The Denver Broncos do not have a pick in either of the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. They gave up a second rounder as a part of the package for Russell Wilson last offseason.
Denver then swung a deal for former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, sending out the first-round pick it had acquired form the Miami Dolphins in the Bradley Chubb in-season blockbuster trade.
It goes without saying that Broncos general manager George Paton has been wheeling and dealing recently. With a new ownership group in place, the Broncos’ powers have been given carte blanche.
With that said, Denver still needs to find depth with the five picks that it does boast in the upcoming draft. Here’s a look at five Denver Broncos draft targets for the annual event late in April.
Related: Sportsnaut’s 2023 NFL mock draft
Denver Broncos draft picks in 2023
- Round 3 (via IND) – 67th overall
- Round 3 – 68th overall
- Round 4 – 108th overall
- Round 5 – 139th overall
- Round 6 (via PIT) – 195th overall
Denver Broncos draft targets: Third round
Owen Pappoe, linebacker, Auburn
Coverage from the linebacker spot has been somewhat of an issue for Denver in recent years. Despite recording two interceptions a season ago, former fourth-round pick Josey Jewell is a liability. He yielded a 78.8 completion percentage when targeted in 2022. Alex Singleton (76.6% completion, 97.6 QB rating last season) has not been much better.
Julius Brents, cornerback, Kansas State
There really isn’t much behind star cornerback Patrick Surtain in Denver. Veteran Ronald Darby is not going to be back with the team. Free-agent signing Tremon Smith is more of a special teams guy. A fourth-round pick last year, Damarri Mathis put up an iffy rookie season for the Broncos.
While Denver still needs to address this area in free agency, adding a potential starter to go with Surtain moving forward makes sense. The 6-foot-3 Brents put up a stellar senior season for Kansas State in 2022, recording four interceptions while showing a tremendous amount of physicality. He’s also surprisingly twitchy for someone his size. We see an ideal fit in new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s scheme.
Related: Updated NFL Draft rumors
Denver Broncos draft targets: Mid-to-late rounds
Jayden Reed, wide receiver, Michigan State
There have been widespread rumors that Denver is looking to trade both Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. Sportsnaut NFL insider Benjamin Allbright touched on them recently. And while the Broncos’ brass has pushed back against that publicly, it seems to make sense.
Dating back to his days with the Saints, Payton has not relied on high-priced pass-catchers in his offense. It’s been more about players who can do their thing after the catch. Hence, why Tim Patrick might have more of a future in Denver than the two better-known receivers we mentioned above.
Related: Jerry Jeudy trade scenarios from the Denver Broncos
Enter into the equation the 5-foot-11 Reed. He ran a blaxing 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He boasts top-end initial acceleration, which is big in Payton’s offense. He also has an ability to rack up yards after the catch and can play from multiple positions on the field. Back in 2021 with Michigan State, Reed averaged a whopping 17.4 yards per catch while scoring 10 touchdowns. The production has been there, too.
Trey Dean III, safety, Florida
Justin Simmons is among the most underrated safeties in the game. And while Caden Sterns has performed well in two seasons with the Broncos, injuries seem to be somewhat of an issue. At the very least, the Denver Broncos need to find more depth at the safety spot.
Dean would bring a tremendous amount of versatility with him to Mile High. He can play multiple spots in the secondary but seems to be better suited as an in-the-box safety due to his tackling ability. That would fit extremely well with what Simmons does in Denver.
Related: Denver Broncos NFL free agency trade
Max Duggan, quarterback, Texas Christian
Signing Jarrett Stidham to back up Russell Wilson is just fine. He can come in and perform well on a short-term basis. With that said, there’s no reason for Denver to avoid using one of its five picks on a quarterback who Payton can groom.
A Heisman finalist this past season with Texas Christian, Duggan has not received a ton of interest in the pre-draft process. He’s a bit short at 6-foot-1 and didn’t play in a pro-style offense with TCU. Even then, some of the traits are there for a late-round quarterback prospect who can excel in the right situation. He has good pocket awareness, progresses through his reads and can beat the blitz with surprising athleticism. Why not take a chance and see if Payton can get the most out of him?
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