Broncos could add CB, edge rusher
After Broncos general manager George P aton fielded nearly a dozen questions about the quarterback position during the team’s pre- draft news conference Thursday afternoon, he was asked about other areas of need.
Throughout the draft process, many experts have had Denver d rafting an edge rusher or cornerback with t he 1 2th pick. And though Paton i s confident in the depth at both positions, h e didn’t s hy away from the possibility of adding to either spot.
“You a re a lways looking at those types of positions,” Paton said. “If someone falls in your lap, you’re going to take them.”
It’s h ard to f ind quality edge r ushers a nd c ornerbacks, Paton reasoned. Players like Von Miller don’t walk through the doors every day. B ut a t the same time, the talent the Broncos have a t both p osition groups is young with room to grow.
Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, w ho i s entering his third season i n the league, had eight sacks in 2023 after recording 1.5 as a rookie. Jonathon Cooper had a team- best 8.5 sacks, while Denver should benefit from having Baron Browning at full strength entering the new year.
At cornerback, Patrick Surtain II, 24, has established himself as one of the best i n the league. Meanwhile, Ja’quan Mcmillian played at a high level in the nickel spot during his sophomore campaign.
But questions remain. How will D rew Sanders fare i f Denver s witches him from inside linebacker to the edge? Can Damarri
Mathis bounce back a fter getting benched in the middle of last season? Will Riley Moss be able to live up to the team’s expectations after playing three snaps at outside cornerback as a rookie?
In a division where the Broncos have to face twotime M VP P atrick M ahomes and Justin Herbert twice a year, they might not be able to afford to take that gamble, especially s ince they have the potential to draft a premier player a t either position in the first round.
“Whether i t’s quarterback, edge or cornerback, you know w hat they a re. They are a premium,” Paton said.
When v eteran F abian Moreau took over as Denver’s s tarting cornerback, he held his own. But there were m oments w here h e lacked the speed to keep up with certain wide receivers. Toledo’s Q uinyon M itchell — who could be available at No. 12 — does, and he can make plays on the ball. He completed the 40yard at the scouting combine in 4.33 seconds while recording 18 pass breakups in his final season with the Rockets.
Denver used its last firstround pick to draft Surtain in 2 021, a nd i t traded up to t ake Moss i n the third round of last year’s draft. But the possibility of having two lockdown cornerbacks could be intriguing for a defense that finished 22nd i n passing yards allowed ( 233.6 per game) last fall.
When i t comes to edge rushers, NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said in a conference c all on T hursday that h e thinks A labama’s Dallas Turner, Florida State’s Jared Verse and UCLA’S Laiatu Latu are the top three players.
Depending on how t he top of the draft shakes up, either o ne c ould f all into Denver’s lap.
Even though Bonitto and Cooper improved, the Broncos were 29th in pressure percentage ( 18.2%), 20th in sack percentage ( 6.8%) and tied for 21st in team sack totals ( 42), according to Pro Football Reference.
Latu — who medically retired due to a neck injury at W ashington — didn’t have a problem getting to the quarterback during his time at UCLA, registering 23.5 sacks over the last two seasons. He also h ad 1 27 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
“I k now there’s teams that have Latu a s the No. 1 edge guy,” Jeremiah said. “There are varying degrees of c oncerns with L atu’s medical. But on the other side of it, he’s been healthy the last two years and productive at UCLA.”
There are so m any directions t he B roncos c an go into with their top pick that Paton and coach Sean Payton won’t know what they’ll do until draft night.
Whether Denver takes a quarterback, edge rusher, or cornerback, the organization i s confident i t can land an impact player.
“One t hing we know i s that we are going to get a really good player at 12,” Paton said.