Broncos 3-Round Mock Draft Results in Major Offensive Upgrades
One piece of the offseason puzzle for the Denver Broncos has fallen into place. With the San Francisco 49ers losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 31-7 on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game, the Broncos are now in possession of the 29th overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft.
Acquired by Denver via Miami in the Bradley Chubb trade, who acquired what is now the No. 29 overall pick last year when San Fran traded up from pick 12 to 3 to select North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, the pick has finally reached a place of rest. That is, assuming the Broncos don’t trade the selection to the New Orleans Saints for head coach Sean Payton.
As it stands, the Broncos currently possess three selections in the top-100 of the 2023 draft: pick 29, pick 67, and pick 68. Pick 67 overall is Denver’s own, but No. 68 was acquired last year when Denver traded the 96th overall pick for selection 179 and a 2023 third-rounder. Given how much the Indianapolis Colts struggled this season, this appears to be a very good move by GM George Paton in hindsight.
With the Broncos not yet having a head coach hired, it’s a near-impossible task to conduct thorough mock drafts. What scheme the Broncos will be running can greatly alter the types of players the team will likely be targeting this offseason in the draft. However, in the spirit of the Broncos' first-round pick finally being slotted with the Niners' loss, now is as good of a time as any for a mock draft.
Utilizing Pro Football Focus’ Mock Draft Simulator and Big Board, a three-round mock was conducted during Mile High Huddle’s morning podcast Broncos for Breakfast. It was the show’s first Mock Draft Monday of the year, the results will appease most fans undoubtedly. Let's dive in!
Round 1, Pick 29: Anton Harrison | OT | Oklahoma
The Broncos need help along the offensive line. With the team’s main two starting right tackles from 2022 set to hit free agency this offseason in Billy Turner and Cameron Fleming, Denver will likely be looking for new talent along the offensive front.
While the first-round-graded O-line talents in Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr, Georgia’s Broderick Jones, and Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski long gone, and a majority of the top defensive front players and cornerbacks off the board, the pick was Harrison out of Oklahoma at No. 29.
Harrison is an extremely smooth mover in his pass protection and with his reach blocks in the run game. He appears to be an excellent fit for a wide zone blocking scheme where his movement in space can be deployed to target defenders in space. The movement skills in space also project nicely in the screen game.
Harrison’s hand technique can be erratic, and he does not play with much power at the point of attack nor grip strength to sustain blocks. Too many of his reps result in stalemates where he appears to be fine drawing on reps rather than finishing them.
Harrison does have some right tackle experience, but he mainly lined up at left tackle in his Sooner career. He would give the Broncos a much-needed boost in terms of athleticism and young developmental upside at tackle.
Year 1, he would ideally start at right tackle, but with Garett Bolles’ contract, it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to transition over to left tackle before the end of his rookie contract. In most draft classes, Harrison would likely be an early to mid-second-round pick, but in a class that many are proclaiming to be a down year in terms of talent from the middle first to the back end of Day 2, he is a shot at being translatable athletic talent at a position the Broncos desperately need to make a long-term investment in.
Round 3, Pick 67: Matthew Bergeron | OL | Syracuse
Back-to-back offensive linemen in the first mock? This may seem like pandering, but this is how the board fell in the simulator. Bergeron is a strong run blocker for Syracuse that has had a number of splash plays in the run game blocking for future NFL running back Sean Tucker.
With experience at both right and left tackle in his career for the Orange, Bergeron's strengths and weaknesses counter that of the previously discussed Harrison. He's extremely strong in the point of attack and a physical blocker who looks to finish reps. He is explosive in short areas and sustains blocks in the run game quite well.
Unfortunately, Bergeron does not appear to be nearly as nimble and fluid in pass protection. He struggled against NFL-caliber pass rushers (mainly Jared Verse, who played for Albany against Syracuse in 2021 and then played for Florida State against Syracuse this season).
Bergeron could end up at right tackle in his NFL career, and his experience at those positions is only a positive going into the next level, as versatility is key for offensive linemen. However, in this exercise, Bergeron is much more likely to be slated at left guard for Denver.
In what seems to be a dreadfully limited interior offensive line class, the best interior players in the 2023 draft are exceedingly likely to be prospects that played tackle in college that need to move inside at the next level.
Round 3, Pick 68: Keeanu Benton | DL | Wisconsin
Again, the 2023 interior O-line class is not very good. As The Athletic's Dane Brugler has stated on a few radio appearances, he wouldn’t be shocked if the first true center didn’t come off the board until Day 3 of the draft. Given the lack of talent along the interior, don’t be surprised if interior defensive linemen steal the show at the pre-draft exhibitions such as the Senior Bowl.
One name to keep an eye out for at the Senior Bowl this season is Wisconsin’s Benton. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds with a reported 34-inch arm length, he is a strong yet surprisingly nimble interior defensive lineman in the upcoming draft class.
Mainly lining up at 1 tech but with the frame and burst to line up in different alignments depending on defensive packages, Benton has enough burst to attack singular gaps and enough strength, length, and discipline to play more two-gapping techniques. He won’t be confused for the biggest, strongest nose tackle, but his versatility makes him intriguing for different potential schemes.
It’s exceedingly hard to project what kind of defensive linemen the Broncos could target, given the type of scheme is yet to be announced. Further, the future of Dre’Mont Jones in Denver will greatly alter how much a need the interior defensive line is for the Broncos.
Still, just as with the offensive line, it’s never a bad idea to add talent with uncoachable size, length, and athleticism along the trenches. In order to stay strong along both fronts, teams must continually add coals to the proverbial fire.
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