At this point in the NFL offseason, not a single person truly has any solidified idea who head coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos will be selecting in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft. However, there are few prospects who come to mind when picturing how the boards may fall come April 25th.
The Denver Broncos are widely expected to select a quarterback at some point during the first round, whether that be via trading up, trading down, or standing pat with the 12th overall pick. In terms of landing spots for the top quarterback prospects, Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels feel like locks to be selected with the first two picks. There has been a recent rumor gaining steam that the Washington Commanders could select J.J. McCarthy second overall rather than Daniels. It certainly is a possibility, however, I believe otherwise.
After the second overall pick, things get very tricky. The New England Patriots could certainly trade down from the third overall pick and gather a haul to begin their much-needed rebuild, however, quarterback makes the most sense for their immediate needs. It would make the most logical sense to select your franchise quarterback and build around him afterward considering New England rarely ever holds a high draft pick. I personally believe New England is targeting McCarthy and has kept it fairly quiet up to this point.
Following the third overall pick, the Arizona Cardinals will likely be receiving a ton of calls regarding a potential trade up for Drake Maye. It wouldn't surprise me if the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos inquired on this possibility, however, Arizona has the ability to select the best non-quarterback prospect in the draft with their pick. I think the offers will be enticing, and there certainly is a chance the Vikings get aggressive and outbid the Broncos, however, there is a strong chance the Cardinals reject both offers. If Arizona were to accept Minnesota's offer for the fourth overall pick, Bo Nix should almost immediately be considered a lock to Denver with the 12th overall pick.
But if Minnesota is not able to trade up with Arizona, the next spot for a bidding war would likely be the seventh overall pick. I think there's a growing reality that Drake Maye could be the quarterback to fall in this year's draft as we witness it happen every single year. His sloppy footwork and ability under pressure make him a less intriguing prospect compared to McCarthy and Daniels. On the other hand, these are weaknesses very capable of being fixed by the right coach (Kevin O'Connell or Sean Payton). I would also like to add that the Las Vegas Raiders could be a realistic team to also enter the bidding war for Tennessee's seventh overall pick.
Considering the recent gain of traction regarding McCarthy's draft stock and Denver's likely inability to outbid Minnesota for a trade into the top four, Maye and Nix currently feel like the most realistic candidates to be selected by the Broncos. Between the two, Nix definitely feels like the most realistic fit given the fact the Broncos have not made any public statements or reports regarding their interest in Nix. Not to mention, the New York Giants could be a sleeper team to select Maye with their sixth overall pick.