Horse Tracks: If the Denver Broncos can’t snag a first-round quarterback—what should they do?

The Denver Broncos need a quarterback of the future, but so do a lot of teams picking ahead of them. What should they do if they can’t get one of the best prospects available at the position?

Good morning, Broncos Country.

It’s no big secret in the Mile High City. Quarterback tops the list of needs for the Denver Broncos this offseason.

It’s highly unlikely they pay for one in free agency or trade for a high-priced veteran given their current salary cap restraints. That means the 2024 NFL Draft will be their best bet to try and find themselves a franchise quarterback. It’s also the right choice to make.

The Broncos have never drafted a quarterback in the Top 10 picks in their entire history. They traded for John Elway all those years ago. In fact, Jay Cutler was the highest pick at the position, and he was selected 11th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. Maybe that changes this year.

Perhaps they get aggressive and go and make a big leap up the boards to get one of the top guys in this year’s draft. I think that’s unlikely, but with the Kansas City Chiefs winning another Super Bowl and the Broncos lagging behind in the talent department—getting a quarterback prospect they can build around long-term is necessary.

And quite honestly, I don’t think they can afford to wait on that. Missing out on a quarterback kicks the can down the road another season. Time is of the essence and in my opinion, it’s in their best interest to get one now—even if it takes future draft picks to get it done.

However, If the Denver Broncos can’t snag one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft—what should they do?

The easy answer is trade down and acquire more picks, but with this question—I’m talking about what position group should they focus on. Two top the list for me. Offensive tackle and edge rusher. This is a great year to draft a tackle and it’s certainly possible a top prospect at the position is on board at #12 overall. Joe Alt is widely considered the best prospect at the position and will go before the Broncos pick, but Olu Fashanu, JC Latham, Taliese Fuaga and Amarius Mims are getting Top 15 buzz. As a long-term investment given the questions at the position, any of them make sense.

Upgrading the edge room would be smart as well. The Broncos have some good players at the position, but Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning are free agents at the end of next season. Jared Verse, Dallas Turner and Laiatu Latu could all be available when Denver picks.

If not those two positions, perhaps defensive line could be a wild card selection. Jer’Zhan Newton and Byron Murphy II going Top 15 wouldn’t be surprising, and I think Darius Robinson could catapult into that conversation as well.

What do you think, Broncos Country? If not a quarterback—what position would you like the Broncos to focus on with their first-round pick? Let me know in the comments section!

As always—thank you for reading. Here is today’s slate of articles for Horse Tracks.

Broncos News & Tidbits

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Broncos trade back into Round 1 for Bo Nix, Cardinals pick Rome Odunze, Byron Murphy II
The Broncos get their quarterback of the future with the second-to-last pick in the first round.

Von Miller drops bid to foreclose on mansion near Broncos HQ
Ex-Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has worked out a deal with the man who regrets buying his mansion near the team’s headquarters.

The Denver Broncos have the second-best odds of being Russell Wilson’s team next season
Would you like Wilson to come back?

Could the Kansas City Chiefs winning (another) Super Bowl be good for the Denver Broncos?
The Chiefs won the Super Bowl. Again. It sucks. And there probably isn’t a silver lining.

NFL News & Tidbits

Niners part ways with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after one season with team
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday that he had relieved defensive coordinator Steve Wilks of his duties after one year in the position. The announcement is a departure from what Shanahan said the day before, indicating in his

Bucky Brooks’ top five 2024 NFL Draft prospects by position 1.0: Jayden Daniels at QB2 over Drake Maye
Bucky Brooks provides his first look at the top five 2024 NFL Draft prospects at each position. How does he stack the quarterbacks? Who is his RB1?

Chiefs sign defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to extension following Super Bowl LVIII win
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who became first coordinator with four Super Bowl victories on Sunday, has signed a contract extension with Kansas City, the team announced on Wednesday ahead of its Super Bowl parade.

Texans GM Caserio has work cut out for him to rebuild roster – ESPN
With 30 free agents, Houston has the most in the NFL, and priority No. 1 starts in the trenches with DE Jonathan Greenard set to be a hot commodity.