The 2024 NFL Draft is less than a week away and fans from all over the country are patiently waiting to see which new players will join their favorite team. Denver Broncos fans have a reason to be excited for the future, as they have a chance to find the franchise quarterback they have been searching for since Peyton Manning retired. It’s clear that the Broncos’ draft targets early on are focused on quarterbacks.
The Denver Broncos put themselves in a tough situation when they decided to trade for Russell Wilson back in March of 2022. The team is now forced to eat $85M in dead cap money since they decided to release Wilson before the start of NFL free agency. The limited cap space availability has made it difficult for the team to acquire any big-name free agents. The Broncos will rely heavily on the draft to add impact players to the roster.
The Broncos currently hold the 12th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They are in desperate need of finding a franchise quarterback to help reboot the franchise. It is safe to assume that head coach Sean Payton is going to be calling the shots during the draft process and has his eye on a QB of his liking. Payton, who is regarded as one of the brightest offensive minds in the sport, runs a complex offense that requires the QB to make accurate throws within the timing of the offense. Future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees excelled while running this offense under Payton. The question is — will Sean Payton find his next Drew Brees?
With that being said, these are 3 Denver Broncos draft targets in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
First-Round Denver Broncos Draft Targets | 2024 NFL Draft
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
The 24-year-old quarterback has no shortage of playing experience, after playing five seasons for Auburn and Oregon during his college days. Bo Nix is viewed as a player who can function at a high level immediately in an NFL offense due to his collegiate experience playing in the SEC, and the Pac-12 conference which was stacked in 2023.
Nix showed NFL general managers his value by having a great senior season at Oregon. He threw for 4,508 yards and 46 touchdowns in 2023 while adding another six touchdowns on the ground. Perhaps the most impressive stat of his was that he only threw three interceptions all season. Nix showed great accuracy on short to intermediate throws which is important in Payton’s offensive scheme.
His ability to limit turnovers and throw the ball accurately should make him desirable to the Broncos at pick No. 12. Nix has shown great maturity on and off the field as well which makes him a great fit in Denver after the Russell Wilson fiasco.
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Before his pro-day, Michael Penix Jr. was being compared to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Both players are left-hand throwers who excel at throwing accurately within the pocket, as well as operating efficiently within a pass-heavy offensive scheme.
Penix changed the narrative of him being a strict pocket passer when he ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. He recorded a vertical jump of 36.5 inches, which is very impressive as well. These testing numbers helped improve his draft stock dramatically. Showing general managers his level of athleticism should lock him in as a first-round talent.
A red flag that comes up with Penix is his injury history. Penix played six total seasons in college — four at Indiana and two at Washington. He was unable to finish any of his four seasons while playing at Indiana due to two torn ACLs and two shoulder injuries. However, he has remained healthy during his last two seasons at Washington which shows that his durability isn’t as big of an issue as it was early in his career.
JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
The hype on JJ McCarthy has escalated to a point where a number of league insiders have him being drafted in the top five. His value could be inflated due to teams being desperate to find stability at the quarterback position.
McCarthy, who was a five-star prospect coming out of high school, played under Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy offensive scheme at Michigan. He was rarely put in a position that required him to push the ball downfield because his team was winning almost every game he played in college. There isn’t as much evidence of him excelling in a pass-heavy offense as there is with Nix and Penix.
He does, however, have great physical skills that have impressed scouts, including elite accuracy when throwing toward the middle of the field. He also has plenty of experience playing under center which is a skill that most of the QB draft prospects do not have.
If the top Denver Broncos draft target is JJ McCarthy, they may have to trade up. This very well may happen if Sean Payton wants him bad enough.
