It’s already mock-draft season, and Todd McShay has the Broncos making an interesting pick

Nine months ago, no one expected mock drafts to be a primary Broncos topic in the final weeks of the regular season. Certainly not with the expectations for the year, or the absence of first- and second-round picks.

But when you go 3-10 and trade Bradley Chubb for a package that includes a Round 1 pick, there you are.

And while the Broncos have pressing needs on the offensive line, ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Broncos opening their draft with … a running back.

To be certain, Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs is exceptional. He’s excellent in space. He is as proficient as a pass-catching target as he is between the tackles, averaging 12.0 yards per catch on 86 receptions between his two seasons at Georgia Tech and his single season with the Crimson Tide this fall. He’s decisive in his cuts in a way that would make old-school RB coaches proud.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Gibbs fits the template of a running back well suited for the pass-game responsibilities demanded by the modern NFL.

And as McShay notes, in his mock draft, the top-tier offensive-lineman options are off the board.

McShay writes:

“This is a tough one. The defense is solid, Denver doesn’t really need another receiver, and Russell Wilson is locked in as the quarterback. I’d love to get the Broncos another offensive tackle, but there’s a decent drop-off in talent there after Broderick Jones. Gibbs is pretty intriguing, even for a three-win team. My 20th-ranked prospect, he’s elusive with burst in and out of cuts and is a very effective pass-catcher out of the backfield. Gibbs not only rushed for 850 yards so far this season but also caught 42 passes. He could make the sort of impact we see regularly from Alvin Kamara and Dalvin Cook. And while Javonte Williams will return after tearing his right knee’s ACL and LCL, it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be off that injury while entering the third season of his four-year rookie deal.”

Running back is certainly a need for the Broncos, given the multi-ligament nature of the knee injury Williams suffered in Week 4 at Las Vegas. In the short term, the Broncos may need to prepare to open the 2023 season with Williams still completing his rehabilitation. It would not be a surprise if he starts the year on the physically-unable-to-perform list.

But at the same time, the Broncos’ needs on the offensive line appear to be profound. And positional value relative to draft position doesn’t favor Round 1 running backs. Denver itself hasn’t taken a Round 1 running back since Knowshown Moreno in 2009.

Up front, injuries shredded the O-line this year. Right tackle Cam Fleming and left guard Dalton Risner are in contract years. Fill-in center Graham Glasgow could find himself a cap casualty, with a potential $11 million in savings if the Broncos release him. And left tackle Garett Bolles will spend the offseason battling back from an injury of his own — a fractured ankle suffered in the Week 5 overtime defeat to Indianapolis.

All that leaves the Broncos at a point where if a premium O-lineman doesn’t fall to their pick — spot TBD based on the San Francisco 49ers’ outcome — they might be well-served to trade down and accumulate picks, still emphasizing the O-line when the value could be better.

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