Here’s what the Broncos need in the 2023 NFL Draft to fix their offense

With the regular season over, and the Denver Broncos not heading to the playoffs, it means we are officially in draft season! I’ve said it multiple times, but it bears repeating, the regular season is a grind, and the draft season is a joy.  

In this article, I’m going to examine what the Broncos need on the offensive side of the ball. The Broncos offense needs a lot of work after a disappointing 2022 season. They do have some talent, and there are positions the team won’t need to look at. However, there are parts of this offense that will require a major overhaul. Adding talent in free agency is possible, but the best way to build back this offense happens through the draft – likely multiple drafts, but it all starts now.  

So, what do the Broncos need in the draft? Let’s take a quick look at those positions of need on the offensive side of the ball.  

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Offensive Tackle 

The easy answer for most Broncos fans out there is offensive tackle. We’re talking more specifically about a right tackle, but I could make the argument that this team needs to start thinking about the future at left tackle as well. QB Russell Wilson needs better protection, and that happens with better players up front. For this exercise, we’re just going to look at right tackles for the Broncos.  

Billy Turner could stay with the Broncos as their starting right tackle, and I would applaud that move. However, I still believe there needs to be a right tackle selected with a premium pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The Broncos have the San Francisco 49ers first-round pick, and that’s likely to be somewhere around 30 based on what the 49ers will do in the postseason. That puts them out of range of some of the top tackles in this class (Peter Skoronski, Paris Johnson Jr.) but this is a strong class with starting-caliber talent that stretches into Day 2 of the draft. It’s early in my process, but so far, I like the options that will be available to the Broncos in the first and third rounds.  

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Offensive Guard 

This offensive line is going to look much different in 2023. Their biggest need is at right tackle, but they’re going to need help on the interior of the offensive line as well. I’m interested to see who is going to be head coach of the team and what kind of offense they’ll bring to the field. Then, we’ll have to see who the new offensive line coach is going to be, and I’d love nothing more than to see Mike Munchak return to the Broncos in that capacity.  

Dalton Risner may have played his final game for the Broncos. I hope I’m wrong, but he’s set to hit free agency and didn’t even warrant a contract offer by the Broncos this season. I thought during the bye week the Broncos might offer Risner a hometown discount but that didn’t happen. Now, Risner is going to hit the open market and the Broncos will likely be looking for a starting left guard. Unlike the tackle class, this guard class seems quite mediocre to me. Again, it’s an early swipe but the lack of standout talent at the guard position might prompt the Broncos to reconsider Risner as an option. 

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Running Back 

I have some ideas about how the Broncos can strengthen their running backs room in 2023, and some of those answers come from the draft. The best answer might be to bring back Latavius Murray as he was such a valuable piece of the puzzle for the Broncos towards the end of the 2022 season. Murray is a seasoned veteran who could work as the starter and primary back if RB Javonte Williams needs more time to recover from the knee injury that cut his sophomore season in the NFL short.  

Because of Murray’s age, I think it would be wise if the Broncos drafted a running back on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft. As you often see, starting talent at the running back position can be available late in the draft. Just last year, the Kansas City Chiefs found starter Isiah Pacheco in the seventh round. The Broncos missed out on Pacheco, a player they had in for a top-30 visit, so I hope they don’t miss out on that kind of talent this year.  

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Backup Quarterback 

The Broncos need an upgrade from QB Brett Rypien. Wilson is the clear-cut starter, and he is in a make-or-break season in 2023. I believe Wilson can bounce back next season, but his style of running the ball to extend plays as a passer is going to expose him to bigger hits. That means the Broncos must be prepared to replace an injured Wilson in the lineup. If the offense is better, the team will be in a playoff window. They don’t want to go off track if Wilson is banged up and needs to miss a game or two.  

The quickest answer could come in the form of a free agent like Marcus Mariota (if/when the Atlanta Falcons let him go). However, I would like to see a young passer drafted by the Broncos on Day 3 of the draft. Even a rookie taken in Rounds 5-7 would be a better option than Rypien in my opinion. The best option for the Broncos could be a rookie quarterback like Jaren Hall (BYU) as he’s built a lot like a younger version of Wilson. It’s early, so I’ll do more examination of what teams out there think of Hall but there’s a chance he could be there in the fourth round for the Broncos to pick.