Broncos Picking No. 9 Overall in 2022 NFL Draft in Wake of 7-10 Finish
The only impact of the Denver Broncos' 28-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs was that it bolstered the draft position. The loss meant the Broncos would be picking anywhere from No. 7 to 11 overall. To move up, Denver needed help, and the team got just that.
While the Chicago Bears losing to the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons losing to the New Orleans Saints prevented Denver from getting to No. 7 overall, George Paton now sits in a familiar spot as the Broncos will pick No. 9.
The Seattle Seahawks upset Arizona, which kept the Cardinals from winning the division. That was enough to move Denver up one spot, which landed the team No. 9 overall. The Broncos got to 10th overall with the Washington Football Team beating the New York Giants.
Knowing where the Broncos are picking makes it a lot easier to look towards the draft. You can check out how my top-10 position rankings are shaping and find my top-75 big board, as it stands presently.
There are a few names that stand out, at the moment, to be of interest to the Broncos — if they don't trade away the pick.
Michigan edge rusher David Ojabo is a great athlete and can chain pass-rushing moves together exceptionally well. Whoever ends up coaching the Broncos would need to work with him to develop his run defense, though.
Purdue edge rusher George Karlaftis is another player for Denver to better its pass rush. He does such an excellent job converting speed to power, but there seems to be a lack of length that does hinder his play some.
Clemson's Andrew Booth, Jr. out of Clemson and LSU's Derek Sitngley, Jr. are two cornerbacks that make sense. Denver will potentially lose Kyle Fuller and Bryce Callahan to free agency, and pairing Patrick Surtain II with another young corner could lead to an elite duo going forward.
If he does well at the Senior Bowl, Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning would be one to look at. Denver needs stability on the offensive line, and he could hold down the right tackle position and potentially move to left tackle if the team were to move on from Garett Bolles down the road.
Another tackle option is N.C. State's Ikem Nkwonu. He has plenty of power and is a decent mover, but what stands out is the strides he took with his development during this season.
There are a handful of blue-chip options aren't shaping be there, but if the NFL draft is anything, it's unpredictable and those prospects could fall. As things stand now, a few prospects could be there at No. 9 overall that would make sense for the Broncos.
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