Broncos Full Pre-Free Agency Mock Draft

On the doorstep of NFL free agency, it's time to mock the Denver Broncos' 2023 NFL draft haul.

We are on the doorstep of NFL free agency and given how many players will change teams, the list of needs for each roster will shift substantially over the next few weeks. Perhaps teams' views on the draft talent available shouldn’t be altered too much by how free agency plays out since the draft should be about the long-term view of a roster over the next 3-5 years, as opposed to the instant impact of signing a veteran.

But all these priorities will change after free agency. For the Denver Broncos not starting to draft until pick 67, what they do in free agency should have almost zero impact on their draft direction. 

With Denver picking for the first time so far down the board, expecting any rookie in the 2023 class to be anything more than a rotational developmental player with starting developmental upside is an unrealistic expectation. Just look at the impact and play of Denver’s 2022 draft class, for example. 

Cornerback Damarri Mathis and tight end Greg Dulcich played quite well when called upon given their draft slot, but the rest of the class? The Broncos are hoping for a better sophomore campaign.

Coming off of a 5-12 record, the Broncos can’t be too dialed in on any singular position in the 2023 NFL draft. Of course, scheme fit and positional value will play into the equation, but Denver’s approach should be exceedingly simple in the draft: select good players. 

It's impossible to know who will be available when the Broncos go on the clock. However, for the sake of accuracy in this mock draft, each player I selected was only mocked to Denver if his perceived draft stock met the draft slot. 

I ran 20 separate simulations through Pro Football Focus' system and if the player slotted to Denver was not available in at least half of those simulations, I struck them from consideration. It’s not a perfect method in determining who might or might not be there, but at least there is a method.

Without further ado, let's dive into my Broncos pre-free agency mock draft! 

Round 3: Zach Harrison | EDGE | Ohio State

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After a rather pedestrian season from 2022 second-rounder Nik Bonitto, the Broncos go back to the well at the position, taking one of the more powerful and long edges in the class. Measuring in at the NFL Combine with an eye-popping 36-¼-inch arm length at nearly 6-foot-6 and 274 pounds, Harrison has a body type and skill set the Broncos currently do not have on their roster.

Harrison came to Ohio State as a super recruit but never seemed to live up to his athleticism or hype. There were moments of athletic dominance in Columbus where his strength and length simply overpowered Big Ten tackles, but overall, Harrison did not live up to becoming the “next big thing” after the departure of former No. 2 overall draft pick Chase Young.

Harrison is not an overly twitchy or bendy pass rusher, but with his power and length, he projects to be a very good base-package player that can set the edge with length and crunch the pocket. Furthermore, given his size, power, and length, there is potential he could develop into a player who could reduce inside in sub-packages. 

The complete antithesis to Bonitto as an edge, a future rotation of Harrison playing run downs with Bonitto on pass downs could give Denver a combination that leads to success up front.

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Round 3: Jaelyn Duncan | OT | Maryland

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When it comes to offensive tackle, there is a very real possibility that the Broncos will be out of luck when they go on the clock. Barring an injury or legal drama, there is no shot for Denver to walk away with Northwestern’s Peter Skornoski (who probably ends up on the interior), Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr, Georgia's Broderick Jones, Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison, or Tennessee’s Darnell Wright, all of whom likely come off the board in the first 40 selections.

After that, a trio of tackles should have Broncos Country holding their breath come Day 2 and 3: Ohio State’s Dawan Jones, Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron, and Maryland’s Duncan.

In this simulation, Duncan was there enough to qualify and was the selection for the Broncos. While Duncan’s tape at Maryland was up and down with very questionable technique and hand placement, the athletic tools and movement skills were obvious on tape. 

Prior to the offseason draft cycle, Duncan was likely viewed as a late-Round 3 to late-Round 4 prospect in my eyes, but after putting on extremely impressive tape in Mobile with much-improved technique, his improvements on top of his raw athletic tools are worth a shot for Denver.

Duncan also showed in Mobile that he can also play right tackle if called upon, giving the Broncos needed versatility for their line. Coming in with slightly-below ideal arm length at 33-⅝ inches, Duncan otherwise tested well in Indianapolis. 

Light for the position at 306 lbs, Duncan’s upside comes in pass protection and an outside zone blocking scheme, but he does show enough explosiveness to at least contribute in a more gap-centric scheme. His anchor is a concern, especially given he was a redshirt senior and a four-year starter, but you aren’t going to get a perfect tackle prospect this far down the board.

Round 4: Moro Ojomo | IDL | Texas

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The Broncos need help on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Most of Broncos Country will be screaming for offensive line with every signing and draft pick, but in reality, the team's talent along the defensive front is nearly as dire as the O-line. 

With D.J. Jones possibly the only interior defensive player with at least 250 snaps registered last season returning in 2023, on top of the durability questions for both Randy Gregory and Baron Browning, Denver needs help on the defensive front.

Perhaps filling in for the Dre’Mont Jones prototype is this Texas pass rusher who measured in at the combine at 6-foot-3 and 293 pounds with an outstanding 34.5-inch arm length. While not overly fast, running a 5.04-second 40-yard dash with a 1.77s 10-yard split, Ojomo’s 33-inch vertical and 112-inch broad jumps were outstanding.

Ojomo’s size and athleticism profile to a solid 3-technique option for the Broncos in pass-rush downs that could potentially play some edge in different heavy personnel or exotic front packages. He likely is a niche pass-rush specialist in his first season, but with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s propensity to blitz, a long athlete that can pressure in one-on-one blocks with length is a very useful weapon to have for the defense.

Round 5: Josh Whyle | TE | Cincinnati

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This was the hardest pick to make in the mock. With wide receiver, interior offensive line, cornerback, and linebacker all considered, the value kept coming back to tight end. With many NFL draft experts hailing this 2023 tight end class as one of the best in the last decade and one of the strongest positions in the draft, it was too hard not to invest in the position.

When the draft rolls around in April, I'm not sure if Whyle will be available. He tested simply okay at the Combine but has been a solid player during his time with the Bearcats. A mismatch-type who plays with control in the passing game and shows consistent desire as a blocker, Whyle has lined up in the backfield, inline, and in the slot over his career.

Given how Sean Payton likes to utilize a heavy variety of weapons to run his matchup-based offense, adding a player like Whyle to the Broncos’ skill-position group could provide an upgrade to Denver’s Andrew Beck and someone who can help contribute to the offense in a role Day 1.

Round 6: Evan Hull | RB | Northwestern

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The Broncos need running back help. With Javonte Williams’ knee injury, it’s exceedingly likely the Broncos will have already signed a running back (or two) by the time the draft rolls around. 

However, given the emphasis on the run likely to be in place in Denver next season, as well as how heavily Payton has used the position in the past, running back is a position to expect the Broncos to invest in this offseason. Further, with how Payton has used the running back, finding a backfield weapon who can help contribute in the passing game is of the utmost importance.

Hull can be that back for Denver. After a solid career for the Wildcats, he has quietly been having a good pre-draft circuit. He went to Mobile and he was good, showing the ability to run, block, and receive. 

Hull arrived in Indianapolis and ran and jumped very well while looking smooth in the field drills as a pass-catcher. If this wasn’t such a deep running back year in free agency and the draft, he would probably be more well-known.

Hull is likely well-known to Denver, though. Coming from Northwestern, his running backs coach and the main coach who recruited him to Evanston was Lou Ayeni. Ayeni is now the Broncos’ running back coach — making this connection all too easy. It’s a perfect fit on many levels.

Bottom Line

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Which way the Broncos will go in the draft remains a mystery, but a mix of trench players and a few matchup weapons would be about as good of a haul as anyone could expect, given their limited draft capital.

The needs and emphasis might change prior to draft day and GM George Paton may even acquire a few more draft picks by that point, but at this point in time, the haul above would give Denver a mix of day-one niche players that all could project into big-time contributors over the duration of their rookie contracts.

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