Once Broncos general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton decided they had waited long enough to get involved in the 2023 NFL Draft, they made their Friday night count.
Denver traded up twice — a staple of Payton’s 15-year tenure in New Orleans, but a relative rarity for Paton, who’s more accustomed to stockpiling “darts for the dartboard” by trading back — and took three players with upper-echelon physical traits in an effort to infuse athleticism into its roster.
In Oklahoma wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders and Iowa defensive back Riley Moss, the Broncos added players with physical traits that stand out.
Mims and Moss both checked into the top 10 at their position in Relative Athletic Score, a comprehensive measurement that takes into account a myriad of testing times and physical attributes. Sanders, meanwhile, ran sub-4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his pro day at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds and has the kind of range and versatility to play multiple positions in Vance Joseph’s defense.
“All week we had some players we had targeted that, if they fell close enough to us we’d go get, and that was the case with Mims and Moss,” Paton said.
Turning the No. 67 and No. 68 picks into No. 63 (from Detroit), 67 and 83 (from Seattle) came at a cost. Denver shipped No. 68 and No. 139 to Detroit and got No. 183 in return and sent No. 108 plus a 2024 third-round selection to the Seahawks in order to get back into the third round at No. 83.
The Broncos will send the latter of their own third-rounder and New Orleans’ next year, Paton confirmed, though some draft value charts still consider that a substantial overpay to move up from No. 108 to No. 83. Even still, the Broncos decided they needed the rangy corner who ran 4.45 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine and could be a versatile player outside, in the slot or perhaps at safety for defensive backs coach Christian Parker.
“We didn’t lose any picks this year, we still stayed with our five, and we just felt they were really good value for where we took them,” Paton said.
“I would say this: One of the things that we talk about all during the process of the evaluation — and it’s with the scouts and then with the coaches — is what’s our vision?” Payton said. “So, George and I both have a similar background relative to how we want to draft the best football players, especially when there’s a (name on the board) that is floating above the others.”
In trading up twice, the Broncos operated more along Payton’s aggressive track than Paton’s more conservative approach.
“George is the saver. I like to spend,” Payton said with a laugh. “We complement each other well.”
While Denver’s newest rookie trio will each have plenty of opportunities to work their way into playing time as soon as this fall, it only takes looking through the Broncos’ roster and contract statues to see their combined importance in Denver’s future beyond 2023.
At inside linebacker, the Broncos re-signed Alex Singleton to a three-year contract this spring, but Josey Jewell and Jonas Griffith are both slated to hit free agency after the 2023 season.
At wide receiver, KJ Hamler is entering the final season of his rookie contract and hasn’t been able to stay healthy over the course of his career. He’s currently rehabilitating from a torn pectoral muscle he suffered working out away from the team earlier this year and may or may not be ready for training camp. Courtland Sutton is under contract through 2025 and Tim Patrick through 2024 after they signed back-to-back contract extensions in November 2021, but neither has any guaranteed money left on his contract after the 2023 season. Both could well be back after this year, but it’s certainly possible one or either are entering their final seasons with Denver — if a trade doesn’t still unfold this offseason.
As for Moss, he’s joining a room in which nickel K’Waun Williams is entering the final of his two-year deal in Denver and the Broncos also could use more depth at safety opposite star Justin Simmons. Simmons, it’s worth noting, also has no guaranteed money remaining after 2023 on his contract, which runs through 2024.
All of that work leaves Denver with just Nos. 183 and 195 remaining Saturday, but they think they’ve made progress with an aggressive Day 2.
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