Which direction will George Paton and the Denver Broncos go with the 64th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft? Everyone has an opinion on which prospect would be the perfect fit for Denver with the last pick in the second round or what position would be the cherry on top to catapult this roster into legitimate Super Bowl contention.
Many people believe the Broncos should take a position like the tight end at pick 64 to round out the roster. With a true inline blocking tight end like Eric Tomlinson already on the roster, and a tight end bordering on big slot receiver in Albert Okuegbunam, it makes sense for a lot of people to believe that Denver should look at a more well-rounded player like CSU's Trey McBride.
A differing perspective recently came from the Move The Sticks podcast with hosts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. In their latest episode, Jeremiah and Brooks said prioritizing a tight end that high isn't the direction the former NFL scouts would recommend for the Broncos.
Jeremiah: “They pick 64. You lose a tight end there in Noah Fant but you have Albert Okwuegbunam. They are not in dire straits by any stretch there. It’s a pretty good roster overall. You could look in the secondary as maybe an area they could look to address.”
Brooks: “I think they have to address this secondary. As talented as this defense is, we know that they have to continue to upgrade and find a way to keep it down. When you look at all the quarterback play in this division. They just have to figure it out. So yeah I think they have to continue to add pieces to the secondary.”
Jeremiah: “Yeah, I look and I think the secondary is where they go.”
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The Broncos' secondary certainly seems to be okay on paper entering the 2022 season. Featuring one of the best safeties in all of football in Justin Simmons and a cornerback who had one of the better rookie seasons in the last decade in Patrick Surtain II, Denver does have top-end talent in the defensive backfield.
However, given that offenses can scheme and pick on matchups they deem ripe for targeting, a secondary is typically only as good as the weakest link on the unit. Denver has veterans on-roster poised to play a large role this season.
Ronald Darby is entering his second season in Denver and is a very good cornerback No. 2. However, he has a significant injury history and has only played one season fully healthy so far in his career.
Denver also signed the physical slot corner in K’Waun Williams to replace Bryce Callahan. Williams had been one of the better slots in the league during his time in San Francisco, with a propensity to make tackles in the backfield and turnover-creating plays for his defense. However, Williams is currently the Broncos' only corner outside of the former undrafted Essang Bassey, who seems to be in line for slot reps this season.
The Broncos also re-signed veteran safety Kareem Jackson on a short one-year deal. While Jackson is a smart and physical player for the Broncos at safety, his play and coverage grades took a precipitous drop last season. At 34 years old, it should shock no one if Jackson’s play continues to degrade, given he is already older than most players at his position.
After the veterans, a smorgasbord of youth could step forward and play pivotal roles this season. 2020 third-rounder Michael Ojemudia enters his third year in the league, and while most of his last season was marred with a hamstring injury, he did play one outstanding game in Week 17 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Broncos also have safeties in Caden Sterns and Jamar Johnson — both drafted in Round 5 last year — who figure to be in the fold for the dime-backer position in Ejiro Evero’s defense this season (if not competing for a starting spot against Jackson). However, all three of Denver's young secondary players are still relative unknowns.
Given that the secondary tends to be a volatile position year-to-year in the league, as well as defenses in general, and the overwhelming passing talent in the AFC West, it makes sense to believe the Broncos will target a defensive back early in the NFL draft.
Whether a talented safety falls to 64 such as Georgia's Lewis Cine, Baylor's Jalen Pitre, Penn State's Jaquan Brisker, or a plethora of corners that might slide to Denver, such as Washington's Kyler Gordon, Nebraska's Cam Taylor-Britt, or UTSA's Tariq Woolen, Paton would be prudent to consider adding to the secondary if a talent he loves falls to him in the draft.
Round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft kicks off next week on Thursday, April 28. Round 2 will be held the following evening on Friday. Mile High Huddle will be there with two reporters on-site to bring you all the Broncos buzz and developments.
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Nick Kendell is a Senior Analyst at Mile High Huddle and has covered the Denver Broncos, NFL, and NFL Draft since 2017. He has covered the NFL Scouting Combine on-site, along with college pro days. His works have been published on CBSSports.com, 247Sports.com, BleacherReport.com and Scout.com.