NFL Network draft expert: Broncos trading up for a tight end ‘still has my ears perked up’

The NFL Draft hasn’t seen any first-round trades this year — a stunning development given that by this point, usually a handful of picks have already been swapped. That leaves onlookers waiting with bated to see who will blink first.

And Broncos coach Sean Payton has a history of trading up when he has a prospect he loves.

So, with that in mind — and the Broncos clearly shopping for a running back — is a back like North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton worthy of a trade up the board given the depth and breadth of running-back prospects in this year’s class?

“Omarion Hampton would be an unbelievable pick there, but I think there’s enough guys and there’s enough depth at this position that I don’t know that you would necessarily have to do that,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah told me Friday during a pre-draft conference call.

“I think you can kind of let and see how it falls at that specific position.”

Jeremiah has Hampton at the No. 13 spot on his top-50 list. His next running back, TreVeyon Henderson, is at the No. 34 position, and he sees the Ohio State product as a Broncos fit, too.

“To me, TreVeyon Henderson would be a heck of a weapon and we’ve seen Sean with running backs like that,” Jeremiah said. “I think he would be a fun one.”

And then there are others who could come into play if the Broncos trade back — which could be afoot if the quarterback market becomes active around the middle of the first round, should Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart still be available. The fact that Alabama’s Jalen Milroe was invited by the NFL to the draft festivities in Green Bay, Wis. also drew attention, as the invitation lists are usually based on pre-draft intel.

“So if I’m Denver, say, you’re looking at TreVeyon Henderson or trade back,” Jeremiah said.” And I love TreVeyon Henderson, but if they don’t take TreVeyon Henderson, they trade back. You get his teammate in Quinshon,Judkins, who’s a really good player and I get a future pick next year, maybe it’s a two.

“I’d have to think long and hard about that.

But there’s another possibility that Jeremiah can’t get out of his mind — even though the Broncos’ free-agency moves seem to go against it.

COULD IT COME BACK TO GOING TIGHT END IN ROUND 1 OF THE NFL DRAFT — AND MOVING UP FOR IT?

“Before free agency, I would have told you if the Denver Broncos were going to be ultra aggressive and trade up for somebody, it would be Colston Loveland,” Jeremiah said.

Indeed, he mocked Loveland to the Broncos two months ago. Then, the situation changed; the Broncos signed Evan Engram as the new NFL league year dawned.

That didn’t take the Broncos out of the tight-end market in the NFL Draft — but seemed to remove them from the first-round pool, as their reported visits in recent weeks have focused on Day 2 prospects such as Texas’ Gunnar Helm, Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson and Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr.

But Jeremiah looks at Loveland and sees the possibilities within Payton’s scheme.

“He just is a great fit for what Sean Payton does and just seemed like an obvious one,” Jeremiah said. “Now, they went out and picked up Evan Engram and gave him some decent money. So that might — that might take that off the table, but I’ve still got that in the back of my mind of, ‘Man, that’s just still such a good fit.’

“It still has my ears perked up to see what happens there.”

And even after talking more about the running backs — specifically Henderson — Jeremiah, who said he bases his mock draft on information culled from sources and conversations around the NFL, circled back to Loveland and the Broncos.

“I don’t know why — I just keep coming back to the Loveland thing, thinking that was a Sean Payton fit,” he said.

To be certain, it wouldn’t be drafting for need — but it might be drafting to add the best player possible.

 

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