Broncos Unveil Complete 2023 NFL Draft Class

Get acquainted with the newest Denver Broncos arriving by way of the 2023 NFL draft.

Despite some serious apathy in the fan base, when the 2023 NFL draft rolled around, the Denver Broncos made it interesting. The Broncos emerged with the same number of draft picks they entered with, but in a different order, orchestrating three trades in the process, sneaking into the second round, and when the dust settled, they also landed a starting-caliber veteran tight end. 

The Broncos will soon host rookie mini-camp, where head coach Sean Payton will get his first opportunity to mold these balls of clay into something formidable. In the coach's estimation, it doesn't matter how a given player landed in Denver, only how they perform from that point forward. 

"We try to assign the correct value to these players and bring the best talent and predict the order for us to do it," Payton said on Saturday following the conclusion of the draft. "That being said, once they're sitting in that meeting room, how they arrived is of no importance to us at that point. We're playing the best players."

With the big event in the books, it's time to review the Broncos' full 2023 NFL draft class and get acquainted with the newest players. 

Round 2, Pick 63: Marvin Mims Jr | WR | Oklahoma

BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Broncos traded picks 68 and 138 to Detroit in exchange for No. 63 and 183. Mims ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, so the Broncos injected some speed into the offense.

The 5-foot-11, 183-pound Mims is coming off a productive final season in college, totaling 54 receptions for 1,083 yards and six touchdowns. The playmaker totaled 1,315 receiving yards combined over his first two years at Oklahoma, with 14 scores. 

The Broncos really liked what Mims accomplished in his last year at Oklahoma. 

“It was his third year," GM George Paton said on Friday night. "I think he just evolved, and I just think he got better. His routes were crisper, and they lost some receivers, maybe. Maybe he was the focal point. I thought he wasn’t as productive two years ago, but we still liked him. He was still selling the speed. The way he tracks the ball in the hands, the toughness in the run game for a guy who’s not that big. His transition after the catch on those screens. We just feel for his size, he’s really tough. We saw both years, but you get better obviously in your third year.”

Round 3, Pick 68: Drew Sanders | LB | Arkansas

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Sanders, 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, is coming off a very productive campaign in his one and only season at Arkansas after transferring from Alabama. He totaled 103 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, and an interception for the Razorbacks last year.

Sanders' pass-rushing chops are legit, as the former five-star recruit originally went to Alabama to get after the quarterback. Where do the Broncos envision playing Sanders; on the edge or off the ball? 

“I'm pretty confident in myself to say I can really play anywhere a coach needs me and wants to put me," Sanders said after Denver drafted him. "Inside [or] outside [linebacker]—I feel like I can be a good contributing factor to the team wherever they want to put me.” 

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Round 3, Pick 83: Riley Moss | CB | Iowa

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Broncos traded picks No. 108 and a 2024 third-rounder to Seahawks to move up to No. 83 to grab Moss. So while the Broncos relinquished their fourth-round pick, they gained a 6-foot-1, 193-pound corner with 4.45 speed. 

Moss leaves the college ranks with 11 career interceptions. In his red-shirt senior season at Iowa, he totaled 47 combined tackles, two forced fumbles, one interception, and 11 passes defensed.

While Moss has been praised for his football IQ and communication skills on the back end of the Hawkeyes' defense, that "boom-or-bust" component is a bit concerning. He relinquished a total of 14 touchdowns in coverage as a Hawkeye. 

One thing is for certain, though, Moss is a physical defensive back. 

“Playing in the Big Ten, you have to be a physical DB," Moss said after Denver drafted him. "You have to come up and make tackles. I think I'm a physical player. I think I'm instinctive, and I’m just a ballplayer all around. I'm excited that the Broncos gave me an opportunity.”

Round 6, Pick 183: JL Skinner | S | Boise State

Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Skinner, 6-foot-4, 209 pounds, suffered a torn pec during the pre-draft process, which hurt his stock. He's coming off a productive senior season at Boise State, where he notched 65 total tackles and picked off four passes for the Broncos. 

A big, physical safety who hits very hard. He has a chance to keep the Broncos' time-honored tradition for hard-hitting safeties alive, if he can overcome his injury and some of the shortcomings to his game. 

“I tore my pec before the combine—about two days before the combine," Skinner said on Saturday night. "That’s the reason why a drop may have happened, but I don’t really consider a drop. I consider it me being placed into the correct hands. The Denver Broncos are the correct hands for me and I’m excited to be out there.”

Round 7, Pick 257: Alex Forsyth | C | Oregon

Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Broncos acquired pick No. 257 and tight end Adam Trautman in a trade with New Orleans earlier on Saturday, dealing away their sixth-rounder. In the trade, the Broncos got a starting-caliber Y tight end and a developmental center.

The 6-foot-4, 303-pound Forsyth saw nearly 1,900 snaps since becoming a starting center for the Ducks in 2020. Praised for his football IQ and leadership acumen, he's an efficient mover upfront. He believes he can play all three interior O-line positions.

“I think I can play all interior three, but definitely spending the past three years in Oregon and starting at center—that's been kind of my home for the past couple of years," Forsyth said after the draft. 

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