The 2023 NFL draft will begin on Thursday evening, but the Denver Broncos will be excluded from the first-round festivities (barring a trade).
The Broncos will not make a pick on Day 1 of the draft because they do not hold first- or second-round picks in this year’s draft. Denver traded both of their top two picks to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the trade for quarterback Russell Wilson in 2022.
In addition to trading their 2023 first- and second-round picks to Seattle, the Broncos also traded their top two picks in 2022 plus a fifth-round pick and quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris. In exchange for those picks and players, Seattle sent Wilson and a fourth-round pick to Denver.
The Broncos later re-gained a first-round pick from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for pass rusher Bradley Chubb last fall, but Denver traded that pick to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for the rights to coach Sean Payton earlier this year.
So after acquiring Wilson in 2022 and Payton in 2023, the Broncos will not have a first-round pick in this year’s NFL draft. Denver will have five total picks, with their first selections set to be made in the third round.
