On Friday, NFL.com Draft expert and analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his first Mock Draft ahead of the upcoming 2024 event to be held in Detroit. In his mock draft, Jeremiah mentions something important ...
""I tend to base my mock drafts on what I'm hearing around the league, whereas my Top 50 prospect rankings reflect what I'm seeing during my own evaluations.""Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
I think that it is too early to exactly know what teams will do in the Draft, especially with free agency in March, but it is interesting to see what these big-name analysts have been hearing around the league to build up their mock drafts.
For the Denver Broncos, it will be their first Draft since 2021 (Patrick Surtain II) with a first-round pick, due to the Russell Wilson and Sean Payton trades in back-to-back seasons respectively. To be specific, Denver will have the 12th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Denver has multiple positions of need, more importantly quarterback, defensive line + edge, tight end, and cornerback. With that being said, let's take a look at who Jeremiah thinks will go to Denver at 12th overall ...
Denver Broncos - 12th pick - Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
DJ thinks that the Broncos get their much-needed starting corner. The Broncos have Surtain, but they have not been able to find a lockdown partner for him. Ronald Darby suffered many injuries, Damarri Mathis has been awful, and Fabian Moreau is not a long-term answer. Arnold might be the best cornerback in the class, he is physical and explosive, a true ballhawk. He had 74 solo tackles, 6 interceptions, 26 pass breakups, and more in 25 career games ...
Jeremiah mentions the following on his prediction for the Broncos first-round selection ...
""I think Arnold could go as high as fifth overall in this year’s draft. He’s the best cornerback in the draft and he would pair with Pat Surtain II to give the Broncos one of the best CB tandems in the league, if not the best.""Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
Terrion Arnold plus Patrick Surtain II would be an elite cornerback duo, but ... Would the Broncos pass on Olu Fashanu, the Penn State star offensive tackle? Would the Broncos be dumb enough to pass on Oregon quarterback Bo Nix? Would the Broncos pass on Georgia's star tight end Brock Bowers, a top-tier offensive weapon in the 2024 class? At this point who knows, but it is an interesting scenario for the Broncos at 12th overall.
General Manager George Paton has made interesting selections over the past couple of drafts. Now it is time to see what he, Sean, and company can do in the upcoming April Draft.