Three teams the Broncos could trade back with in 2021 NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is coming up at the end of April, and the Denver Broncos are not going to fix everything wrong with them in one felled swoop. New general manager George Paton has his work cut out for him. It’s going to take time, but Broncos fans should have confidence the team is in good hands.

What approach should Paton be taking in his first draft as GM of the Broncos? Some may think he should be aggressive in the process – and I will examine what that would look like in an article later this week. However, the best strategy for him could be compiling picks and adding as much talent as possible on a team that lacks depth.

That means the Broncos may be moving down from their current No. 9 overall selection. I’ve examined some of the teams behind Denver in the first round who could have a desire to move up.

Here are three teams who the Broncos could trade back with in the first round of the draft.

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San Francisco 49ers | No.12

The 49ers and the Broncos have a history of being friendly trade partners – and for good reason. John Lynch, Broncos Ring of Fame safety, is their general manager and one of his top executives Adam Peters came up through the scouting ranks in Denver. Teams mainly consider moving up in the draft for a quarterback, pass-rusher or offensive tackle – and these are all positions of need for the 49ers.

The top quarterbacks could be mostly gone by the time the Broncos pick, but there will be plenty of pass-rushers and offensive tackles available at that time. I believe the 49ers may be in the market for an offensive tackle, depending on what happens to free agent Trent Williams. Even if they were to keep Williams with a new contract, the 49ers should be considering the future at the position.

Rashawn Slater (Northwestern) and Christian Darrisaw (Virginia Tech) are the second and third best tackle prospects in this draft. Slater is position versatile and could move inside and shine if he struggles at tackle, although in a zone-rushing attack with West Coast passing concepts (Shanahan offense), he could be a fine starter outside. Darrisaw is not as versatile, but he provides the length and athleticism needed in the type of system the 49ers employ.

A move down from No. 9 to No. 12 overall would like get the Broncos a late third-round pick. Now that compensatory picks are tradable, perhaps that’s what Denver would get back or a combination of Day 3 picks in the draft. It’s not a huge haul, but this team needs all the talent it can get.

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Minnesota Vikings | No. 14

Speaking of friendly teams, how about the team Paton just came from and spent years as the right-hand man of GM Rick Spielman? The Vikings are sitting near the middle of the first round, and they are a team in need of help – lots of help – on the defensive side of the ball. This draft is shaping up to be heavy on the skill positions (mainly quarterback and wide receiver) in the top 10. Throw in one offensive lineman (Penei Sewell, Oregon) and you won’t see many defensive players until about the time Denver picks.

That’s where the Vikings need to pounce, especially if they fall in love with one of the top cornerbacks in this draft class. Last year, the Vikings selected Jeff Gladney out of TCU in the first round and they may want to follow that plan again this year. Now, the Broncos themselves are in the market for a cornerback, so it will come down to whether or not one player distinguishes himself more than another, and there are three cornerbacks worth considering in the top 10.

Patrick Surtain Jr. (Alabama), Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech) and even Jaycee Horn (South Carolina) could be considerations for teams looking for cornerback help in the first round. Surtain and Farley are seen as top-10 talents who may fall due to the draft preferences of other teams. Horn is seen as a first-round player, but could come off the board in the 20s.

No matter how you grade these corners, it will come down to fit and team preference. Like the 49ers, the Vikings may also be considering pass-rusher and offensive tackle here. This connection with Denver – if the Broncos want to move down – seems like an easy one to make.

To make this move, the Vikings would have to give up a late second- or early third-round pick to the Broncos. This type of pick would give the Broncos great value and perhaps allow them to package that pick to do further moves – up or down in the draft.

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Washington Football Team | No. 19

The Broncos top-10 pick is going to be coveted by quite a few teams out there, especially those who are looking for a quarterback. That desperation is going to be dialed up to 11 if there is a run on the position before the Broncos pick comes up. There is a possibility that three or even four quarterbacks are gone by the time Denver picks at No. 9 overall.

It’s crazy to think, but that’s how quarterback-desperate the league has become. We all know Trevor Lawrence is likely to be the No. 1 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Players like Justin Field (Ohio State), Zach Wilson (BYU) and Trey Lance (North Dakota State) could be off the board before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says, “The Denver Broncos are now on the clock.”

That leaves Mac Jones (Alabama) as the quarterback who could get teams fevering for Denver’s pick. The Broncos did talk to Jones at the Senior Bowl earlier this year, so that could make teams even more interested as they may think the Broncos are drafting him.

Washington could move on from veteran Alex Smith, and that leaves Kyle Allen, Steven Montez and Taylor Heinicke as the quarterbacks on the roster. They might get a quarterback fix in free agency or via trade for a veteran, but if that doesn’t come together, then the draft is where they’ll be looking.

This is a top-heavy quarterback class, and there’s not much behind those top-five quarterbacks. In fact, there might be the fewest quarterbacks drafted since 2015 (seven). That means you better get a top prospect or just wait until next year if you’re drafting at the position.

The return would be the largest if the Broncos moved back 10 spots. The difference in value according to the NFL trade value chart (see WalterFootball.com) is 475 points. That’s the equivalent of an early second-round pick. With the No. 19 pick, a couple of second-round picks, and perhaps even another pick thrown in somewhere late by Washington, the Broncos could come away with a nice collection of talent.

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