With the NFL draft three months out, the Denver Broncos currently hold six picks. The Broncos are not expected to receive any compensatory picks this year, so the only way for Denver to add more selections would be via trade.
Broncos general manager George Paton has indicated in past offseasons that he likes to go into a draft with 10 picks, but that’s not always feasible. After trading for coach Sean Payton in 2023 and quarterback Russell Wilson in 2022, Denver only ended up adding five players last year.
Two years ago, the Broncos made nine picks. Three years ago — Paton’s first year on the job — Denver made 10 picks.
“We’re picking high, and we have six picks,” Paton said during the team’s end-of-season press conference last week. “We could have more. You know we like picks. We’ll go from there.”
Paton did not directly say the Broncos will make trades, but that’s understandable given that nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. It’s clear that Denver would like to make trades.
The team would probably love to trade quarterback Russell Wilson, but it might be hard to find a trade partner for him. More realistic trade candidates are wide receivers Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. If the Broncos want to go all-in on a rebuilding phase with young players on rookie contracts, players like left tackle Garett Bolles and safety Justin Simmons might be trade candidates as well.
The NFL’s new league year won’t begin until March and trades can’t officially happen before then (but teams can make handshake agreements in the meantime). Another big date to watch is the NFL draft — Denver has been active with draft-day trades during Paton’s tenure.
As the NFL offseason heats up in the coming weeks, keep an eye on the Broncos as a team looking to acquire more draft picks.
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