Post Waddle draft, it’s obvious the Broncos are all in for next season. That being stated, here’s my post trade mock draft.
Trade pick 62 for Pick 79 and Atlanta 2027 3rd round pick
Pick 79 – Jadarian Price RB Notre Dame – Maybe risky assuming Price may be picked sooner, I think this works out for the Broncos where Paton can swing a trade and pick up a future asset while getting, I think the guy they want in the early third. Obviously, he played a backseat to Love, and I think some of the hype of him going much higher might of slipped after the combine. Coming in lighter and slower than projected, that being said, the tape still looks like a player that has that excellent burst and is probably faster game speed than what is shown in workouts. He’s likely not a primary back, but he is someone who gives you a bunch of options in the run game, pass game and even the return game. He should fit into a solid rotational roll with Dobbins, and Harvey. Although all three are slightly undersized.
Pick 108 – Darrell Jackson JR DT FSU – Rare size and length, has been solid starter for past two seasons, has been steadily improving his game and using his size and length to stack and shed blockers effectively and solid anchor against the run. Pass rush is very limited with essentially just a bull rush with no counters. Can be slow off the snap and can stand up and can loose leverage. He will be an early down and short yardage run stopper but will be limited as far as being much of a pass rush force.
Pick 111 – Bud Clark S TCU – Broncos defense did struggle some when Brandon Jones went down late in the season and there was a reason Locke was not resigned. Clark game tape is highly impressive, he is versatile defender who can play centerfield and man up on slot WR. Excellent coverage skills with 15 int in college and has the recovery speed to make up ground on deep routes. Solid tackler with technique. If he was slightly bigger he likely goes much higher, has also had some injury concerns in his career missing games in 2021, 2022, and 2025. Will need to temper his aggressive angles as NFL QB have better accuracy and ball speed than Big 12 QBs.
Pick 170 – Kendal Daniels LB Oklahoma – Daniels is a safety who converted to LB. Started off at OSU and transferred to OU his senior year. Terrific athlete and has the size you covet from a LB in 6’ 5” and 242 lbs. What he lacks is he still is a step slow in processing plays and blocking schemes. Has the quickness to exploit gaps and pursuit speed to track down plays, very good in coverage. His tackling technique right now is sloppy. In short he’s a guy who is going to spend a year or two on ST while he hones his skills as a LB, he has everything one wants from a LB as far a physical tools, just will need to get solid coaching and mentorship to refine his game.
Pick 246-Riley Mahlman OT Wisconsin - Massive frame but relatively short arms and relatively small hands for a tackle which might mean he moves inside to guard. Started for the Badgers as a RT since 2023, like most Wisconsin lineman he showed solid skills being both well versed and effective as a pass blocker or run blocker. Strong hands and wants to finish blocks. He can play at too high a pad level and struggles with consistent hand placement, his lateral agility is average. He’s a guy who is going to have to lean into technique in order to become a solid NFL lineman.
Pick 256 – Kaleb Proctor DT SE Louisiana – He’s a guy who helped himself at the combine. Tremendous first step and short area quickness, had 8 sacks this season, granted at SE Louisiana along with 43 tackles. He has a good variety of pass rushing moves already and has steadily improved, excellent at collapsing the pocket and forcing QBs into bad situations. Very good on stunts and loops and has shown he can be productive against bigtime opponents posting 2 sacks and 3 TFL against LSU this year. Lacks the bulk to be consistent starter in the NFL and had issues with holding POA in run game. But put in passing downs in turbo type packages, he should be a guy who can contribute.
Pick 257 – Will Kacmarek TE Ohio State – He was the 2nd TE behind Max Klare at Ohio State. Showed his value mainly as a high quality blocker at Ohio State showing good size and excellent play strength, He likely is not going to give you much as a primary pass catching threat as he lacks the explosion or speed to beat man coverage, but he does have good arm length and strong hands to be a solid option on short yardage play action run plays where he can leak out or be that safety outlet for Nix.