Why the Broncos’ “Redundant” 3rd-Round Picks Were Actually Genius

The Denver Broncos coaches and front office got a good look at their new draft class during rookie minicamp. It's easy to see why two of those rookies were drafted, even though the selections may have seemed odd back in April.

Taking Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant and LSU defensive end Sai’vion Jones with premium picks in the third round, including a trade-up for the latter, seemed a bit rich because the Broncos already have starters with similar traits. However, taking a different view sheds light on why head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton made those picks early. 

Bryant is a very similar player to Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele, Denver's two starters at wide receiver. The Broncos really needed a difference-maker at wide receiver, and yet, they drafted more of the same.

Why the Bryant Pick Makes Sense

At first glance, it seemed like an odd pick early in the third round, but looking at it with a different lens, it makes more sense. The Bryant pick allows the Broncos to wait on a Sutton extension and doesn't lock the team into a new deal. 

Sutton will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season, and if Bryant is what the coaches have been telling everyone he is, the Broncos can let the veteran walk. The front office reluctantly re-negotiated Sutton's salary prior to the 2024 season, and they may well be ready to move on from a player who is one of the few remaining holdovers from the previous regime.

Sutton will have a $20 million cap hit in 2025, a top-10 receiver ranking for a player who was top 20 in production. The value isn’t there, and the team knows it. The selection of Bryant with a premium pick is a logical move.

Preempting the JFM Situation

The very next draft pick after Bryant can be looked at similarly. Even though I loved the pick, Jones is much like John Franklin-Myers, making it seem redundant. However, Franklin-Myers is also a starter entering a contract year.

Jones and Franklin-Myers are of similar height and weight. Both are good interior pass rushers and had the same tweener questions coming out of college. Franklin-Myers fit right in as a 3-4 defensive end, and that's the plan for Jones, too, who should develop into a premier interior pass rusher with position versatility.

Like Bryant, if Jones is up to the task in training camp and preseason, the Broncos will be content to wait on an extension for Franklin-Myers.  It's likely to lead to Franklin-Myers taking money from elsewhere, even though he should be a priority to re-sign after fellow defensive lineman Zach Allen and rush linebacker Nik Bonitto. 

The Takeaway

The Broncos' third-round maneuvers were a bold strategy but a necessary one. The best teams use the draft to replace their impending free agents, even if the loss of those players could sting.  

By not paying these two, the Broncos will have ample cap space to pay Allen and Bonitto. Both are premium players at their respective positions and will command a large contract.  Furthermore, the Broncos could be in line to receive a compensatory draft selection if they lost both Sutton and Myers in free agency next year.

If both Allen and Bonitto get contract extensions before the season begins, while Sutton and Franklin-Myers are still waiting, it's all but assured that Payton and Paton are content with their two third-round draft picks as short and long-term replacements.