Broncos' 2023 Draft Derided as NFL's Worst Class
No NFL team ushered in a worse 2023 draft class than the Denver Broncos, according to a recent ranking by NFL.com's Eric Edholm and Chad Reuter.
Reuter explained:
Two years ago, the Broncos sent three players and five draft picks to Seattle for quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round selection. They parted with last year's first- and second-round picks in the deal, which has brought a very low return on investment based on Wilson’s performance with Denver over the past two seasons.
Mims jumped out to a big start for the Broncos, posting 113 receiving yards and a score against Washington in Week 2. He only bested 50 receiving yards twice over the rest of the season, though, as the team's offense stagnated. A healthy sophomore campaign could prove quite productive for Mims.
Sanders struggled with his tackling early in his rookie season but was better later in the season. The team's remaining picks played very little, with Moss missing time due to injury, Skinner playing one snap on defense the entire season and Forsyth failing to see action. McLaughlin ended up being a nice find as an undrafted free agent, gaining 570 yards from scrimmage.
Indeed, as it currently stands, wide receiver Marvin Mims is the lone "hit" of Denver's five-man class; the Oklahoma product, taken 63rd overall, earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors due to his elite punt-return ability. Then again, Mims left much to be desired on offense, finishing with 22 catches for 377 yards and one touchdown across 16 appearances.
Four picks after Mims' selection, the Broncos procured linebacker Drew Sanders, who registered just 258 defensive snaps and graded out poorly, according to Pro Football Focus.
Third-round cornerback Riley Moss, due to a core muscle injury, was primarily limited to special teams while sixth-round safety JL Skinner played in only two games. Seventh-round center Alex Forsyth was a healthy scratch for the entire 2023 campaign.
Paltry year-one contributions, no doubt. However, the Broncos' brain trust remains encouraged that this underperforming bunch will provide a collective return on investment over future seasons.
“I think it was a really good rookie class. You didn’t see it on Sunday’s all the time, but we saw it in practice," general manager George P [WR] Marvin Mims [Jr.] had a Pro Bowl year as a returner. [He’s a] work in progress as a receiver, but he had some really big moments. [CB] Riley Moss, we feel, is a starter in this league. He was one of our best special teams players, if not the best. We saw it in practice. We saw the cover skills, and we saw the transition quickness, toughness and instincts. You saw it a little bit in game. He played a little bit of the dime role. [LB] Drew Sanders—same. Big upside. He played inside, and he played outside. He started to come on late in year, and he was really good on special teams. I’ll probably leave someone out—[S] JL Skinner. He got an opportunity this past week and excelled on teams. We saw it in practice—the range, the physicality. [He was] Scout Team Player of the Week multiple times. [C] Alex [Forsyth]—we feel he’s a starter in this league at center. Then, you look at the college free agent class—[RB] Jaleel McLaughlin, [TE] Nate Adkins. There are a number of others that we feel can play. ‘J-Mac’ (CB Ja’Quan McMillian), who in his first year got to play in the last game, grew the entire offseason. When he got his chance, he excelled. We feel there are a number of players in this class that can make that jump as well.”
Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
