In this latest mock draft, the Denver Broncos fill the remaining needs on the defensive side of the football that could make the team competitive in 2019. Can you believe that we are less than one month away until the Denver Broncos begin selecting their draft prospects? The NFL Draft can be an exciting time for all the fans. And it will certainly be something worth watching with Vic Fangio now at the helm for the team. If there is anything that I have gathered from Fangio’s first few months as the head coach, it is that he is looking to make this team a winner and keep that window open just a bit longer. Depending on how the draft goes, it could be a promising season. There is no doubt that the NFL is evolving with offense. But Fangio is a defensive minded coach. And as it was observed during Super Bowl 50, defense wins championships. Which players could be the perfect fit? In my first full seven round mock draft of the 2019 offseason, I focused on the bigger needs first while adding depth in the later rounds. Now, let’s go on the clock.<doc-sep>We’re officially less than a month away from the 2019 NFL draft, and with the pro day circuit winding down, little is left for this year’s top prospects but to play the long waiting game until Nashville. Free agency has slowed to a near-complete halt, with team needs changing across the league, which heavily impacts draft projections. Keeping all that in mind, it’s time to updated my four-round mock draft, complete with a handful of big trades involving some of this year’s most polarizing prospects. *=projected trade 1. Arizona Cardinals | Nick Bosa | EDGE | Ohio State It’s entirely possible that the rumors of Kyler Murray going here are completely true, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Bosa is arguably the most complete player in this entire draft, and he’s well worth this pick if the Cardinals want to stick with Josh Rosen. 2. San Francisco 49ers | Josh Allen | EDGE | Kentucky The 49ers would hate to see Bosa off the board here, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they tried to trade back in that scenario. If they can’t, this year’s draft class gives them a fantastic consolation prize in Allen, who is one of the most versatile and productive players in the draft. 3. New York Giants (from NYJ)* | Dwayne Haskins | QB | Ohio State After trading Odell Beckham, Jr., the Giants now have the draft capital required to make a move up the board for a franchise quarterback like Haskins. With the top two edge rushers off the board, the Jets should be more than willing to move back in return for the 17th overall pick, the Giants’ second-round pick, and likely another Day 2 selection in the 2020 draft. 4. Oakland Raiders | Quinnen Williams | DL | Alabama With three first-round picks, the Raiders have tons of flexibility, and they’ll be looking to make moves. In this scenario, if they can’t get the right return to swap with a team targeting Murray, they should simply take the best available player. In this scenario, Williams is the clear choice. 5. Washington Redskins (from TB)* | Kyler Murray | QB | Oklahoma After seeing the Giants trade up for Haskins, another team pulls the trigger and makes a massive jump up the board for another franchise passer. If Murray doesn’t go No. 1, don’t be surprised if a team like Washington trades their 1st-rounder in 2020, along with their picks in the second and third round this year, to land a difference-maker at the game’s most important position. 6. New York Jets (from NYG)* | Montez Sweat | EDGE | Mississippi State This is an ideal scenario for the Jets, who move back just three spots while getting an additional pair of premium picks, and still have top prospects available at all their biggest positions of need. They could go wide receiver or offensive tackle, but pass rushers with Sweat’s combination of athleticism and SEC production don’t last long. 7. Jacksonville Jaguars | D.K. Metcalf | WR | Ole Miss Now that Nick Foles is entrenched as the team’s franchise quarterback, the Jags need to build around him, both up front and by adding dynamic weapons. Metcalf’s incredible combination of size and speed would give them something far beyond anything currently on the roster. 8. Detroit Lions | Brian Burns | EDGE | Florida State Sure, the Lions just inked free agent Trey Flowers to a massive deal, but that shouldn’t keep them from adding another explosive pass rusher here. Burns proved at the combine he could add weight and still retain his athleticism, and his technique sets him apart from a deep class of edge rushers. 9. Cincinnati Bengals (from BUF)* | Drew Lock | QB | Missouri With two quarterbacks already off the board and the Broncos lurking at No. 10 overall, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Bengals use a fourth-round pick to flip spots with the Bills and snag Lock. Andy Dalton has hit his ceiling, and while Lock isn’t a finished product, his physical tools give him far more upside. 10. Denver Broncos | Devin White | LB | LSU Quarterback is off the board here, but the Broncos still have some fantastic options at other positions of need in this scenario. After backing up his strong tape against SEC competition with a dominant performance at the combine, White is well worth a top-10 selection.<doc-sep>
The Denver Broncos have been looking for a long-term fix at tight end for, well, a long time. The 2019 NFL Draft has a couple of big time tight end prospects that are likely to go in the first round, with T.J. Hockenson being at the top of that list. Mel Kiper of ESPN released is mock draft 3.0 this week and with the tenth overall pick he has the Broncos selecting T.J. Hockenson out of Iowa. 10. Denver Broncos T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa | Highlights This is probably too high to go for an interior offensive linemen, and Denver addressed its need at cornerback in free agency with Kareem Jackson and Bryce Callahan. So I’ll give the Broncos the top tight end in the class in Hockenson, a complete player who will be able to start immediately. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Hockenson has been compared to Rob Gronkowski, and you can see the similarities on film. I’m not sold Denver has a No. 1 tight end on its roster, even as it has used draft picks in recent years on Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli. Hockenson is viewed as an immediate starter in the NFL. If the Broncos truly want a long-term fix at tight end, he would do the trick. After re-signing Jeff Heuerman in free agency, the Broncos have bodies at the position, but no one on the roster has proven they can remain healthy through a sixteen game season. How would you feel about the Broncos taking Hockenson with the tenth overall pick?