The Broncos can solve their tight end need with a mid-round pick

Mar 31, 2024, 8:00 AM | Updated: 9:41 pm

Denver Sports Analyst

We are less than a month away from the 2024 NFL Draft, and I cannot wait. The final touches are being put on my scouting reports, and I can’t wait to talk about this class in depth every night of the draft on 104.3 The Fan!

I like when the work is done. The draft season is my favorite time of year, and the anticipation about what the Denver Broncos will do resonates with me.

I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep Wrangler TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.

Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.

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April is the Month of Lies

As the calendar turns to April, we are fully in the season of lies. Every year, it’s the same thing. We’ll hear something about a player or a team’s interest that seems to be out of nowhere – because it is. Don’t fall for the misdirection, and trust me, it will happen.

Agents will tell you the sky is pink if it helps their client. I’ve had agents thank me for talking nicely about their players (when I just like their player). I’ve had agents try to coerce me to talk more about their player (when their player isn’t that great). I’ve had agents get mad at me when I say their player can’t play. Agents are a big generator of information in the NFL, and this time of year everything gets turned up to “11.”

Teams will give fake information to reporters who they know will run with it on social media sites. So many are chasing Twitter clout that they’ll gladly pass along information that is not true but beneficial to a team. There’s a real cloak-and-dagger aspect to this time of year. Teams are jockeying for position, and they’re trying to convince other teams that they’re totally not interested in the players they want the most.

As the calendar turns to April, remember we'll hear a bunch of BS when it comes to the #NFLDraft – it's the month of lies as teams/agents try to control the information flow.

Get your popcorn ready. #Broncos @DenverSportsCom pic.twitter.com/dhkHpHFlPC

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) April 1, 2024

Get your popcorn ready, Broncos fans. You’re likely to hear they’re moving up, moving down, staying put and all sorts of varying information when it comes to their first-round pick. I’ll stick with what I heard in January, thank you very much. I believe the Broncos will work diligently to move up in the draft to secure themselves a potential franchise quarterback. Stay tuned.

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Denver Wants a Corner

The Broncos are looking for more help in the secondary. They don’t want to trade away All-Pro cornerbac Pat Surtain to get a quarterback, but if the right deal comes along, they will. I believe they will keep Surtain, because they should, but they need more bodies to compete to establish a pecking order behind him.

I’ve documented it time and time again on Twitter when the Broncos have a meeting or a workout with a cornerback. Beginning back at the Shrine Bowl, the Broncos have shown interest in late-round prospects at the cornerback position. As we went through this year’s pre-draft process, the Broncos have kept coming up among teams looking for Day 3 talent in the secondary.

The need in the secondary is there because of misses they’ve had in the draft and in free agency. K’Waun Williams was a miss for the Broncos. I liked when they picked him up in the 2022 offseason. So long as he was healthy, Williams could have been the best slot corner in the league. He failed to stay healthy much with the Broncos and ended up only starting eight games for them. Now, he’s a free agent and has not been signed after missing the entire 2023 season. The Broncos are not interested, but missing on Williams (and others) means the need for corner is there.

Sources say free-agent CB K’Waun Williams, who missed all of 2023 with #Broncos due to ankle surgery, was fully cleared medically earlier this month. While I have reported Broncos won't re-sign him, five teams have expressed interest. He'll most likely decide on team after draft.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) March 29, 2024

When the draft gets to Saturday, I expect the Broncos to draft at least one player in the secondary. They could add a safety as well in the late rounds as they bolster the back half of their defense. After the draft, expect them to work the phones to add at least two more cornerbacks as priority free agents.

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Second-Largets Need is TE

The Broncos’ biggest need is a quarterback – duh! However, many do not realize their second-highest priority in the NFL Draft is likely to be a playmaking tight end that can make plays for the offense.

Greg Dulcich was supposed to be that guy – and he still could be, but he’s running out of time to impress. The physical skill set with Dulcich is easy to see. He’s big and fast, and Dulcich has become a fan favorite based off his hair and his potential. Remember last year when Sean Payton said he could be a “joker” in his offense? The fan buzz was out of control, and then Dulcich got hurt again. He’s talented, that’s easy to see, but you can’t trust him. It’s unwise for the Broncos to think that position is taken care of because Dulcich is on the roster. They will be adding a playmaking tight end in the draft.

There’s been plenty of fan speculation that they could take Georgia TE Brock Bowers is they stay at no.12 overall. That would be great, but I think they’re moving up for a quarterback. The Broncos will need to find a stud in the mid-rounds of the draft. The good thing is they can, and history shows some of the best in the game (George Kittle, Travis Kelce) came from the middle rounds. To me, my favorite mid-round pick is Jared Wiley from TCU. I saw him at the Senior Bowl, and I mistook him for a wide receiver at times in drills because of his fluid ability and speed to attack a defense.

I don't think it happens but @MaseDenver and I have discussed the ways Dulcich could not make the final roster. #Broncos @DenverSportsCom https://t.co/ARamCX6a9q

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) March 30, 2024

If the Broncos have a private workout with Wiley, I will do a dance of joy. If they end up drafting him, I will be incredibly excited about his potential in Payton’s offense. This draft has a few of those playmakers who could be available after the first two rounds, and that’s where I expect the Broncos to strike.

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Comic Book Musical?

I love Batman. He’s my favorite superhero of all time, so his arch-villain The Joker is my favorite bad guy in all of comic books.

The first Joker movie was amazing. Director Todd Phillips did a great job with the 2019 film, and actor Joaquin Phoenix was simply phenomenal as the “Clown Prince of Crime.” The movie was a psychological thriller, and it simply is one of the best comic book movies of all time. After it made over $1 Billion at the box office, talks of a sequel were quick to follow.

We’re getting a trailer for “Joker 2” in about a week, and I can’t wait. Lady Gaga is playing Harley Quinn, and reports have stated this movie is a musical with about 15 numbers people will recognize. That’s….odd, and somewhat interesting. I know the basic reaction is to shake your first at the sky with this type of news, and Twitter has been full of comic book nerds like myself hand-wringing over the movie being essentially a musical. I’m always a wait-and-see guy when it comes to movies in the comic book genre. It could suck, but it could be great! I can’t wait to find out and get a glimpe in this early trailer.