According to Woody Paige, the Denver Broncos will trade in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft to pick someone they have a first-round grade for.
The Broncos trade in the second round for a player they listed as a first-round player.
— Woody Paige (@woodypaige) April 29, 2022
Well, I’m not sure if this is an actual report, a rumor, a gut feeling, or just Woody throwing something out there that he thinks could happen. However, Woody has a good track record and has been covering the Broncos for years, so there’s a good chance he knows something. Also, after an uneventful night in the draft for general manager George Paton, who sat back and watched all those trades, he might be ready to close some deals on day two of the NFL draft.
So we’ll have to wait and see how right Woody is and well the board gets in the way of the Broncos and finding a trading partner will also be important.
With all that said, let’s take a look at some players the Broncos might be trading for. First, these are the prospects the Broncos brought for a top-30 visit that could happen before they pick at 64.
- Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington
- Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska
- Dylan Parham, IOL, Memphis
- Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma
- Travis Jones, IDL, UCONN
- Drake Jackson, RAND, USC
- Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn
Of the names here, the only two I’ve seen the Broncos move up are USC’s Drake Jackson and Auburn’s Roger McCreary. Edge and cornerback are two value positions and positions the Broncos need to improve during the draft. Personally, I’d only trade for Jackson on this list, but McCreary is one of the better corners available and falls under this umbrella.
Now let’s take a look at some of the top remaining prospects the Broncos could trade for.
- Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
- Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
- Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State
- David Ojabo, RAND, Michigan
- Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota
- Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming
- Trey McBride, TE, State of Colorado
- Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington
- Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
- Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
- Logan Hall, IDL, Houston,
All of these prospects are prospects I see going into the second round, and probably all ahead of the Broncos, who are selected at 64. Also, I could see that the Broncos also have a first-round grade on all of these prospects, which is the criteria Woody listed in his tweet
My two personal favorites are edge rushers Boye Mafe and David Ojabo. First, if Ojabo hadn’t suffered an Achilles injury, he would have been a top 20 pick in the draft. Getting him would give the Broncos first-round talent in the second round. As for Mafe, I think he’s one of the best candidates available. The Broncos would have to pull a trade pretty quickly if they wanted Mafe. However, either player would give the Broncos an excellent prospect of moving forward.
Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie also fits this bill and is probably more realistic. He’s another very athletic and explosive edge rusher that would make sense for the Broncos. Also someone that many had in the first round.
I know Nakobe Dean will be a favorite for many of you, but he should be off the board fast, and I don’t like giving up picks for an off-the-ball linebacker. It’s not a highly valued position, and it’s a position that I don’t think the Broncos value highly enough to trade for. If he or Muma went down to 64 then sure, but don’t make a big trade for them.
Another favorite here will be local hero Trey McBride. I wouldn’t hate the promotion for him, especially if I gave Russell Wilson more weapons, but I would target a higher ranked position like edge rusher or cornerback.
One potential sleeper is Bernhard Raimann of Central Michigan. He’s a massive tackle that’s also very athletic. I think he could push for the right tackle job right away. Tackle is another valuable position the Broncos could address.
Finally, defense attorneys Jalen Pitre and Kyler Gordon defend. Pitre is a security man projected to be a “big nickel” and could play in sub-packages for the Broncos’ defense. As for Gordon. He’s one of the better cornerbacks still available. If Paton traded for a corner, Gordon could be that guy.
It should be an interesting day two for the Broncos, who are unlikely to pick at their scheduled selections. I could see one trade into the second round as well as possibly multiple trade backs. Paton has shown he is willing to spin and trade and get good value in return. So it should be an exciting night two for the Broncos.