The Denver Broncos are coming off of a 5-11 campaign. This was the fourth straight losing season for Denver and their playoff drought continues. It has now been five seasons without a postseason appearance for a team that won the Super Bowl back in 2015 with Peyton Manning under center. As we creep closer to the 2021 NFL Draft, Denver has plenty of option at No. 9 overall.
The Broncos have selected offensive players in the first round in the previous two drafts and four of the last five. Jerry Jeudy was the first-round selection for Denver a year ago followed by K.J. Hamler in the second. The Broncos had a clear goal of improving their skill positions. When they are on the clock this year, they could target either side of the ball for help. The Broncos have fallen quickly and have some work to do if they want to get back to relevance.
The AFC West is a tough division to be in right now. The Kansas City Chiefs have shown that they are one of the best teams in football and will be as long as Patrick Mahomes is under center. Both the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers are also improving. The Broncos have been in the bottom half of the division in four of the last five seasons. This is a team that would benefit from many positions in the NFL Draft at No. 9.
It will be interesting to see which direction the team decides to go when they are on the clock. Here are three intriguing options for the Broncos with the No. 9 overall pick.
3. Caleb Farley, Cornerback, Virginia Tech
Farley has some injury concerns coming into the draft, but he is one of the top cornerback prospects on the board. The Broncos improved the secondary in the offseason by adding Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby in free agency. The unit is far better, but that does not mean that they are done. Farley is the type of prospect that might be hard to pass on if on the board.
Darby is coming over from Washington, where he was unimpressive a season ago. Fuller joins Justin Simmons in a Broncos secondary that is going to be a strong suit. Farley would only add to that. He is a corner with great size and length.
He is an incredible athlete with the quickness to play the position at the NFL level. This will come down to if he can stay healthy. Farley opted out of the 2020 season, so it has been quite some time since he has been on the field. He dealt with a torn ACL back in 2017 and back spasms during the 2019 campaign. He is having back problems as well that will lead to surgery.
There are some red flags with Farley, but that does not change the fact that he is a next-level prospect that could turn into a star in the league. The Broncos could decide to completely solidify their secondary by adding Farley with the ninth pick.
2. Kyle Pitts, Tight End, Florida
It is unknown if Kyle Pitts will be on the board when the Broncos are up at No. 9. If he is, it will be hard for Denver to pass on the Florida product. They used their first-round pick in 2019 on Noah Fant and could look to go in the same direction. It is rare that a player like Pitts is available and he could become a true game-changer within the offense. That is something that the Broncos have been looking for.
Pitts was a monster for the Gators this season. He finished with 43 catches for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 17.9 yards per reception. Pitts has incredible size at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds. His athletic ability at that size is something that does not come around that often.
He is a strong route runner with great speed. At tight end, he can cause some matchup problems against either smaller cornerbacks or linebackers. Pitts has the ability to break away from defenders or go up and grab a ball over them. The Broncos have been going heavy on offense in the NFL Draft in recent years and Pitts might be too good to pass on.
Denver needs some playmakers. That has been something they have lacked and is the main reason why the team has struggled. Pitts is a pass-catcher that would impact the game in many ways. Aside from putting up big numbers, he could draw other defenders, which would open things up for weapons on the outside.
This is definitely something to keep an eye on when the Broncos are on the clock.
1. Trey Lance, Quarterback, North Dakota State
Are the San Francisco 49ers targeting a quarterback with the third overall pick after trading up? They said that Jimmy Garoppolo is sticking around, so they could be looking for a player to sit for a year or so. Assuming Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are the first two picks, that leaves Justin Fields or Trey Lance up for grabs for San Francisco. Then there is the Atlanta Falcons.
Like Pitts, it is unknown if Lance will fall to No. 9, but he is definitely a player that needs to be on the radar for Denver. It is safe to say that John Elway whiffed on Drew Lock. He has not looked like a quarterback to rely on for the future.
The AFC West is full of quarterback talent with Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Justin Herbert. It is time that the Broncos step up and look for their quarterback of the future. Lance is another North Dakota State product that has a chance to become a star in the league. His draft stock has been up and down in recent weeks. There have been talks of him falling, but could be back up into the top five with the recent trades.
There is no telling where Lance could end up. The only thing that is certain is that if he falls to No. 9 in the 2021 NFL Draft, watch out for the Broncos making the pick. Lance could be the player that has been missing in Denver for the past five years.
