Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a series of NFL draft previews as it relates to the Broncos. Today: Edge rushers
April 10: Quarterbacks | April 11: Running backs | April 12: Wide receivers | April 13: Tight ends | Friday: Offensive line | Tuesday: Defensive line
Thursday: Inside linebackers
Broncos’ in-house offseason moves: None.
Under contract: Randy Gregory (four years), Nik Bonitto (three years), Baron Browning (two years), Jacob Martin (two years), Jonathon Cooper (two years), Christopher Allen (two years), Aaron Patrick (one year).
Need scale (1-10): 8. On paper, Gregory and Browning starting with Cooper and Martin playing support and Bonitto growing in his second year seems… fine. But Gregory had another injury-plagued season to start his Broncos tenure in 2022 and Browning missed time, too. Bonitto looked ready to surge in the middle of the season but struggled down the stretch and knows he must be a more consistent practice player to get where he wants to go. It all adds up to more questions than answers and suggests Denver would do well to find a first-year contributor in the draft after passing (so far) in free agency.
Top Five
1. Will Anderson, Alabama: A backfield terror from his first day on the field for the Crimson Tide, Anderson had 34.5 tackles for loss in 2021 and had 27.5 sacks during his final two seasons at Alabama. The 6-foot-4, 253-pounder is the favorite to be the first non-quarterback selected, perhaps as high as No. 2 overall and likely not outside the top five or six picks.
2. Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech: Wilson will also likely go in the top 10 and could challenge Anderson as the first edge off the board depending on the team. He had 17 sacks and 32 TFLs in four years at Texas Tech and was a first-team All-American in 2022. Has size and length at 6-6, 271 at the Combine with an 84.5-inch wingspan.
3. Lukas Van Ness, Iowa: Redshirted in 2020 and then exploded onto the scene with 13.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss for the Hawkeyes over the past two years. Van Ness (6-5, 272) could challenge for a top-10 selection despite the fact he technically never started any of his 27 college games.
4. Nolan Smith, Georgia: Smallest of the top group at 6-2, 238, but ran 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the Combine and has long arms (81-inch wing span). Another standout on the great Bulldog defenses in recent years, Smith missed the final stretch of Georgia’s 2022 season with an injury.
5. Myles Murphy, Clemson: Consistent production over the past three years at Clemson (double-digit TFLs all three years, 17.5 sacks total). Has a similar wingspan (81 ⅛) to Smith despite being three inches taller. Checked into the Combine at 268 pounds and has a good chance of being drafted in the first round.
Broncos’ Options
The Broncos only have five draft picks and don’t get to their first pair until the top of the third round. A look at five possibilities for Denver:
1. Zach Harrison, Ohio State: Given the deep nature of the edge class, several players are likely to go between the top five and this group. That could include BJ Ojulari (LSU), Will McDonald (Iowa State), Keion White (Georgia Tech) and Felix Anudike-Uzomah (Kansas State), among others. Might Denver consider trading up? Will Harrison and others on this list still be around in the 60s? Harrison has size (6-6, 274) and athleticism and comes from a school general manager George Paton has drafted from in recent years with Browning and Cooper.
2. Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame: Similar to Harrison size-wise at 6-5, 265 and ran 4.58 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the Combine. Logged 22 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss for the Irish over the past two seasons and was a first-team All-American in 2022.
3. Tuli Tuipulotu, USC: The 6-3, 266-pounder put together a huge senior season for the Trojans, logging 13.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss en route to Pac-12 defensive player of the year honors and first-team All-American status. Tuipulotu is also the youngest of the first three on this list. He’ll still be 20 when training camp starts compared to 21 for Harrison and 22 for Foskey.
4. Andre Carter II, Army: It’s not every day an edge player from Army pushes into draftable territory, but Carter certainly has. He’s 6-6 and 256 pounds and had his best season in 2021 when he logged 15.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss for the Black Knights.
5. Robert Beal, Jr., Georgia: A six-year college football player, Beal is an older prospect who started just 10 games for the Bulldogs. But he also ran 4.44 seconds at the Combine at 6-4, 247 pounds. That would be a good set of traits to bet on in the fifth or sixth round.
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