No. 5 pick leaves Broncos Country wondering what could’ve been
Apr 27, 2023, 6:52 PM
The Broncos earned the fifth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That’s the byproduct of going 5-12 last season.
Unfortunately, Denver didn’t retain the rights to that selection. Instead, they were held by Seattle, as the Seahawks acquired that selection as part of the Russell Wilson trade.
At the time of the deal, no one expected this year’s first-round pick to be higher than the 2022 selection Denver sent to Seattle. That was No. 9, which the Seahawks used on Charles Cross, an offensive tackle out of Mississippi State.
Remarkably, the 2023 pick was even higher. The Broncos disappointing season led to that hard-to-imagine outcome.
That’s a painful pill for the team, as well as the fanbase, to swallow. The misery ratcheted up a bit on Thursday night.
When the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft rolled around, there were a lot of great players still on the board. It was hard not to imagine what some of these big names would’ve looked like in orange and blue:
Jalen Carter | DT | Georgia
Will Levis | QB | Kentucky
Bijan Robinson | RB | Texas
Peter Skoronski | OT | Northwestern
Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Ohio State
Devon Witherspoon | CB | Illinois
Ultimately, the Seahawks selected Witherspoon. The cornerback would’ve been a nice fit in Denver, lining up opposite of Patrick Surtain II. Instead, he’ll pair with Tariq Woolen in Seattle.
The only consolation is that the pain is almost over. The four premium picks sent to Seattle have almost all been used. Once the Seahawks pick at No. 37 on Friday, they’ll have officially received all of their compensation from the Wilson trade.
The pain is almost over, Broncos Country.
***
