One piece of the offseason puzzle for the Denver Broncos has fallen into place. With the San Francisco 49ers shedding to the Philadelphia Eagles 31-7 on Sunday within the NFC Championship Sport, the Broncos at the moment are in possession of the twenty ninth general choice within the 2023 NFL draft.

Acquired by Denver through Miami within the Bradley Chubb commerce, who acquired what’s now the No. 29 general decide final yr when San Fran traded up from decide 12 to three to pick North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, the decide has lastly reached a spot of relaxation. That’s, assuming the Broncos don’t commerce the choice to the New Orleans Saints for head coach Sean Payton.

Because it stands, the Broncos at the moment possess three choices within the top-100 of the 2023 draft: decide 29, decide 67, and decide 68. Choose 67 general is Denver’s personal, however No. 68 was acquired final yr when Denver traded the 96th general decide for choice 179 and a 2023 third-rounder. Given how a lot the Indianapolis Colts struggled this season, this seems to be an excellent transfer by GM George Paton in hindsight.

With the Broncos not but having a head coach employed, it’s a near-impossible activity to conduct thorough mock drafts. What scheme the Broncos might be working can enormously alter the sorts of gamers the crew will possible be focusing on this offseason within the draft. Nonetheless, within the spirit of the Broncos’ first-round decide lastly being slotted with the Niners’ loss, now’s pretty much as good of a time as any for a mock draft.

Using Professional Soccer Focus’ Mock Draft Simulator and Massive Board, a three-round mock was performed throughout Mile Excessive Huddle’s morning podcast Broncos for Breakfast. It was the present’s first Mock Draft Monday of the yr, the outcomes will appease most followers undoubtedly. Let’s dive in! 

Spherical 1, Choose 29: Anton Harrison | OT | Oklahoma

The Broncos need assistance alongside the offensive line. With the crew’s predominant two beginning proper tackles from 2022 set to hit free company this offseason in Billy Turner and Cameron Fleming, Denver will possible be on the lookout for new expertise alongside the offensive entrance.

Whereas the first-round-graded O-line skills in Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr, Georgia’s Broderick Jones, and Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski lengthy gone, and a majority of the highest defensive entrance gamers and cornerbacks off the board, the decide was Harrison out of Oklahoma at No. 29.

Harrison is a particularly easy mover in his move safety and along with his attain blocks within the run sport. He seems to be a wonderful match for a large zone blocking scheme the place his motion in area might be deployed to focus on defenders in area. The motion expertise in area additionally venture properly within the display screen sport.

Harrison’s hand method might be erratic, and he doesn’t play with a lot energy on the level of assault nor grip energy to maintain blocks. Too a lot of his reps lead to stalemates the place he seems to be fantastic drawing on reps quite than ending them.

Harrison does have some proper deal with expertise, however he primarily lined up at left deal with in his Sooner profession. He would give the Broncos a much-needed enhance by way of athleticism and younger developmental upside at deal with. 

Yr 1, he would ideally begin at proper deal with, however with Garett Bolles’ contract, it wouldn’t be out of the query for him to transition over to left deal with earlier than the tip of his rookie contract. In most draft courses, Harrison would possible be an early to mid-second-round decide, however in a category that many are proclaiming to be a down yr by way of expertise from the center first to the again finish of Day 2, he’s a shot at being translatable athletic expertise at a place the Broncos desperately must make a long-term funding in.

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Spherical 3, Choose 67: Matthew Bergeron | OL | Syracuse

Again-to-back offensive linemen within the first mock? This will likely look like pandering, however that is how the board fell within the simulator. Bergeron is a powerful run blocker for Syracuse that has had numerous splash performs within the run sport blocking for future NFL working again Sean Tucker.

With expertise at each proper and left deal with in his profession for the Orange, Bergeron’s strengths and weaknesses counter that of the beforehand mentioned Harrison. He is extraordinarily sturdy within the level of assault and a bodily blocker who seems to complete reps. He’s explosive in brief areas and sustains blocks within the run sport fairly properly.

Sadly, Bergeron doesn’t seem like almost as nimble and fluid in move safety. He struggled in opposition to NFL-caliber move rushers (primarily Jared Verse, who performed for Albany in opposition to Syracuse in 2021 after which performed for Florida State in opposition to Syracuse this season).

Bergeron might find yourself at proper deal with in his NFL profession, and his expertise at these positions is barely a optimistic going into the subsequent stage, as versatility is essential for offensive linemen. Nonetheless, on this train, Bergeron is more likely to be slated at left guard for Denver. 

In what appears to be a dreadfully restricted inside offensive line class, the very best inside gamers within the 2023 draft are exceedingly prone to be prospects that performed deal with in faculty that want to maneuver inside on the subsequent stage.

Spherical 3, Choose 68: Keeanu Benton | DL | Wisconsin

Once more, the 2023 inside O-line class is just not superb. As The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler has acknowledged on just a few radio appearances, he wouldn’t be shocked if the primary true heart didn’t come off the board till Day 3 of the draft. Given the dearth of expertise alongside the inside, don’t be shocked if inside defensive linemen steal the present on the pre-draft exhibitions such because the Senior Bowl.

One identify to maintain an eye fixed out for on the Senior Bowl this season is Wisconsin’s Benton. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 315 kilos with a reported 34-inch arm size, he’s a powerful but surprisingly nimble inside defensive lineman within the upcoming draft class.

Primarily lining up at 1 tech however with the body and burst to line up in numerous alignments relying on defensive packages, Benton has sufficient burst to assault singular gaps and sufficient energy, size, and self-discipline to play extra two-gapping strategies. He received’t be confused for the most important, strongest nostril deal with, however his versatility makes him intriguing for various potential schemes.

It’s exceedingly arduous to venture what sort of defensive linemen the Broncos might goal, given the kind of scheme is but to be introduced. Additional, the way forward for Dre’Mont Jones in Denver will enormously alter how a lot a necessity the inside line of defense is for the Broncos. 

Nonetheless, simply as with the offensive line, it’s by no means a nasty concept so as to add expertise with uncoachable dimension, size, and athleticism alongside the trenches. In an effort to keep sturdy alongside each fronts, groups should frequently add coals to the proverbial fireplace.

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