Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton hasn’t made it a secret that the team is very willing to take one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, there appears to be one marquee passer who won’t be under consideration in Denver.
After releasing Russell Wilson this offseason, Jarrett Stidham is currently penciled in as the Broncos starting quarterback in 2024. While it’s something that Payton is open to because of how Stidham performed late in the 2023 season, the organization still wants more options at quarterback.
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Broncos’ officials have been making the rounds across the country this spring to get up-close looks at the top quarterbacks in the 2024 class. While they know acquiring Caleb Williams is off the table and trading up for either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye is unlikely, Denver is doing its due diligence on the signal-callers.
Fortunately for the Broncos, the 2024 quarterback class is particularly strong. Five passers are expected to be first-round pick and Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix will likely be selected early in the second round. However, it seems Payton and Co. aren’t high on one in particular.
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Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette notes that the feeling he gets from the organization is that the Broncos “do not have great interest” in drafting Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
- Michael Penix Jr stats (career): 13,741 passing yards, 146.6 QB rating, 96-34 TD-INT, 63.3% completion rate, 8.2 yards per attempt, 265 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns
It”s important to note that while Tomasson tweeted that Broncos’ officials weren’t at the Huskies’ Pro Day, Jim Nagy later noted that Denver sent its pass game coordinator, college director and two scouts there. However, Washington has multiple first-round prospects and other players expected to be picked on Day 2 that could be on Denver’s radar.
Considering Penix Jr. will be 24 years old as a rookie and his strengths aren’t a great fit in Payton’s system, it’s not particularly surprising that Denver might not be particularly high on the Heisman Trophy runner-up. However, McCarthy and Nix are better fits for Payton and either could be targets for the Broncos.
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