Broncos Land QB of the Future in ESPN’s Latest Draft Prediction
Now that the NFL season has come to a close and the Super Bowl champions have finally been crowned, it's that time of year where the offseason begins to heat up along with the mock drafts that come with it. The 2024 NFL draft is now just over two months away, and the first-round predictions ahead on the big day are already beginning to fly in.
It should be something to keep an eye on for all Denver Broncos fans as they patiently await what will end up happening around their 12th overall selection. It's the first time the franchise has had possession of their round-one pick since 2021, so the pressure to hit on this selection is a bit amplified for Sean Payton and the front office.
With ESPN now releasing their first mock post-Super Bowl, it raises an interesting hypothetical the Broncos inevitably could end up going once April rolls around.
In Field Yates' latest ESPN mock, the Broncos went with Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy at 12th-overall to be the lead signal caller moving forward, effectively replacing Russell Wilson:
"My expectation is Russell Wilson will not be a Bronco in 2024, and the reality of the situation is that Denver has no easy way to get out of the contract without absorbing massive salary cap implications. Combine that with a shallow free agent quarterback class and we're staring at the real possibility of Denver needing to draft a quarterback to be the starter (or develop Jarrett Stidham into that role)."
For Yates, McCarthy was the fourth quarterback to go off the board in this scenario, with Caleb Williams gone at one, Jayden Daniels rising to two, and Drake Maye falling to third. The only other guy at the position to be picked up later in the round was Bo Nix at 20th with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The premise of Denver drafting a quarterback makes a lot of logical sense. Based on the massive cap number the Broncos will be forced to swallow in the event of letting go of Wilson, it corners them into having their hand potentially forced to select their next man under center in the first round. It allows the team to have contractual control on a cheap deal for the next half-decade and effectively brings in a more ideal and complimentary option for Sean Payton to build his offense around.
Yates continues to advocate for McCarthy's selection, noting his impressive accuracy and mobility as substantial factors for the decision.
"While this slot is ahead of where McCarthy ranks on my board, this is a story as old as time: Quarterbacks almost always wind up going higher than expected in the draft. And Denver has just six total picks, the next of which comes in the third round, which limits its options. McCarthy is an accuracy merchant with very good mobility. Scouts believe he offers more as a thrower than we saw during his last season at Michigan, when the Wolverines leaned heavily on a dominant defense and run game."
As Yates notes, McCarthy's accuracy is a prime factor as to why the Broncos could covet him as the man for the job. He ended his 2023 regular season with Michigan, posting an absurd completion percentage of 72.3% alongside 2,991 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. To cap things off, he led the Wolverines to claim their first national championship win since the 1997 season.
There's far from a consensus direction when discussing draft plans for the Broncos, but McCarthy makes an appealing case. If Coach Payton coveted an accurate and precise quarterback to mold into a Drew Brees-lite to lead his offensive unit, this situation could end as a reality soon to come for this squad.
Follow Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
