ESPN's Jeff Legwold: Pass Rusher 'Near the Top' of Broncos' Draft 'To-Do List'

The minutes are counting down until the 2022 NFL draft begins on Thursday. The three-day event will span through Saturday in Las Vegas.

Denver Broncos' GM George Paton will most likely have to wait until pick No. 64 in the second round (barring a trade-up) as a result of landing nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson via trade. This begs the question: what position will Paton draft with Denver’s first pick?

On Monday, ESPN's Jeff Legwold declared that the Broncos are definitely in the market for a pass rusher with a premium draft pick.

“When Denver Broncos general manager George Paton looks at how the NFL draft may unfold next week, he knows pass-rushers could be near the top of his to-do list."

“Because they have to be. In the AFC West, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr are quarterbacks the Broncos face twice a year, and the AFC is filled with other front-line throwers such as Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.”

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Paton inked free-agent pass rusher Randy Gregory to a five-year, $70 million deal, after which, he promptly went under the knife for shoulder surgery. Gregory will miss the offseason program.

Former first-round pass rusher Bradley Chubb, who was selected No. 5 overall by Denver in 2018, is playing under his fifth-year option after undergoing ankle surgery in 2021. Then there’s veteran pass rusher Malik Reed, who signed his restricted free-agent tender earlier this month, guaranteeing him a base salary of $2.433M in 2022.

Lastly, there's Jonathon Cooper, a 2021 seventh-round draft pick, who logged 2.5 sacks as a rookie. On Friday, Paton held court for his annual pre-draft presser and consistently referred to edge defender as one of the deepest positions in the draft.

Paton's outlook lends credence to Legwold’s prediction that Broncos Country can expect a pass rusher sooner rather than later in the draft.

“The Broncos are not scheduled to make a selection until No. 64 -- the last pick of the second round,” Legwold said. “But do have five picks among the top 116 selections, edge rusher happens to be one of the deepest positions on the board.

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