The Denver Broncos were unable to find enough impact players from their 2023 NFL Draft class, and that is why the class graded out so poorly.
The rankings and grading for the Denver Broncos 2023 NFL Draft class are now available, and the outcomes weren’t great. The Broncos 2023 NFL Draft class turned out to be a huge bust, ranking 32nd overall and receiving a very low rating in the report that Chad Reuter and Eric Edholm created, grading all 32 draft classes from the previous season.
Denver Broncos, 32nd place; D class
In exchange for quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick, the Broncos shipped three players and five draft picks to Seattle two years ago. In exchange, they gave up their first- and second-round picks from the previous year, which has resulted in a rather low return on investment considering Wilson’s play with Denver during the previous two seasons.
For the Broncos, Mims got off to a great start in Week 2, recording 113 receiving yards and a touchdown against Washington. But during the remainder of the season, as the team’s offense stalled, he only exceeded 50 receiving yards twice. A strong second season might be very beneficial for Mims.
In his first season, Sanders had trouble tackling, but he improved in later games. With Moss sidelined by injury, Skinner playing just one defensive snap all season, and Forsyth seeing no action, the team’s other draft selections saw virtually little action. McLaughlin, who gained 570 yards from scrimmage, turned out to be a nice acquisition as an undrafted free agent.
As was to be expected, the biggest blow was caused by the disastrous trade for quarterback Russell Wilson and the subsequent trade for Sean Payton, which left Denver with much too few draft resources to acquire impact players. The aforementioned analysis is difficult to dispute; in fact, before moving on, it could be useful to enumerate every student in the class.
Broncos Draft Class 2023
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | School | Info | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 63 | Marvin Mims Jr. | WR | Oklahoma | Scouting Report | Highlights |
| 3 | 67 | Drew Sanders | LB | Arkansas | Scouting Report | Highlights |
| 3 | 83 | Riley Moss | DB | Iowa | Scouting Report | Highlights |
| 6 | 183 | JL Skinner | S | Boise State | Scouting Report | Highlights |
| 7 | 257 | Alex Forsyth | C | Oregon | Scouting Report | Highlight |
Save for Marvin Mims Jr., who had a very lackluster rookie campaign despite being selected to the Pro Bowl, not a single significant contribution is listed. While I’m delighted for him, in the long run, this pick won’t be successful unless he challenges for an offensive starting spot. The undrafted players must be included, as the remaining selections were basically inconsequential during the previous campaign.
Broncos 2023 UDFA Signings
| Player | Position | HT | WT | School | Draft Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Palxzewski | OL | 6-6 | 314 | Illinois | View |
| Thomas Incoom | EDGE | 6-2 | 262 | Central Michigan | View |
| Art Green | CB | 6-1 | 201 | Houston | View |
| Devon Matthews | S | 6-0 | 203 | Indiana | View |
| Nate Adkins | TE | 6-3 | 252 | South Carolina | View |
| Emanuel Wilson | RB | 5-10 | 229 | Fort Valley State | View |
| Henry Byrd | OL | 6-5 | 310 | Princeton | View |
| Taylor Grimes | WR | 5-10 | 186 | Incarnate Word | View |
| Seth Benson | LB | 6-0 | 231 | Iowa | View |
| Dallas Daniels | WR | 5-10 | 176 | Jackson State | View |
| Kris Leach | TE | 6-6 | 252 | Kent State | View |
| PJ Mustipher | IDL | 6-4 | 320 | Penn State | View |
| Darrious Gaines | CB | 6-1 | 193 | Western Colorado | View |
| Demontrey Jacobs | OL | 6-7 | 312 | South Florida | View |
| Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 5-7 | 187 | Youngstown State | View |
| Marcus Haynes | EDGE | 6-4 | 233 | Old Dominion | View |
| Sione Asi | IDL | 6-1 | 303 | Oklahoma State | View |
Just Jaleel McLaughlin’s name truly sticks out among the many players who were cut from the final squad. That means Mims and McLaughlin will ultimately decide the 2023 draft class. That is indeed undesirable. John Elway is said to have been a terrible drafter.
Payton and Paton will need to start looking for starter-caliber players in the draft as draft season approaches in a few weeks. The club can’t afford to keep passing up draft picks every year, as they will lose a lot of veterans to free agency. With limited draft capital this year due to the Wilson and Payton trades, the Broncos must begin making moves with those picks as they continue to process those transactions.
