Top-75 NFL Draft Board Offers Plenty of Upgrades for Broncos
The Denver Broncos have five draft picks in the top-100 at the moment, putting the team in a position to land some highly talented players at multiple positions. After ranking my top-10 prospects at each position, it's time to look at the top-75 players overall and which guys could offer Denver an upgrade.
Note: Any player with a (*) has not declared for the draft and can return to school for the 2022 season.
Top-10
1. Kyle Hamilton | S | Notre Dame
Hamilton is the top player in the draft and is the best safety I have ever scouted. He is highly versatile on the backend and can do whatever is asked of him. While he won't be the first player selected, he will likely hear his name called before Denver can land him.
2/3. Aidan Hutchinson | Edge | Michigan | Kayvon Thibodeaux | Edge | Oregon
There is a debate on which edge is better, but they are both extremely talented with many pros and cons. Hutchinson barely edges out Thibodeaux at this time, but the difference is a matter of hundredths for their respective grades. It would be a dream if Denver could land one of them, but they're the favorites to be the first two picks at the moment.
4. Evan Neal* | OT | Alabama
Neal is a massive offensive tackle prospect that has plenty of strength for the NFL, but his athleticism for his size can't be undersold. In addition, he's a pretty smooth mover and not the lumbered lineman you typically see with players his size. This is an excellent offensive tackle class, and Neal happens to be at the top, though there are some not far behind.
5. Andrew Booth, Jr.* | CB | Clemson
When I first watched Booth, he was highly athletic but seemed to need a lot of technical refinements. As the season went on, and the more I watched, there were significant strides from a technical standpoint, making him a dangerous corner with how athletic he is. There is also good versatility with Booth to play in multiple coverage schemes, which is getting more and more valued in the NFL.
6. Devin Lloyd | LB | Utah
While the emergence of Baron Browning and Jonas Griffith have eased the need for a linebacker, Denver can still use help with Alexander Johnson, Josey Jewell, and Kenny Young all set to be free agents. Lloyd is the top linebacker in the class with instincts, smooth movement, and excellent awareness. Against Ohio State, they got him isolated against receivers and it cost the Utah defense, but that is something you want to avoid happening in the first place.
7. Derek Stingley Jr. | CB | LSU
The conversation around Stingley will heavily revolve around medicals after re-aggravating an injury from the 2020 season and missing multiple games. His game has few weaknesses when he is on the field with good athleticism, technique, and physicality. The Scouting Combine medical checks will be vital to determine his draft stock as bad evaluations here could cause him to fall.
8. Trevor Penning | OT | Northern Iowa
Spencer Brown was a highly thought-of prospect out of Nothern Iowa a year ago and ended up drafted in the third round, and Penning is a much better prospect. While he hasn't faced the toughest of challenges, he dominated the level of competition he faced. The Senior Bowl will be huge for Penning as he will have a chance to strut his stuff against some tougher edge rushers, and a good performance could cement him as a high pick in the draft.
9. David Ojabo | Edge | Michigan
Ojabo is the most natural rush linebacker in this highly talented edge rusher class. He has elite athleticism and does a great job of chaining pass-rushing moves together to get after the quarterback. If the Broncos still have a first-round pick and Ojabo falls to them, it would be a tough pill to swallow if they didn't draft him with how things currently stand.
10. Ikem Ekwonu | OT | North Carolina State
Many draft analysts want Ekwonu inside to guard, but he has the power and athleticism to be a great tackle. He is the type of player you try at tackle first for the best chance to be successful, and if he fails there, then you can move him inside and hopefully recoup value from him. His most significant question is his length, but there have been reports he meets the 33-inch threshold most teams currently have or the 34-inch some still have.
The Rest
11. Ahmad Gardner | CB | Cincinnati
Garnder is a talented corner, but he is a tier behind Booth and Stingley based on what they offer on the field. In addition, there is a concern with Garnder about how grabby he can get through routes, though it didn't pull a lot of flags at the college level. While he wasn't targeted often, Gardner only allowed 50% of targets his way to be caught while breaking up three passes and intercepting three more.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Treylon Burks | Wide Receiver | Arkansas |
Nakobe Dean* | Linebacker | Georgia |
Jordan Davis | Nose Tackle | Georgia |
15. Travon Walker* | Edge/IDL | Georgia
Walker is a versatile defender in Georgia's defensive front. He was moved all over the place and brought good consistency in getting after the quarterback. On top of that, he is a strong run defender. Whoever drafts him will have a fun chess piece that can rush inside or outside.
16. George Karlaftis | Edge | Purdue
The big question with Karlaftis is length, and there were a few games where this shortcoming was problematic for him. However, he is a solid athlete and brings plenty of power, but whoever drafts him will have to help him learn ways to overcome the length disparity. Karlaftis is my favorite edge rusher because of his playstyle, but he has his warts to his game to be concerned about.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Tyler Linderbaum* | Interior Offensive Line | Iowa |
Garrett Wilson | Wide Receiver | Ohio State |
DeMarvin Leal | Interior Defensive Line/Edge | Texas A&M |
Nicholas Petite-Frere | Offensive Tackle | Ohio State |
Kenyon Green | Interior Offensive Line | Texas A&M |
When it comes to Linderbaum, the question is whether he has the value to be picked early in the draft, being a center-only for the NFL, but there is no doubt about his talent. Leal is a talented pass rusher, but there is a question where you want to line him up, and his run defense can be quite concerning.
22. Cameron Thomas | Edge | San Diego State
Thomas is the under-the-radar prospect of this edge class, and he can attack from anywhere on the defensive front. What stands out with watching him is how often he deals with double and even triple teams and still makes the play, while giving him one-on-one is almost an automatic win for Thomas. While he didn't face the most challenging competition consistently, he gave Utah's offensive line problems all game long, and that is a unit that shut down one of the nation's top two edge rushers.
23. Charles Cross | OT | Mississippi State
While Cross is a very athletic offensive tackle, there are significant concerns about his power, especially in the run game. Due to the offensive scheme of Mike Leach, Cross has limited exposure in the running game with only 346 run-blocking snaps his two years as a starter. There were a lot of issues generating push when he wasn't getting help on a double team. Cross shares many similarities to Andre Dilliard, who also played for Coach Leach due to their strengths and weaknesses.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Jameson Williams* | Wide Receiver | Alabama |
Roger McCreary | Cornerback | Auburn |
Daxton Hill* | Safety | Michigan |
Either of the defensive backs would be a good fit for what the Broncos currently run. While Hill is listed as a safety, he is very effective in dropping into the nickel and being your nickel back. McCreary is a versatile corner with good athleticism and physicality that can work with what the Broncos currently run. If there is a defensive scheme change, McCreary has scheme versatility, while Hill would depend on the role in the scheme.
27. Matt Corral | QB | Ole Miss
The big question with Corral is how translateable he is to the NFL because of the scheme he played in at Ole Miss. There were a lot of easy and open reads that didn't challenge him, or many tight-window throws. He has plenty of tools with his arm and running ability to take the shot and work to build your offense around what he can do, but you need the right coaching staff for that.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Darrian Kinnard | Interior Offensive Line | Kentucky |
Perrion Winfrey | Interior Defensive Line | Oklahoma |
Travis Jones | Nose Tackle | Connecticut |
Jamaree Salyer | Interior Offensive Line | Georgia |
Chris Olave | Wide Receiver | Ohio State |
Jones in the late first could be better valued than Davis earlier. Both are athletic nose tackle types, but Jones has shown more as a pass rusher. If Denver sticks with an inside zone rushing attack, Salyer would be a good get, though he has good enough movement skills to be alright in an outside zone scheme.
33. Trent McDuffie | CB | Washington
The coverage scheme will depend on how much value McDuffie can bring to the Broncos' secondary. He has good inside and outside versatility, but he works better in zone coverages than man. That doesn't mean he can't work in man coverage, but he might be better suited working as a nickel in man coverage, while zone provides inside/outside versatility.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Bernhard Raimann | Offensive Tackle | Central Michigan |
Kenneth Walker III | Running Back | Michigan State |
Myjai Sanders | Edge | Cincinnati |
Zion Johnson | Interior Offensive Line | Boston College |
Devonte Wyatt | Interior Defensive Line | Georgia |
Jermain Johnson | Edge | Florida State |
Christian Harris* | Offball Linebacker | Alabama |
Isaiah Spiller | Running Back | Texas A&M |
Logan Hall | Edge | Houston |
Kaiir Elam* | Cornerback | Florida |
Raimann is still somewhat under-the-radar as an option, but his tape is excellent, and he has a chance to show even more at the Senior Bowl. If there is still an edge need, Sanders and Johnson are athletic rush linebacker types that can fit with the Broncos, but it will depend on their defensive scheme.
44. Daniel Faalele | OT | Minnesota
Faalele is massive and still learning how to play football. However, there is plenty of strength, and he put in work to drop some weight, and he looked even smoother with his movements. He will get the job done, though it won't always be pretty, and while he develops, there are going to be plenty of bumps in the road.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Breece Hall | Running Back | Iowa State |
Brandon Smith | Offball Linebacker | Penn State |
Mykael Wright | Cornerback | Oregon |
Phidarian Mathis | Interior Defensive Line | Alabama |
Lewis Cine* | Safety | Georgia |
Max Mitchell | Offensive Tackle | Louisiana |
Kyren Williams | Running Back | Notre Dame |
Drake Jackson | Edge | USC |
Sean Rhyan* | Interior Offensive Line/Tacke | UCLA |
Darrian Beavers | Offball Linebacker | Cincinnati |
There are plenty of options in this group that could entice the Broncos. Smith would be a solid get if Denver wanted to add more athleticism to its linebacker corps. Depending on the offensive scheme, Mitchell could be a good get as a right tackle option. Rhyan also could be a solid option with inside/outside versatility, but it depends on his length.
55. Sam Howell | QB | North Carolina
After losing some key weapons, including Broncos running back Javonte Williams, to the 2021 NFL draft, Howell struggled during the season. However, Howell has good upside that can climb higher if you provide the supporting cast around him as the Broncos could. In addition, his floor isn't super low either, which could make him one of the safer quarterback prospects in this class and boost his overall value.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Abraham Lucas | Offensive Tackle | Washington State |
Dylan Parham | Interior Offensive Line | Memphis |
Drake London | Wide Receiver | USC |
Jalen Wydermyer | Tight End | Texas A&M |
If it were not for the high number of drops, London would be much higher than he is. Wydermyer is the only tight end in the top-75, but there is good depth in the class with plenty of options 76-150, especially for what the Broncos could be looking for.
60. Chad Muma | LB | Wyoming
Not that long ago, Logan Wilson came out of Wyoming and was well-liked, but Muma has more to offer. Muma displays more consistency with his technique, and better awareness in coverage, though he isn't some great athlete. However, with his play coming downhill and the instincts in coverage, Muma can be a good starting linebacker in the NFL.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Jahan Dotson | Wide Receiver | Penn State |
Isaiah Foskey* | Edge | Notre Dame |
Zach Charbonnet* | Running Back | UCLA |
Tariq Woolen | Cornerback | UTSA |
Both Foskey and Woolen stand out among this group for the Broncos. Although Foskey is pushed down in a strong edge class, he has plenty of talent that could even have his name called earlier. As for Woolen, coming from UTSA, he isn't a household name, but he has good speed for the NFL.
Note: Isaiah Foskey announced he would be returning to Notre Dame.
65. Desmond Ridder | QB | Cincinnati
While Ridder has tools to work with as he has good mobility and a solid arm, his placement is problematic. The inconsistencies there stem from the discrepancies with his footwork. Touted as a very cerebral quarterback, the scheme used at Cincinnati doesn't showcase the football IQ. With the technical issues, Ridder would be a developmental quarterback needing time before he is ready to start.
66. Carson Strong | QB | Nevada
Strong would be ranked higher if there were no concerns about his knee, but having at least three surgeries on the knee since high school is a concern. As for the on-field product, his lack of mobility, which is becoming more and more a necessity in the NFL, holds him back some. He could be a great NFL quarterback, but there has to be a heavy investment into the offensive line with the mobility concerns.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Arnold Ebiketie | Edge | Penn State |
David Bell | Wide Receiver | Purdue |
Channing Tindall | Offball Linebacker | Georgia |
Braxton Jones | Offensive Tackle | Southern Utah |
Derion Kendrick | Cornerback | Georgia |
Georgia has many prospects on this list, and Tindall and Derion are both illustrations. Kendrick, formerly with Clemson, was once viewed as a top corner, but some off-field stuff has come up, which led him to Georgia. Ebiketie is another name to watch as a pass rush specialist, though there are flashes against the run.
72. Damone Clark | LB | LSU
There is better value in waiting for a linebacker, and Clark is one of those that show off the depth of the linebacker class. Clark is set to take the field for the Senior Bowl, where he can help his draft stock by showing more natural movements and ability in coverage to match how well he does coming downhill.
| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
Jordan Battle | Safety | Alabama |
Jaxson Kirkland | Offensive Tackle/Interior Offensive Line | Washington |
Thayer Munford | Interior Offensive Line/Tackle | Ohio State |
If it gets to the third round and Denver still has needs on the offensive line, the Kirkland and Munford can be solid gets. It depends on the blocking scheme they are running because they fit two different schemes. A heavy outside zone scheme is more for Kirkland, while an inside zone/gap scheme is better for Munford.
The Takeaway
There is a lot of talent in this draft class, but the premier position — quarterback — is lacking. While the Broncos currently have five selections in the top 100, there is a good chance they end up with less as they send some for a veteran quarterback.
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