Broncos Land QB, Edge, & ILB in ESPN 2-Round Mock Draft
It’s mock draft season and the bigwigs of NFL draft media are starting to litter social media with content and mock drafts. New to the scene for ESPN, but a familiar face for those following The Draft Network, Jordan Reid, released his first official mock draft since going to work for ESPN.
While not yet having the notoriety of a Mel Kiper, Jr or Todd McShay, Reid outdid both with his initial mock by kicking off with two rounds! For the Denver Broncos, who currently own five draft picks in the top-100 after acquiring the Los Angeles Rams’ second and third-round selections, the more mocks the better that feature more than one prospect to analyze the better so that Broncos Country can learn about the 2022 class.
Reid says the Broncos’ three biggest roster needs are rather apparent: quarterback, edge rusher, and offensive tackle. While the Broncos’ holes are rather obvious on paper, more important than selecting a player that fills a specific need with a top-10 pick is identifying a blue-chip prospect that has a chance to become a decade-long building block for the team.
With the No. 9 pick in Reid’s mock draft 1.0, maybe Denver did just that. Here's how it unfolded.
9. Devin Lloyd | LB | Utah
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
“It’s no secret that the Broncos might not make this selection, as they could use it to trade for a veteran quarterback. But if they keep the pick, Lloyd could be the answer to getting more speed and consistency at the second level of the defense. Denver has three off-ball linebackers hitting free agency next month – Alexander Johnson, Josey Jewell, and Kenny Young – and Lloyd would add versatility and pass-rush ability to the D.”
Recent history would suggest that drafting an off-ball linebacker in the first round is a rather foolish endeavor. While many positions have a strong correlation between league success and how early a player was drafted, the hit rate of drafting a linebacker in Round 1 versus Rounds 2 and 3 is nearly negligible.
First-round off-ball linebackers are far more likely to bust than that of positions such as edge rusher, cornerback, defensive tackle, and offensive tackle.
With that said, Lloyd is an absolute pleasure to watch flying around the field for the Utah defense. While he won’t confuse anyone for the height/weight/speed demon Micah Parsons coming out of last year’s class, Lloyd can be deployed across all linebacker spots.
Further, while Lloyd isn’t going to be able to rush the passer like Parsons, on film, the Ute appears to be a smoother athlete when tasked to play in coverage and move laterally or backward in pass coverage. Drafting a linebacker in Round 1 is risky given the recent hit rate at the position for the round and how teams find incredible linebackers on Day 2 every single year, but Lloyd is a heck of a prospect and would add a unique dimension to a Broncos front seven in serious need of talent.
40. Cameron Thomas | Edge | San Diego State
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
“The 6-foot–4, 264-pound Thomas is a do-it-all threat with experience generating pressure from both the tackle and end spots. He had 27 tackles for loss in 2021, more than any other player in this class. The Broncos have questions at the edge spots after the trade of Von Miller and with Bradley Chubb’s durability issues, which makes Thomas a great get here. They still have the Rams’ second-round pick to upgrade their roster, too.”
Did I mention the Broncos’ defense needs a serious infusion of talent upfront? In what perhaps may be one of the deepest edge rusher draft classes in recent memory, Reid has the Broncos taking advantage of the depth and walking away with another versatile front-seven playmaker.
Measuring in at the Senior Bowl at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds with and 33-1/8-inch arm length, Thomas has the size and ability to play in multiple fronts in different alignments. Unfortunately, he had a hamstring injury that kept him from practicing and potentially creating some real hype at the start of draft season.
While Thomas' pass-rush productivity at San Diego State in the Mountain West was elite, he will need to test elite as well to help propel himself up the draft board. How the edge class shakes out is yet to be determined, but it will be a class worth paying attention to this draft cycle.
64. Carson Strong | QB | Nevada
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
"Who will play quarterback for the Broncos in 2022? Drew Lock enters the final season of his rookie deal, and Teddy Bridgewater is a free agent. If the Broncos go the draft route, Round 2 could have a few options. Strong will likely be on the board, if the medical reports for his knee check out. He has a strong arm, and he was given a lot of autonomy at the line of scrimmage for the Wolf Pack, which means he has experience with handling pro-level schemes. He threw 36 touchdown passes and eight interceptions while completing 70% of his passes last season."
Last, and certainly not least, is a fellow Mountain West standout. It’s no secret that the Broncos are going to make some sort of investment at the quarterback position this season.
Whether it be trading for a veteran, signing a stopgap to compete with Drew Lock, or drafting a quarterback, Denver has to add to the room regardless. While for many, none of the quarterbacks in this class are worth a top-10 investment and the years of commitment that tend to follow an early pick at the position, perhaps seeing who falls to Day 2 and taking a calculated low-risk swing is a better usage of resources.
Strong has a great arm and his tape is littered with down-the-field throws to two future NFL players in wide receiver Romeo Doubs and tight end Cole Turner. Strong will not confuse anyone for a dynamic athlete in space, whose mobility more mimics someone like Jared Goff than most of the recent early-drafted quarterbacks.
Strong also has a knee concern that could take him off many teams' boards depending on how his medicals turn out. While the tape suggests he is a cerebral quarterback, there were some murmurs coming out of the Senior Bowl that he didn’t come out of the process with many decision-makers impressed with him in the interviews, with this blurb from The Athletic's Dane Brugler being rumored about Strong and coinciding with many in the league lowering him on big boards following the Senior Bowl.
The Takeaway
How the draft will play out will be a mystery as many across the league say the consensus for this year’s class is as wide and varied as they can remember. However, mock drafts aren’t about saying what will happen, but rather, they're a thought experiment into the evaluation of team needs, scheme fits, and what kind of prospects fit those needs and schemes based on who is available when a team is on the clock.
With thousands of mocks to go, the possible assortment of how the picks will play out is just starting to reach its maximum output.
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