James Palmer Hints Broncos Could Trade Up in Draft to Land Offensive Tackle

Is George Paton's draft strategy slowly being leaked?

The Denver Broncos sit in a unique position as the NFL draft approaches. After wandering the desert of quarterback purgatory for a few seasons, the Broncos suddenly find themselves in a position they haven’t been in for quite some time: owning no first-round pick and possessing a legitimate franchise quarterback.

Any team or fan base with any semblance of an understanding of the value of great quarterback play in today’s NFL would deal away the draft capital for a sure-fire franchise quarterback like Russell Wilson nearly every time. However, the trade of pick 9 and pick 40 overall, as well as Denver’s 2023 first and second-round picks, puts GM George Paton in a difficult place: finding young cost-controlled players. 

Given Wilson’s impending mega-contract extension, it's exceedingly important to find those cheap players with upside at positions in the draft where there is a strong correlation leading to NFL success.

NFL Network's insider James Palmer recently said during a broadcast that while the Broncos do feel pretty good about their current roster, Paton is indeed working out scenarios in order to move up in Round 2 of the draft by targeting edge rusher, cornerback, and offensive tackle. 

“(Paton) doesn’t expect to be getting the Broncos into the first round by any means. Their first pick is at pick 64 but they do have nine picks and five picks in the first four rounds. You could see some movement, though, to my understanding from George Paton because the Broncos, along with a lot of other teams, believe you can still find yourself a tackle at the start of the second round. That’s a position you could potentially see Denver making a move up towards the earlier portion of round two because you know tackle is a need for them. They have Billy Turner who knows Nathaniel Hackett’s system well. But they need some tackle help to help Russell Wilson.”

The #broncos don’t have a first round pick. Their first pick is #64. Could they move up? And if so, for what position? My report on NFL NOW on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/9yTTx4Y1KS

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) April 25, 2022

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While all six of the consensus top offensive tackle prospects may come off the board in the first 32 picks of the draft, leaving Denver no prospects worthy of using multiple picks to move up the board and select, there is a chance that some of the tier-2 and 3 tackles such as Central Michigan's Bernhard Raimann or Tulsa's Tyler Smith could slide to within striking distance leading to the Broncos moving up to select the rare commodity.

As Paton stated in his pre-draft press conference, the team believes there are several Round 1 and early Round 2-quality tackles. It would make sense that if Denver truly valued one that split, the Broncos could be aggressive to move up and nab him rather than risk waiting until Day 3 for the next draftable wave of talent. If the tackles fly off the board, though, could the Broncos still look to move up for edge or corner? Palmer answers. 

“Corner is definitely in play in these picks that they have, two third-round picks and pick 64, that’s a spot they could be getting some cornerback depth. And I mention depth because they do believe they have a very solid roster now that they put the last piece in their mind in Russell Wilson in place. They’re not going to reach, they are going to try to take best player available as best they can but keep an eye on George Paton moving potentially in the second round to go after a potential target on that offensive line.

“(Paton) also believes edge rusher is very deep. Remember Bradley Chubb, their former first-round pick fifth overall, is entering the final year of his contract. They’d like to keep him long-term there although he’s had some injury issues. They just got Randy Gregory. They would like to get deeper in the pass rush spot as well. So look for them for not reach by any means (but to target edge). They also don’t believe that they are looking for guys who have to play right away. This is depth I’m talking about, they are comfortable if they are getting the best player even if he is not NFL ready right away.”

It does seem as if the Broncos might bide their time and let the cornerbacks and edge rushers fall to them at picks 64, 75, and 96 rather than trading up for an offensive tackle simply because there are more quality options at these positions in this draft class. However, don’t think Paton wouldn’t trade up if the cost was palatable.

The Broncos are in a really good position entering the 2022 draft despite not picking until selection 64. The concern of only having four selections in 2023 will likely hover over the heads of Paton and the front office during the draft, but that doesn’t mean Denver won’t at least ponder the possibility of moving up in Round 2.

If an offensive tackle, edge rusher, or cornerback the Broncos deem of value starts to slide, and given how much harder it is to find quality players at those specific positions the further a team drafts the position from the first round,  don’t be surprised to see Denver move up the board to select a player it doesn't believe can be found later on in the draft given historical draft context.

There are always outlier examples for anything. The Patriots found Tom Brady in the sixth round. Denver found an exceptional edge rusher and cornerback talent from the undrafted pool bringing on Shaquil Barrett and Chris Harris, Jr. Smart teams know that finding positions like quarterback, edge rusher, cornerback, and offensive tackle after the first 40 picks in the draft is historically improbable.

Measurables such as body types and athletic testing are directly related to success at these specific positions, so it's no surprise that most of the draft prospects that will become good starters in the league get snatched up quickly. Positions where the athleticism and physical “traits” are secondary to instincts, intelligence, and toughness such as linebacker, safety, and center, can be drafted later.

The Broncos have a very large need for depth at all three value positions of edge rusher, cornerback, and offensive tackle with possible massive holes on the roster at these spots for 2023, so it would make some sense that if the team sees a player it identifies with the rare combination of body type and athleticism, Paton could pounce. Thus, the Broncos might leverage some of their draft capital to move up and select a player they know they has astronomical odds of finding later in the draft.

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