Two Draft Prospects Linked to Broncos by PFF

With the NFL Combine quickly approaching and the Denver Broncos coaching staff mostly in place, fans can now start to turn their excitement and attention toward the offseason. While the Broncos will likely be bigger players in free agency than the NFL draft, given their limited draft capital in 2023, it will be up to GM George Paton to maximize each selection and try to squeeze value from the limited pool of picks at his disposal.

The Broncos are low in picks in terms of quality and quantity, but fortunately, they still possess some selections to add young, cost-controlled talent to the roster this April. Who could Denver target in the 2023 draft?

Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema linked two Big Ten trench players to Denver: Ohio State edge rusher Zach Harrison (early pick) and Maryland offensive tackle Jaeyln Duncan (later pick).

The Broncos roster solid speed-rushing talent in Randy Gregory, Nik Bonitto, and Baron Browning, but they need a big-bodied edge. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, Harrison fits that mold. Denver could also use some offensive line help, for which Duncan would be a nice get as a late-rounder if he’s on the board.

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In a recent episode of the NFL Stock Exchange Podcast, hosted by Sikkema and Connor Rogers, Harrison was also discussed as a great fit for Denver if he were to fall to the top of the third.

Long and powerful, with good burst, Harrison will likely never be a perennial double-digit sack player and might be best as a base end that can be moved around in pass rush packages, but he is a body type and skill set the Broncos simply do not have on their current roster. If Denver needs more length and power for early downs in 2023, Harrison could come in and immediately fill that niche and provide value.

What constitutes a late-rounder in this article is up for debate, but after an exceedingly strong showing down in Mobile at the Senior Bowl in which Duncan showed improved technique and the ability to play both left tackle and right tackle. He still displayed a twitchy and smooth lower base and easy movement skills, so there’s a reality Duncan doesn’t even make it to the Broncos in the third round.

Duncan’s play over the last two seasons was up-and-down, as his erratic hand placement and pass protection technique often led him to losing reps that a player with this athleticism should not have lost. Duncan also is far from a hulking offensive lineman, which shows in his subpar strength and drive, specifically in the run game.

Weighing in at the Senior Bowl at under 300 pounds with under average length at 33-½-inch arm length. Still, with his fluidity and movement skills at his size, it would be a shock for Duncan to fall out of Day 2 of the draft and be a late-round target for Denver, given the scarcity of humans walking the planet with his combination of size and athleticism.

Who will be available when the Broncos are finally officially on the clock is anyone's guess, but walking away with Harrison early in the draft would be good fortune. If Denver is lucky enough to land these two players, it will have done a great job addressing long-term needs along both sides of the line of scrimmage.

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