Finding Broncos: 5 Prospects for Depth at Multiple Positions

Finding Broncos scouts the 2023 NFL Draft with a group of prospects at different positions who can bring additional depth.

With where the Denver Broncos are at with their roster, they have solid starters throughout but lack depth. Almost every position has questions about their depth, making life even more difficult for the Broncos when they enter the draft with only five picks to work with. 

Jadon Haselwood | WR | Arkansas

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Pros

• There is good size and weight for the NFL. 
• He is a solid athlete with good leaping ability. 
• There is good suddenness and burst to get separation. 
• He is physical as a blocker and shows good technique.
• He is a tough competitor and shows promise as a developmental possession receiver. 

Cons

• There isn't a lot of production, with only 121 catches, 1,440 yards, and 10 touchdowns in his career. 
• There are multiple medical concerns to clear up. 
• There won't be much to offer on special teams. 
• The burst isn't sustained, and his separation can be eaten up quickly. 
• Despite the size, he doesn't have the traits to last on the boundary in the NFL. 

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos are looking for more explosive ability to bolster their depth. However, if they want to add a bigger slot, Haselwood would make sense. He is the former #1 receiver recruit who never lived up to expectations. 

Matt Landers | WR | Arkansas

© Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• He is a good athlete, checking all of the boxes. 
• His size is great, and he has excellent speed. 
• He has a huge catch radius with reliable hands, suffering only seven drops in five seasons. 
• He tracks the ball extremely well when working vertically. 
• There is elite body control, and he does well adjusting to the ball in the air. 

Cons

• There are some immaturity and character concerns teams have to dig into. 
• He doesn't have much to offer on special teams. 
• It is best to keep him off the field when it comes to blocking. 
• He will be older as a rookie.
• His frame is exceptionally lean, and he can be easy to bring down. 

Fit with Broncos

If Landers can be cleared by the Broncos with the immaturity and character stuff, he can be a great fit. He brings that explosive vertical ability they are looking for, and his reliable hands are something the Broncos don't have with their current vertical threat. 

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Noah Taylor | LB/Edge | North Carolina

© Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Pros

• He has good size and length for the NFL. 
• There is good strength, and he does well flowing with the play. 
• He plays well in space and has smooth and fluid movement. 
• The missed tackles don't frequently happen, with a low rate. 
• He is disciplined and keeps the penalties low, with five in his career and none in 2022. 

Cons

• His draft process has been non-existent because of a knee injury. 
• He was an edge in college but will likely move back for the NFL. 
• Sometimes he isn't as aggressive as he should be against the run. 
• His scheme fit will be limited, keeping him off multiple teams' boards. 
•  His lean frame lacks mass, creating issues working as a linebacker. 

Fit with Broncos

Taylor is a long and lean defender who doesn't have the strength to hang in on edge in the NFL. However, he moves well in space, and his athleticism and fluidity are there on tape. If the Broncos want an athletic linebacker to develop, Taylor would be one to look at as an undrafted free agent. 

Nic Jones | CB | Ball State

© Jamar Coach/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pros

• While it isn't great, he has good enough size for the NFL. 
• He is a solid athlete overall. 
• He plays with good balance and does well transitioning. 
• He has excellent special teams ability and has blocked multiple punts. 
• There are tools and traits that fit in man and zone coverage schemes. 

Cons

• His frame is lean and can be problematic with handling physicality in the NFL. 
• There is a lack of experience, with only 1,362 snaps in college. 
• There is a clear lack of developed techniques, which can be cleaned up with experience. 
• He missed multiple games over the past few seasons. 
• His rookie season will have to be spent as a redshirt year on the practice squad if he earns it. 

Fit with Broncos

The Broncos need depth, but they need developmental guys as well. Jones has a ton of upside, but his lack of experience is easy to see. However, he is coachable and athletic, which could be a great fit for the Broncos to learn under Christian Paker, the defensive backs coach. 

Kahlef Hailassie | CB | Western Kentucky

© HELEN COMER/The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pros

• There is good size and length, with solid athleticism. 
• He is a smooth and fluid mover and can change direction on a dime. 
• He is a twitched-up athlete who does well to stick on receivers. 
• He uses his length well and can work around receivers to attack the catch point. 
• He drips confidence with his play. 

Cons

• The discipline isn't there, and he can be easily baited by the quarterbacks' eyes and double moves. 
• He gets his hands on a lot of passes but lacks the consistency to secure interceptions. 
• There are times he can be delayed with his reaction, giving separation. 
• There was a significant increase in missed tackles in 2022, stemming from proper technique. 
• He can get grabby and got hit with nine penalties over the last two years. `

Fit with Broncos

Hailassie is a good fit for the Broncos and does bring good versatility. He is projected to go undrafted, which would be a good value pickup for the Broncos. With a year on the practice squad, he could compete for a depth and special teams role in 2024. 

The Broncos only have five draft picks to work with, but they only have 73 players currently under contract. With those five picks included, they will have room for 12 players as undrafted free agents and could add more to churn the bottom of the roster. 

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