2024 NFL Draft Grades: Denver Broncos

Day 1 grade: C
Day 2 grade: B
Day 3 grade: A

Analysis: Time will tell whether Nix will be a top-notch starting NFL quarterback or viewed as a reach by a team in desperate need of talent under center. Time will also tell whether the 2023 first- and 2024 second-rounders the Broncos sent the Saints to acquire coach Sean Payton (along with a 2024 third-round pick) will lead to a championship in Denver.

Elliss isn't a fantastic athlete but was productive at a need position for Utah, where he played for his father, former NFL lineman Luther Elliss. Denver traded up early in Round 4 to unite Franklin with Nix; the former is not the toughest receiver, but he can make defenders miss after the catch. The Broncos then found value at corner in wiry competitor Abrams-Draine before grabbing a power back in Estimé.

Top needs entering the draft: Quarterback, cornerback, edge defender

A year after picking just three times in the top five rounds, the Broncos were without their Round 2 pick in this draft. I never felt confident they'd take a quarterback at No. 12; they had too many roster questions to reach for a passer, too many holes to fill. Right? I thought they'd either take the best available cornerback there or trade down to build up their capital. If they really wanted to add a passer to compete with Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson, they could have landed one later in Round 1.

And I was wrong. Coach Sean Payton & Co. saw the run on quarterbacks -- five in the top 10 -- and stood pat, selecting Bo Nix (12). I wrote at length about the move on Thursday, but to sum it up: That's way too high for Nix, who put up massive numbers at Oregon but played in an offense in which he wasn't asked to go through read progressions. There's a ton of risk here. No one will remember that this pick was questioned if Nix becomes an immediate star, but Payton's Denver tenure is now tied to a passer with question marks.

Now, I did like the Broncos' pick of Troy Franklin (102), who was Nix's top pass-catcher at Oregon. I thought he'd go in Round 2, and instead they were able to get him on Day 3. Franklin and Nix's connection already is strong, as they combined for 1,383 yards and 14 scores a year ago. Denver had to give up Nos. 121, 136 and 207 for Nos. 102 and 235, though. Kris Abrams-Draine (145) is a high-risk, high-reward cornerback who can make a big play but also get beat deep. Edge rusher Jonah Elliss (76) had 12 sacks last season but is undersized at 6-2, 248 pounds. Audric Estime's (147) stock dropped after he ran a 4.71-second 40-yard dash at the combine, but his tape doesn't lie -- I think he can be a good running back at the next level.

As I said, Payton's future is aligned with the sixth-best signal-caller in this draft, and we know there's not a great history of six QBs being stellar in one draft class. Likely half of those guys will end up having mediocre careers. For Payton's sake, he better hope it's not his guy or he won't last long with the Broncos.

I CAN'T SAY THAT I LOVED DENVER'S DECISION TO TAKE BO NIX AT NO. 12 OVERALL—I worry that he is more of a game-manager type than a true franchise elevator—but it's tough to quibble with what Denver did with the rest of their picks. Utah's Jonah Elliss is a high-energy pass rusher who bolsters the team's pass rush rotation. Oregon receiver Troy Franklin (a massive value as my 39th overall player) is a speedster and big-play dynamo who brings built-in chemistry with Nix from their time together in Eugene. Missouri corner Kris Abrams-Draine is tenacious and heady in coverage, giving the team a potential starter in the secondary. And Notre Dame running back Audric Estimé, who came in as my 73rd ranked player, is a steal in the fifth round; he's a big-time bruiser with explosive play talent, and could mix into the team's running back rotation early in his career. The Broncos' roster got a whole lot deeper this weekend.

The sins of the trade for former QB Russell Wilson have not only retarded this roster's development but moving on from them boxed the Broncos in, at least partially, to taking Oregon QB Bo Nix at No. 12 — even if that's tantamount to an overdraft. Giving Nix WR Troy Franklin, a Ducks teammate, in Round 4 could prove an efficient stroke. A fifth-rounder isn't a huge investment in Notre Dame RB Audric Estimé, a highly productive player for the Irish ... but how many ball carriers with 4.7 speed turn into reliable pros? No second-rounder as part of the price of prying HC Sean Payton from the Saints, something he's presumably got plenty of time to justify.

Denver's draft is largely a referendum on quarterback Bo Nix, the sixth passer picked in the first 12 slots of the draft. Throwing for 45 touchdowns against three interceptions as a senior at Oregon is impressive, and Denver got his top receiver by taking Troy Franklin in the fourth round. Denver and Sean Payton will have much of their success pinned to how Nix performs. —Auman

Best Pick: I love fourth-round receiver Troy Franklin. He is a player who will add speed to the offense and he's joining former teammate Bo Nix, the Broncos' first-round pick. I don't know why he went in the fourth because he's better than that.

Worst Pick: It's not that they drafted Nix with the 12th overall pick, but rather why not trade back and take him? Nix has talent and Sean Payton knows quarterbacks, but this one will be fun to watch.

The Skinny: This draft will be defined by how well Nix plays. If Nix is starting for Payton in three years, it will be a great pick. Otherwise, Payton's job could be tied to him. At least they got Franklin in the fourth. Fifth-round corner Kris Abrams-Draine from Missouri has talent.

Analysis: The Broncos didn't reach at all for Nix despite him being the sixth QB off the board because Sean Payton was confident he would be the ideal accurate passer for his scheme. Getting Franklin later to remain his go-to guy was the steal of the draft. Elliss and Abrams-Draine will make a lot of plays on the back end for Vance Joseph. Estime gives them the much-needed power back with burst to complement Javonte Williams.

Analysis: This class will be remembered—for better or worse—for the selection of Nix. The Broncos are staking their future on the Oregon product, who struggled mightily at Auburn before transferring and throwing 45 touchdowns against three interceptions last season. The question is which Nix is Denver getting, and at 24 years old, has he already reached his ceiling?

Say what you want about Bo Nix's upside, but he's a highly intelligent coach's son, he's a much better fit for what Sean Payton wants to do than Russell Wilson ever was, and I find it hilarious that the Broncos are getting bashed for this pick when Nix has much more potential than J.J. McCarthy. In any event, the Broncos also grabbed Troy Franklin Jr., Nix's most reliable receiver at Oregon.

Jonah Elliss is an underrated quarterback disruptor, Kris Abrams-Draine is a productive, aggressive pass defender, and Notre Dame's Audric Estimé is a nice Plan B if Javonte Williams' hell-bent style continues to cause availability issues.

If there's a sleeper here, I like Utah's Devaughn Vele, a height/weight/speed guy who can win contested catches all over the field. The important thing is that Payton got his guy at the game's most important position, and Nix is good for explosive plays more than you may think.