Horse Tracks: What prospect do you not want the Denver Broncos to draft in the first round?

The Denver Broncos have the twelfth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With that in mind, what prospect do you not want them to draft?

Good morning, Broncos Country.

The 2024 NFL Draft is just 35 days away. For many across Broncos Country that feels like an eternity, but April 25th will be here before you know. And when that day comes, the Broncos will be making a selection in the first round since snagging All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain in 2021.

Lacking premium draft picks the past two seasons due to the Russell Wilson and Sean Payton trades, the franchise is behind the eight-ball in terms of prospect talent and depth across the roster. While it’s true that many early selections flame out of the National Football League by the end of their rookie contracts, Denver is operating at a significant talent disadvantage compared to many teams in the league.

Most certainly, Sean Payton, George Paton and the talent evaluators have a lot of work to do in order to get back on track and be a formidable contender in the AFC. The team currently has eight selections for April’s draft, however, they lack a second-round pick for the third year in a row. That means the gap between their first-round pick and third-round pick is 64 selections.

Unfortunately, a lot of talent will go off the board by then. That means what they do in the first round is important to shaping the future foundations of the franchise.

A while back I had asked if the Broncos don’t snag a quarterback with their top pick—what should they do? A lot of you had varying answers, but many seemed fine with taking a top-flight edge or finding a way to get an offensive playmaker in the fold. With that in mind, I now have to ask you this: What prospect do you not wat the Broncos to draft in the first round?

For me it’s not necessarily a particular prospect (though I wouldn’t be too excited about Bo Nix at #12)—it’s a position that I’d like to see the Broncos avoid altogether. That would be this year’s crop of cornerbacks.

It’s not that I have anything bad to say about Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Terrion Arnold, Nate Wiggins or Kool-Aid McKinstry. All five of those guys project to be great NFL players and worthy of being first-round picks. However, I’m not sure adding another cornerback in the mix is the best path forward for the Broncos.

First and foremost, I’d like to see them give Riley Moss a shot opposite of Surtain II. The Broncos traded a future third-round pick from this year’s draft in order to acquire him. That’s a lot to give up and the franchise needs to see if he has what it takes to compete as a starter on the boundary.

Not only that, but the Broncos could use an infusion of talent in their defensive trenches. Even though they had one of the higher blitz rates league-wide, they still weren’t effective at generating pressure on a consistent basis. So, what worth does another first-round corner truly have when the front seven (in particular defensive line and edge groups) need an infusion of talent?

In order to get the most out of your secondary, you have to have top-notch players up front defensively. That’s why I’d like to see them punt on a first-round corner in this year’s draft. Your mileage may vary, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on particular players or position groups the Broncos should avoid drafting next month.

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

Broncos News & Tidbits

Grading the Denver Broncos 2024 Free Agent Signings – Lets Talk Broncos
What grades should the Denver Broncos’ earn for their first batch of free-agent signings from the 2024 offseason?

The Secret Sauce Fueling the Denver Broncos’ New Rebuild – Lets Talk Broncos
The Denver Broncos are finally embarking on a rebuild. Fortunately, they have a secret weapon leading their way out of the darkness.

Ranking the Best QB Options Available to the Denver Broncos – Lets Talk Broncos
Before Denver Broncos fans buy into a ‘quarterback or bust’ mindset, let’s take a look at what the quarterback options actually are.

Broncos mourn passing of former QB Steve Tensi
Former Broncos quarterback Steve Tensi, who started more than 30 games across four seasons with Denver from 1967-70, was 81 years old.

Denver Broncos snag Oregon Ducks QB Bo Nix in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft – Mile High Sports
The Denver Broncos get their quarterback of the future with Oregon Ducks QB Bo Nix landing on the team at 12th overall.

NFL News & Tidbits

Bucky Brooks’ top five 2024 NFL Draft prospects by position 2.0: Quinyon Mitchell flies up fluid CB board
Bucky Brooks revisits his ranking of the top five 2024 NFL Draft prospects at each position. Who rose and fell in Edition 2.0? Which players made it in for the first time?

Daniel Jeremiah 2024 NFL mock draft 3.0: Vikings go get J.J. McCarthy; Jets jump for Marvin Harrison Jr.
In his third mock of the 2024 NFL Draft, Daniel Jeremiah projects the Jets and Vikings will trade into the top five to take big swings at addressing needs on offense. Check out the full first-round projection, 1-32.

2024 NFL Draft: What We Learned from Alabama, Ohio State and USC pro days
How did QB Caleb Williams, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, perform in his highly anticipated throwing session? Eric Edholm provides the biggest takeaways from Wednesday’s pro days at Alabama, Ohio State and USC.

NFL exec thinks Russell Wilson could be cut by Steelers after camp – Denver Sports
Adam Schefter dropped a bit of a bombshell, saying at least one top boss thinks Russell Wilson might not make it to Pittsburgh’s first game.

Social Media Erupts Over Ex-Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy’s Extension
NFL fans on social media erupted over former Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy receiving a significant contract extension from the Browns.