The Denver Broncos are no longer slated to select in the first round of next month's NFL Draft, but they still have work to do during the three-day event. In theory, the Broncos could absolutely trade back into the first round and go get a player they feel would be a great fit. If not, their second-round selection becomes all the more important to ensure there is not a gap year in their player development.
The Broncos have pressing needs at a few important spots, and are getting rather old rather quickly at a few others. Being in the second round, the Broncos are able to either bring in an immediate impact player or look further to the future to be able to have replacements ready. This gives the Broncos a ton of chances and opportunities to bring in a great organizational fit.
The Broncos only have one selection in the first three rounds as of right now, making their second-round selection even more important. If the board falls in a team-friendly way, they might be able to bring in a future franchise cornerstone, just like they did with Courtland Sutton in 2018. A recent mock draft from NFL.com has the Broncos bringing a potentially franchise-altering prospect.
NFL.com mock draft has the Broncos selecting Texas' inside linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. with the 62nd overall pick
A recent NFL mock draft has the Broncos selecting one of the best inside linebackers in the country from last year, Texas' Anthony Hill Jr. Hill is fresh off his junior year with the Longhorns, a year in which injuries cost him roughly a third of his season. He still turned in a solid season, following up an incredible sophomore year the season prior.
In 26 games since the 2024 season, Hill has totaled 23.5 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and three interceptions. In basically every way, Hill was all over the field and impacting the ball in several ways. The Broncos have missed that kind of youthful energy up the middle on defense for some time, and Hill would be a welcome refresher to that group.
He likely wouldn't start immediately, or really at any point in 2026, but would be penciled in with a Sharpie for the 2027 campaign. The Broncos have desperately missed being able to utilize speed and aggression at the inside linebacker spot, which was a big reason they turned to Dre Greenlaw.
With the former Bronco now back in San Francisco, Denver can turn its attention to the future with their third inside backer, and Hill would be a perfect candidate.