With nearly a week to now digest the entire 2023 NFL Draft and more specifically, the players that were added by the Denver Broncos, it's time to take a look at how to grade this class.
The Broncos made some moves around the board and still wound up with five new players on the roster. Though the team didn't address the positional needs that most were expecting it to, the combination of George Paton and Sean Payton were looking for high character guys who fit the system that will be put into place.
Time will tell how long it will take for each of these players to make an impact as the Broncos are a team in need of a major jolt having missed the playoffs every year since 2015.
To see how I graded last year's draft class, click here. Eric Edholm of NFL.com also handed out a grade for this year's class.
Wide receiver was not the Broncos' No. 1 need going into this draft and they likely didn't need to trade up to get Marvin Mims, but he obviously did enough to impress Paton and Payton and wound up being the team's top pick in this draft.
His selection puts both K.J. Hamler and Montrell Washington on immediate notice as Mims can line up all over the formation and he can also contribute as a return man. Hamler hasn't been able to stay healthy and if he can return punts and kicks, he makes Washington close to obsolete.
The Broncos will use Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton as their top two pass-catchers but Payton will absolutely sprinkle in the rookie and give him a big role in 2023. He is a quick receiver who can rack up yardage after the catch. He is a bit on the smaller side but we can't knock him too much for that because he held up against top competition at Oklahoma.
I'm not going to pretend that I loved this pick, but it is definitely one that could pay off in a big way for the team.