including scenarios where we see the team go with a QB at one of its top two selections.
This mock draft scenario won't explore that extreme of a scenario, but we are going to look into one scenario with picks that might disgust the masses but could still actually make a lot of sense for the Denver Broncos. With how unpredictable the NFL Draft is, you never know...
Unpredictable, outside-the-box Denver Broncos mock draft
Pick 67: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
Would the Denver Broncos really go with a tight end atop their 2023 NFL Draft class after what we saw from Greg Dulcich in his 2022 rookie season? I guess after hearing Sean Payton speak at the annual NFL meetings, I don't know how truly shocking this would be.
Payton gave anything but a glowing review of Dulcich when asked specifically about him...
"“We’ll see. We haven’t gone through every player relative to the evaluation process. Some of it was hard—the evaluation. Some of it was hard.”"Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)
Alright, so what gives? Greg Dulcich was one of the Denver Broncos' most promising offensive players a season ago. Although Dulcich did struggle for the better part of six months last year with a hamstring issue and was limited to just 10 total games, he ended up third on the team with 55 targets. Perhaps the vision for him in year two under a new coaching staff is not to play an every-down role.
We know Dulcich does struggle playing in-line with his blocking. He's more of a receiver than he is a true in-line tight end. With that being said, he can still have an impact, but Tucker Kraft is more of the complete package at the position. He fell to this selection in the mock draft simulator I was using, but who knows if that will happen in the actual NFL Draft?
You've got to at least prepare for the scenario...The Broncos certainly would benefit from having an every-down threat at that position. Although Duclcich really excels in the passing game, someone like Kraft could come in and keep you balanced every down with his elite athleticism and ability to play in-line. The Broncos want to run the ball and be physical, and a player like Kraft is much more on-brand in that regard with the added bonus that he's an absolute baller when you throw the ball his direction.
Tight end is not high on everyone's list of Denver Broncos priorities, but given the statement Sean Payton made when asked about TE1 Greg Dulcich, there might be a new TE1 in Denver sooner rather than later...