Denver Broncos send clear message about NFL Draft

The Denver Broncos currently hold the No. 12 overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. But it has been widely speculated for months now that the team could potentially look to trade up in the draft. And Broncos general manager George Paton all but confirmed potential interest in a trade-up on Thursday.

Paton spoke with reporters in a press conference on Thursday about the team’s plans during the first round of the draft, detailing that a trade-up is a very real possibility if a player is available that they believe can “change the landscape” of the organization.

“If it’s a player you think can change the landscape of your organization going forward, like a quarterback, then you do whatever it takes to get him,” Paton said via Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. “If there’s a consensus in the building, the love in the building, you’re aggressive and you try to get him. It doesn’t mean you’re gonna get him, but you try. So we’re open to everything. We’re wide open.”

It seems pretty clear that if the Broncos were to move up in the draft, it would be either for a generational type of prospect like Marvin Harrison Jr, or potentially a quarterback of the future. Both of those could certainly be organization-changing reasons to potentially trade up.

Only the Broncos know which quarterbacks they may be high on if they decide to go that route. But they would likely need to give up quite the haul to get one of the top-three quarterback prospects that most conclude are Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels.

Getting all the way up to select one of those quarterbacks may be a bit unrealistic. This means that the likes of J.J. McCarthy or Michael Penix Jr. could be more in their wheelhouse if they were to trade up.

Only time will tell whether the Broncos do indeed trade up in the draft. But the possibility is now at least confirmed to be very much on the table.

[The Athletic]