Broncos' 2023 Draft Class Panned in The Athletic's NFL Rankings

The Athletic wasn't picking up what the Denver Broncos were putting down in the NFL draft.

The Denver Broncos are still basking in the afterglow of a whirlwind 2023 NFL draft. The Broncos entered the draft with five picks and emerged with the same number, though in wildly different order. 

All in, the Broncos' 2023 draft class looks like this: 

• Round 2, Pick 63: Marvin Mims Jr | WR  
• Round 3, Pick 68: Drew Sanders | LB 
• Round 3, Pick 83: Riley Moss | CB 
• Round 6, Pick 183: JL Skinner | S 
• Round 7, Pick 257: Alex Forsyth | C 

One of the most respected names in draft media is The Athletic's Dane Brugler. However, as he ranked each NFL team's draft haul, the Broncos checked in near the bottom with a No. 26 ranking. 

Brugler didn't really write up why a team's class earned whatever ranking it did, but here's what he had to say about the linebacker Denver drafted in the third round. 

Favorite pick: Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas

My top-ranked linebacker, Sanders has intriguing versatility as a “do-everything” front-seven defender. Long, lean and fast, he has instincts and range, although he must become a better take-on player and clean up the “almost” plays on his tape. Nevertheless, landing Sanders at pick No. 67 is an absolute steal.

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A small typo. Sanders was drafted at pick 68. However, Brugler is singing the same tune many of Mile High Huddle's draft analysts did on the Sanders pick: it could end up being one of the biggest steals of this draft. 

It'll be interesting to see what role the Broncos have envisioned for Sanders. He proved at Arkansas that he can handle the off-ball stuff, to a greater or lesser degree, and we already knew about his pass-rushing chops as a five-star recruit, originally, with Alabama. 

As for Denver's Day 3 selections, there were only two. Brugler shared his thoughts on the center the Broncos drafted late and why he could out-kick his coverage. 

Day 3 pick who could surprise: Alex Forsyth, C, Oregon

Graded as the top senior center in the class by some scouts, Forsyth had bad injury luck throughout the draft process, which allowed Denver to nab him in the final round. Though not overpowering, he is technically sound and plays with the grit required at the pro level. The long-term outlook at center for the Broncos is far from settled, so Forsyth has a legitimate chance to move his way up the depth chart.

At the end of the day, it's too early to draw any lasting conclusions from any team's draft class. These rookies will need to stack some snaps and some NFL seasons before being fairly judged. 

That being said, the Broncos made about as much hay as one could hope with the five picks they entered the draft with, plus they extracted a starting-caliber veteran tight end in Adam Trautman along the way. If I were to pick any nits in Denver's 2023 draft haul, it's that the team didn't address the offensive tackle position, and that, purely as a depth concern, is still a big need. 

The Broncos don't have a trustworthy swing tackle at this stage. But the starting tandem of Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey is pretty sweet. 

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