An early look at who the Broncos might take with their first-round pick

The NFL Draft is right around the corner. No, really it is. I know it’s at the end of April, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in 17 years of professionally covering the draft, it’s that time flies over these next few months. In about a week, I’ll be on the road traveling to the Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl.

The Scouting Combine is in February after the Super Bowl, and then pro days begin after that. I plan on being done with my draft profiles by the beginning of April, so it’s a lot of work in a little bit of time. In addition to writing up players, I’m going to keep up to date on news and notes in the scouting community.

Here is some of the latest news around the NFL Draft.

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Declarations Set

The deadline to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft has come and passed. Several players are coming into the league as underclassmen (full list here), over 100 prospects in total, and most of the top 10 selections should be underclassmen.

I’m knee deep in film study this time of year, but so far some of my favorite players are from this group of underclassmen. The first wide receiver off the board could be TCU’s WR Quentin Johnston. His combination of physical tools might be the best in this class.

In tonight’s National Championship, fans will be able to get a look at WR1 in this years draft, TCUs 6’4 215lb Quentin Johnston. A true HR threat.
Here’s where he could land:#Falcons 8th pick#Titans 11th pick#Texans 12th pick

pic.twitter.com/yWpV2663AJ

— Jared Tokarz (@JaredNFLDraft) January 9, 2023

Johnston is 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. At that size, he runs in the 4.4 range and accelerates with ease. I like the way he sets up his routes, as he’s very precise with his movement. When he gets by a defender, Johnston can accelerate and score from anywhere on the field. He ran a limited route tree for the Horned Frogs, but I love his catch-and-run ability.

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Right Now, Left Later

The Broncos need help at the offensive tackle position. They need a right tackle to start in 2023, and I can make the argument that they may need a left tackle sooner than some think. I’d beg former offensive line coach Mike Munchak to return to the team, but even with his help more talent up front is needed in a bad way.

Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison is a popular player to mock the Broncos near the end of the first round. The Broncos are near the end of the first round, somewhere in the late 20s or early 30s, with the San Francisco 49ers’ pick. There’s a chance four or five offensive tackles could go off the board in the first round, with Harrison largely being considered the no.4 at the position. I haven’t yet put together my rankings, as I’m still doing film study, but that seems about right based on where I’m at in this early part of the process.

Anton Harrison is my favorite OT I’ve watched this class.

See a lot of Trent Williams in his game and I don’t say that lightly.

pic.twitter.com/DxYjaZJEDM

— Jordan de Lugo (@jordandelugo) January 19, 2023

Harrison has a helluva punch. He can stunt a rusher with his first punch, and Harrison likes unleashing hell on an opponent. I like his athleticism to mirror rushers on the edge, and he uses that athleticism to get to blocks on the second level when tasked with that duty. I haven’t finished grading Harrison, but he has the appearance of a starting right tackle from day one who could be coached up to play left tackle with proper guidance (that a guy like Munchak would give him).

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Who’s On First?

The Chicago Bears have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and they need to be considering a quarterback. Yes, I know they have former first-round pick Justin Fields as their starter, but has he really shown enough for the Bears to pass on a better passer?

Almost 90 percent of mock drafts (thanks NFL Mock Draft Database) have the Bears selecting Alabama edge Will Anderson Jr. with the first-overall pick. Anderson would be a fantastic pick, and he’s a foundational player who can be the cornerstone of a defense for years to come. However, his teammate at Alabama, QB Bryce Young, has the potential to be a franchise quarterback who can win with his legs and his arm. While Fields wins with his legs (and doesn’t win that much), he has yet shown the ability to win with his arm. Even Jalen Hurts flashed at times as a passer in 2021 before his breakout season in 2022.

Bryce Young does a great job of eluding pressure and making a play outside of the pocket but both passes were dropped pic.twitter.com/Eu86RR1qex

— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) January 12, 2023

Young is a modern quarterback who can make plays all over the field. He has high football IQ, and Young understands what defenses are trying to throw at him regularly. Pressure doesn’t affect him as much as other young quarterbacks, largely because Young can escape with his scrambling ability and he’s shown a good job of throwing on the run. The Bears could take Anderson, but it might be the equivalent of taking Bradley Chubb instead of Josh Allen.

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