The Fan hosts weight in on what the Broncos should do at No. 12
Apr 6, 2024, 9:53 AM | Updated: 12:01 pm
The NFL Draft is less than three weeks away. It’ll be a tipping-point weekend for the Denver Broncos, one that will either put the franchise back on the right course or push them even further along the aimless path they’ve been on since winning Super Bowl 50.
The Broncos are sitting at No. 12. Sitting just outside of the top 10, they have all kinds of options. They could trade up to get a quarterback. They could trade back to add more picks. Or they could stand pat and make a selection.
What will they do? What should they do?
The weekday hosts on The Fan weighed in. Three weeks out, here’s what they see happening:
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What do you think the Broncos will do with the No. 12 overall pick?
SCHLERETH AND EVANS (M-F | 6a-10a)
Mike Evans: They’ll stay at No. 12, pick a stud football player and take a quarterback in the later rounds.
Mark Schlereth: They won’t find someone who wants to trade up to No. 12, so they will stay put and draft a stud football player.
STOKLEY AND JOSH (M-F | 10a-2p)
Josh Dover: Draft Bo Nix.
Brandon Stokley: Take Bo Nix.
THE DRIVE (M-F | 2p-6p)
Zach Bye: Draft Bo Nix.
Phillip Lindsay: The Broncos will stay at 12, or they will trade back in the first round to accumulate more draft picks. I think they will select Michael Penix Jr., even if they trade back.
DENVER SPORTS TONIGHT (M-F | 6p-7p)
Cecil Lammey: At No. 12, the Broncos will select Bo Nix. He’s great under pressure and is just the type of rhythm passer Sean Payton is looking for.
Andrew Mason: The Broncos will consider trade options, but ultimately, they’ll stay put at No. 12 and select Bo Nix, who fits Payton’s offense.
James Merilatt: The Broncos will push all their chips in, trade away draft capital that they don’t have to spare and take J.J. McCarthy at No. 4 overall, a giant whiff.
Will Petersen: The Broncos will make a bold move up the board, getting to No. 4 with the Arizona Cardinals. With the Commanders reportedly interested in J.J. McCarthy, that changes things up. Broncos Country will rejoice when they land Jayden Daniels out of LSU to be the team’s next franchise QB.
Jake Shapiro: The Broncos will trade up and select J.J. McCarthy with the third-overall pick. The move will get Sean Payton the quarterback he has identified as his guy and kick start a Denver rebuild around the rookie from Michigan though with diminished assets around him as the Broncos once again go all out for a quarterback.
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What should the Broncos do with that pick?
SCHLERETH AND EVANS (M-F | 6a-10a)
Mark Schlereth: They should move back and pick up more picks.
Mike Evans: They should stay at No. 12 and take a “stud,” regardless of position.
STOKLEY AND JOSH (M-F | 10a-2p)
Josh Dover: Trade back to acquire more picks. They’ll add the best offensive player with their first-round pick and find a QB in the fourth or fifth round. Michael Pratt or Spencer Rattler would be low-risk picks.
Brandon Stokley: Take Brock Bowers. But if he is not available, they should trade back and get a second-round pick.
THE DRIVE (M-F | 2p-6p)
Zach Bye: Trade up to take J.J. McCarthy.
Phillip Lindsay: They should stay at No. 12 and pick a QB. Michael Penix Jr. would be my choice.
DENVER SPORTS TONIGHT (M-F | 6p-7p)
Cecil Lammey: I believe they should move up from No. 12 to target Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy. This means moving up to No. 4 with the Arizona Cardinals and likely surrendering three first-round picks to do so.
Andrew Mason: The Broncos have to ask this question: What builds a better team, trading up for J.J. McCarthy and getting him while sacrificing draft capital, or standing pat — or even trading down — to select Bo Nix, while keeping or expanding their draft capital for this season and coming years? Ultimately, the latter is the more logical option.
James Merilatt: Stay at No. 12 and pick Brock Bowers. Then, move into the second round to select Michael Penix Jr.
Will Petersen: The Broncos need to trade up. Settling for the fifth-best quarterback in the draft by taking Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. won’t cut it. Sean Payton realizes this, and he’ll make the necessary trade.
Jake Shapiro: The Broncos are barren of talent almost everywhere on the field. The prudent thing to do would be a hard rebuild, focusing on getting the best players possible into orange and blue. The Broncos should select the best player available, preferably a lineman, at No. 12 or trade back and start to recoup all of the picks the team has lost by trading for Russell Wilson and Sean Payton. Quarterbacks become available in the NFL more than people think and Denver’s goal should be putting themselves in the best position possible when their guy hits the market, be it the draft or free agency—build elsewhere first.
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What will they do? We’ll all find out on Thursday, April 25.
