The Denver Broncos could go any number of directions with their first-round selection at pick 20. North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton appears to be the current prospect of choice for the Broncos, with Boise State's Jeanty going consistently in the top 10 of mock drafts now, but could Denver rule out a wide receiver?
A defensive prospect? Outside of quarterback, there is an argument that could be made for pretty much any direction in Round 1.
While there isn’t a solid bet for the specific prospect the Broncos could select with their first-round selection, one thing that is highly improbable based on head coach Sean Payton being the main man behind the wheel of football operations in Dove Valley is the team trading back from 20 overall.
As George Paton stated earlier this week, “I don’t hit up Sean for the trade back until like the day of (the draft). It’s just no use.”
However, last season was the first time Payton has ever drafted a quarterback in the first round. Perhaps this year will be the first where a Payton-led squad trades back on Day 1?
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes that would be a wise move for the Broncos with their first-round selection, suggesting they trade back with the Los Angeles Rams, sending pick 20 to Sean McVay’s team in return for picks 26 and 90 heading back to Denver.
"While the Rams are without a second-round pick as part of last year's move up for Braden Fiske, they have an extra third-rounder from the Falcons hiring away assistant coach Raheem Morris in 2024," Barnwell wrote. "With the Steelers picking at No. 21, this could be a move up if L.A. thinks there's a quarterback worth drafting as a successor to Matthew Stafford, such as Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss).
The current consensus by draft insiders is that the overall talent level in this year’s class is down and that the caliber of player any team selects from approximately pick 11 all the way till the 50s to 60s is not going to be all that different. This does not mean there won’t be good players selected in this range, but the boards are likely to vary widely as the no-doubt-top-prospects list is shorter than most seasons.
Therefore, a slight move down while netting an additional top-100 pick in return would likely be a smart move for the Broncos, dropping down from 20 to 26. Of course, this depends on how the board falls.
If Denver wants a wide receiver, moving behind the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers, and Houston Texans could very likely mean its pass-catcher of choice comes off the board. If the Broncos are not dead set on a specific receiver or prospect in general, and the prospects they liked were claimed prior to when the team is on the clock, a move back and accumulating more picks should be in play.
Not only would this trade give the Broncos an additional top-100 pick to play with, moving down slightly, with likely the same caliber of prospect still being available as at pick 20, but the additional Day 2 pick could give the team ammunition to move back up the board sometime in Rounds 2 or 3 should the team want to do that.
Given the Broncos have traded up on Day 2 twice in the past two drafts moving up for Marvin Mims Jr. and Riley Moss in 2023 (and nearly three teams as they moved up for the second pick Day 3 in 2024 to select Troy Franklin), Paton and Payton have a history of targeting specific players on Day 2 and going up to get them when the cost to move up is far less in comparison to Round 1.
Should the Broncos want to add a running back early in the draft, but the likes of Jeanty and Hampton are gone, a trade back could reset the board, where they could consider a different option at 26 (or perhaps a running back there). Then, with the additional picks, the Broncos could package their second-round pick at 51 overall with more picks to jump the list of teams that could start the running back run sometime on Day 2 and go get “their guy.”
That guy could just as easily be a wide receiver, tight end, or defensive player. The extra third-round pick would simply give the Broncos more valuable ammunition to move around Day 2.
A trade back always takes two teams to tango, and moving back should always be predicated on who is available when on the clock. If a prospect the Broncos adore is available at 20 and the Rams are calling, unless Paton and Payton are blown away, they should likely take the prospect they love.
However, if there are a lot of players the decision-makers “like” but don’t “love," then perhaps a Payton-led team will trade down in the first round for the first time in the head coach’s long and illustrious career.
-1745304772-q80.webp "3 early Flyers trade candidates after 2025 playoff elimination")
