At the NFL owners meeting earlier this week, Broncos head coach Sean Payton didn’t shy away from the possibility of moving up from the 12th overall pick in April’s draft.
“I think it’s realistic,” he said Monday in Orlando, Fla. “What’s hard to predict is what’s on the receiving end. We will pay close attention to it.”
The Broncos need a quarterback, and with four potentially getting drafted in the top five, Denver might have to get aggressive and move up to acquire one. Minnesota currently has picks No. 11 and No. 23, meaning it has the assets to make a big move before or during the draft. The New York Giants, who currently have the sixth pick, might move on from Daniel Jones, while the Las Vegas Raiders are another team that could trade up.
While Payton was in New Orleans, he was no stranger to trading up. In 2018, the Saints traded the 27th pick, a fifth-round pick and a 2019 first-rounder to the Packers for No. 14 to select defensive end Marcus Davenport. In 2014, the Saints moved up seven spots to take wide receiver Brandin Cooks at No. 20. When the Saints drafted cornerback Marshon Lattimore at No. 11 in 2017, they also traded Cooks and a fourth-rounder to New England for the 32nd overall pick and a third.
Since general manager George Paton has been in Denver, he has been more inclined to trade back. Most of the trades he’s conducted have come during Day 2 of the draft. However, he and Payton were willing to trade up twice in last year’s draft to take wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. with the final selection of the second round and cornerback Riley Moss with the 83rd pick.
Paton said it’s still early but he has an idea of which teams are willing to move. If the Broncos fall in love with a particular quarterback, it might require Paton to step out of his comfort zone. Still, moving up might be difficult for the Broncos, especially without a second-round pick.
But it doesn’t hurt to conjure up four scenarios where Denver trades up in the draft. In creating these possibilities, we consulted the NFL Draft Trade Value Chart as well as the Trade Calculator from Over the Cap. The trade calculator factors the value of the picks as well as what the projected value of the trade would be in terms of expected contract value.
Broncos go all in for QB
Denver trades: No. 12, No. 76, WR Courtland Sutton, 2025 and 2026 1st round picks to Patriots
Denver receives: No. 3
Over the years, NFL teams have aggressively traded up to grab a quarterback. But some of those moves haven’t been successful. In 2021, the 49ers traded away three first-round picks and a third to Miami to move up from No. 12 to No. 3 and draft Trey Lance, now a backup quarterback in Dallas. In 2018, the Jets sent their sixth overall pick and three second-round picks to Indianapolis for the third overall pick and took quarterback Sam Darnold — a 49ers backup in 2023 before signing with Minnesota this offseason.
That may not stop Denver from swinging for the fences. New England could take a quarterback, but the overall talent on the Patriots’ offense would make it hard for a rookie to thrive in his first season. The Broncos trade four draft picks, including three first-rounders, a future second and Sutton. New England would have additional draft capital and Sutton would be an upgrade at wide receiver. Even if the Patriots still wanted to take a quarterback in the first, Oregon’s Bo Nix or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. would likely be available.
Meanwhile, the Broncos would put themselves in a position to take either North Carolina’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels. Both players have met with Payton and the Broncos staff, with Daniels having another meeting with Denver after LSU’s pro day on Wednesday. Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy could also be in play here. But no matter which direction the Broncos take at No. 3, a move this big is an indication Payton strongly believes he has found his guy.
Broncos buy into McCarthy hype
Denver trades: No. 12, No. 76, and 2025 1st and 2nd round picks to Cardinals
Denver receives: No. 4
Maye or Daniels could be available at No. 4. But the Broncos make a deal with Arizona to presumably take McCarthy, who had a private workout with the team following Michigan’s pro day. At one point, McCarthy seemed like a possible option at No. 12. Since the NFL scouting combine, his stock has risen, leading many draft experts to believe he will be taken higher. McCarthy is capable of fitting into Denver’s offense. Assuming the Broncos are the only ones looking to make a move at No. 4, this could be enough to get a done deal. But if a team like Minnesota with its two first-round picks is on the other phone line, Denver might have to up the ante.
Broncos strike deal with AFC West foe
Denver trades: No. 12, No. 76, No. 121 and 2025 1st round pick to Chargers
Denver receives: No. 5
Unless the Chargers desperately want Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt or one of the top wide receivers in the class at No. 5, they could move back in the draft and still address positions of need. Similar to the Cardinals’ deal, the Broncos send a pair of first-rounders and a future second to the Chargers. It might be tough to convince Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh to potentially let his former quarterback join a division rival. But the idea of giving the new regime additional assets to work with could be appealing.
McCarthy falls, Broncos pounce
Denver trades: No. 12 and No. 76 to Atlanta
Denver receives: No. 8
McCarthy is truly a wild card because there’s still a chance he doesn’t get drafted inside the top six. If so, the Broncos call Atlanta to acquire the eighth overall pick, which will be a more reasonable deal since it doesn’t require them to part ways with next year’s first. With the Falcons signing Kirk Cousins, Atlanta doesn’t have the same urgency to draft a quarterback in the first as before. By trading with Denver, they will not only get a first-rounder, but another third round pick, giving them five top 100 picks.
Even if the Broncos don’t take a quarterback, they would be in a position to possibly draft Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers or one of the top left tackles like Alt or Penn State’s Olu Fashanu.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
