Broncos 2024 draft picks: How Sean Payton can pick up the pieces after $242,600,000 Russell Wilson misstep
The last two years of Denver Broncos football have been a mess, and Sean Payton has a tall task in turning things around again.
They're going to move on from Russell Wilson after his ill-fated $242.6 million contract. That does not leave the Broncos with a lot of cap space, but it allows them the chance to begin rebuilding through the draft.
Here's how they could do that.
Broncos' 2024 NFL Draft picks available
Round 1
12th overall: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Rebuilding an offense requires an elite playmaker. The Broncos have Courtland Sutton, but he would make an incredible pairing with Brock Bowers, who somehow fell to 12th overall.
Round 3
81st overall: Javon Bullard, CB, Georgia
The Broncos could pair Javon Bullard, who fell a little to 81st overall, with Patrick Surtain and form an elite cornerback duo to boster the defense.
Round 4
122nd overall: Javon Soloman, EDGE, Troy
Edge is a major position of need for the Broncos, so they could take Javon Soloman.
Round 5
144th overall: Walter Rouse, OT, Oklahoma
Whoever the quarterback is going to be is going to need good protection, so the offensive line could be shored up with Oklahoma tackle Walter Rouse.
146th overall: Jordan Jefferson, DT, LSU
Defensive tackle is another position of need, so the Broncos could continue to build up their defense by adding Jordan Jefferson.
Round 6
201st overall: Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame
In this mock, we decided to trade up eight spots by offering our sixth-round pick from 2024 and a future sixth-rounder.
We drafted Sam Hartman out of Notre Dame, arguably the biggest position of need. There's a low chance that he will be an NFL starter, but it's worth a shot in round six.
Who should replace Russell Wilson in Denver?
In my mock draft simulation, we selected Sam Hartman to potentially replace Russell Wilson, but that's not quite an inspiring or safe option. He's likely a career backup at best, but the Broncos have options.
There will be QBs available at 12th overall, like JJ McCarthy, Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and more. That might not be a good idea at 12, but they could trade down or hope one slides and trade into the second round.
There are also some veteran options, who could also be paired with a rookie. Kirk Cousins makes sense for that role, as does Jimmy Garoppolo. If the Broncos want a younger veteran who could be the future, they should swing a Justin Fields trade.