The Denver Broncos have been busy hosting pre-draft visits with various prospects. The NFL draft is rapidly approaching on April 24.
In what will likely be my one-and-only mock draft of the year, I'm rolling out a four-rounder today. I used a mock draft simulator over at Pro Football Focus to keep me honest (relatively), but these four picks are a reflection of the direction I could see the Broncos' draft haul going.
Round 1, Pick 20: Colston Loveland | TE | Michigan
I know, I know; the Broncos just signed Evan Engram, but he's on the wrong side of 30. Meanwhile, the rest of the team's tight end room is... shall we say... lackluster?
The Broncos need immediate depth and a guy to one day succeed the aging Engram as a move tight end. Enter Colston, whose value at No. 20 is excellent. There are some draftniks who project him to be gone before No. 20, but he was there in my simulation, and that's not a gift-horse I'm looking in the mouth.
The fly in the ointment on Loveland is the shoulder injury he's currently recovering from. It kept him out of all the pre-draft workouts, but his tape is ridiculous, and his doctors assure teams that he'll be good to go by training camp.
That means that Loveland might be a little slow getting off the ground because the Broncos would want to proceed with caution, but as the long-term tight end to complete Sean Payton's mythical interior triangle in the passing game would be in the fold. And, if Loveland suffers no setbacks in his recovery, Payton could get wild with different two-tight-end looks to throw at opponents in 2025.
Round 2, Pick 51: Carson Schwesinger | LB | UCLA
The Broncos have two starting-caliber tight ends and a developmental guy who has failed to launch up to this point. However, both starters have serious injuries in the relative recent past, and Schwesinger is an absolute stud.
Schwesinger would give the Broncos options if Alex Singleton's recovery doesn't progress as planned, and it would buy the team time to continue getting Drew Sanders up to speed. Schwesinger would become the the Broncos' highest-drafted inside linebacker since D.J. Williams in 2004.
Not only is Schwesinger a sideline-to-sideline missile, but did I mention he can cover?
Round 3, Pick 85: Dylan Sampson | RB | Tennessee
In fairness, there's a very good chance Sampson will be gone by pick No. 85, but he was there, so I took him. Payton would get his future Alvin Kamara-type 'joker' back to develop.
Sampson could end up being one of the most productive running backs in what is shaping up to be the best draft class at the position since 2008. His fit with the Broncos is perfect, but he'd need to develop fast if he were to fill the team's current RB1 vacancy created by Javonte Williams' departure to Dallas.
Round 4, Pick 122: Jarquez Hunter | RB | Auburn
That's right, back-to-back ball-carriers. After watching Hunter in person at the Senior Bowl and studying his tape, suffice it to say, I'm in love, and I couldn't risk passing him up.
Hunter quickly became one of my draft crushes, and one Auburn insider told me in Mobile that the Tigers' running back will hear his name called in the mid-rounds, but "go on to play in the NFL for 15 years." Yeah, Hunter has it all and is a three-down running back, giving the Broncos not only an upgrade in depth, but an insurance policy with Sampson.
So why is he ranked so low among the running backs? I'm still trying to figure that one out.
Consider Sampson and Hunter to be Payton's newfangled Kamara and Mark Ingram. Even though Hunter is about 10 pounds lighter than Ingram was coming out of college, he can pound it between the tackles.
Bo Nix would be loaded for bear on this hunt.
