\u201cThe mocks that you guys read for the last month, what do you want me to say?\u201d Payton said then. \u201cIt\u2019s embarrassing sometimes, but it\u2019s entertaining.\u201d<\/p>\n
General manager George Paton last week said the Broncos had narrowed their list to seven or eight players they felt would be available at No. 30 before they traded that pick to Miami for star receiver Jaylen Waddle<\/a>.<\/p>\n Projecting who will be there at No. 62, where Denver\u2019s first pick now sits, is even more wide open.<\/p>\n That won\u2019t stop us. And no apologies for any embarrassment caused, either.<\/p>\n In the Post\u2019s last mock draft, we slid back a few spots from No. 62 and selected RB Jonah Coleman.<\/p>\n This time around, we decided to stick and pick.<\/p>\n The result is decidedly not flashy but also feels like a realistic outcome for the Broncos.<\/p>\n Rutledge is widely considered a Day 2 player and is one of the better interior offensive linemen in this class. He played right guard in college \u2014 the Broncos are set there long-term with All-Pro Quinn Meinerz \u2014 but should have the versatility to play left or even center. Essentially, if he didn\u2019t win a job over Ben Powers or make Denver reconsider going into the season with Powers on the roster, he\u2019d be in position to slide in in 2027 or potentially back up multiple spots along the interior.<\/p>\n Offensive line,\u00a0in general, is a sneaky need for the Broncos<\/a>. They\u2019ve got all five starters back from one of the best fronts in football, but general manager George Paton acknowledged at the combine that the team is wary of aging out too many players at the same time. Plus, all five players at the moment are on premium contracts.<\/p>\n Also considered: The dream was for tight end Eli Stowers to fall, but he went in the middle of the second round. Another tight end option and the pick at No. 62 in our first Post mock draft, Ohio State\u2019s Max Klare<\/a>, was still on the board. We passed to avoid too much repetition, but he looks like a potential fit in the second round. Also still on the board, among others: Arkansas RB Mike Washington and Mizzou linebacker Josiah Trotter.<\/p>\n Trade: Broncos receive Nos. 114 and 197. Philadelphia receives No. 111.<\/p>\n The fourth rolled around and the Paton, sans \u2018Y\u2019, in the Post\u2019s drafting team emerged. We were hoping to move back from No. 108 to get an extra pick or two and, sure enough, found enough suitors to land a deal we liked. That trade with Green Bay involved moving back to No. 120 and the details are below.<\/p>\n Then the surprise popped up. Philadelphia wanted to move up and we felt good about sliding back just a handful of spots and still getting our guy. What was Howie Roseman thinking?<\/p>\n At No. 114, the pick is Boettcher from a school Denver is quite familiar with. He\u2019s a physical player and a good leader who had 136 tackles for the Ducks in 2025 and contributed each of the past three seasons to one of college football\u2019s stoutest defenses.<\/p>\n Denver\u2019s had an active offseason at ILB, retaining Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, releasing Dre Greenlaw<\/a> and now moving Jonah Elliss inside. Still, here\u2019s a young player who can be a special teamer early and a potential Singleton replacement down the line.<\/p>\n Trade: Broncos receive Nos. 120 and 160, Green Bay receives No. 108<\/p>\n Is this draft scintillating enough yet? The Broncos have only drafted one offensive lineman on Day 2 in Paton\u2019s five drafts so far \u2014 Meinerz in the 2021 third round \u2014 but now are up to two in this draft alone. Again, it\u2019s not an immediate need, but Bowry checks boxes the Broncos like.<\/p>\n Offensive line coach Zach Strief told The Post last fall<\/a>, \u201cWe love guys that can anchor. If you don\u2019t get bull-rushed in this league, you\u2019re 80% of the way there.\u201d<\/p>\n Bowry\u2019s got good strength and he\u2019s a good athlete. He\u2019s got experience at both left and right tackle in college. Ideally, he doesn\u2019t have to play right away.<\/p>\n In this scenario, though, Denver rolls into the summer with a pipeline that includes Rutledge and Bowry out of this draft, plus Alex Palczewski, Frank Crum, and Alex Forsyth. That\u2019s building to withstand the rigors of an NFL season and also preparing for a future in which the quarterback is no longer on a rookie deal and the front line must be cheaper \u2014 but not without some incubation time in one of the league\u2019s best offensive line development programs.<\/p>\n Now things are heating up at the offensive skill positions. Teams across football have found ways to identify tight ends on Day 3 that end up making a real impact. Not everybody can land George Kittle, of course, but there are going to be quality tight ends from this draft class that don\u2019t hear their name called until Saturday.<\/p>\n Raridon\u2019s got a chance to be one of them. He\u2019s enormous at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds. He\u2019s got a good blocking foundation to his game \u2014 though like most young players, he\u2019s not a finished product \u2014 and he\u2019s athletic enough to believe he\u2019s going to be a good receiver, too.<\/p>\n Like it or not, Denver\u2019s going to play Adam Trautman and Evan Engram a ton this fall. The Broncos trust Trautman and they\u2019re hoping to get more from Engram as a receiver in his second season in the offense. Could a rookie tight end blow up that plan? In an outlier scenario, perhaps. More likely, a young player gets a chance to carve out a role as a rookie with the hopes that he blossoms late in the year, if injuries arise or in 2027 and beyond.<\/p>\n Black fits the Payton running back threshold of \u201cshort but not small\u201d at 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds. He\u2019s a physical runner who was second on the national champs\u2019 offense in carries at 180 behind Roman Hemby (230). Black averaged 5.6 per carry and, though he wasn\u2019t used at IU in the passing game, he did have 44 catches and six receiving touchdowns his last two years at James Madison.<\/p>\n At Indiana\u2019s pro day, Black reportedly ran 4.45 in the 40-yard dash and jumped 37.5 inches vertical. He\u2019s taken a top-30 visit with the Broncos. Black isn\u2019t a prototypical third-down back, but he could carry some of that load and would be an intriguing fit with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.<\/p>\n In looking for safety depth, the Broncos here lean on the connection to USC in new defensive backs coach Doug Belk. Belk had Fitzgerald, an undersized safety, in his room for one year after Fitzgerald transferred from NC State.<\/p>\n Checked into the combine at 5-11 and 201 pounds and ran 4.55 in the 40-yard dash. He produced takeaways throughout his college career, with five interceptions in 2025 for USC and five combined in two seasons at NC State before that.<\/p>\n Denver\u2019s got special teamers galore in its safety room behind starters Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones. Fitzgerald could add to that and perhaps push toward more.<\/p>\n Round 7, Pick No. 246: North Carolina cornerback Marcus Allen In the seventh round, as Paton said last week, teams are often trying to get a jump on post-draft free agency. If you don\u2019t think you\u2019re going to win a battle for a player or don\u2019t want to risk a bidding war in the post-draft chaos, this is the time.<\/p>\n Denver\u2019s had success recently in the seventh round, finding contributors in WR Devaughn Vele and OL Alex Forsyth, plus players with still-interesting development arcs in OL Nick Gargiulo and TE Caleb Lohner.<\/p>\n In this rendition, a trio of seventh-rounders begins with Allen, who is 6-2, ran 4.5 in the 40, and comes from a program now led by a coach Payton really respects: Bill Belichick.<\/p>\n Denver\u2019s receiver room looks pretty darn full, but Henderson is a receiver plus a special teams asset. He\u2019s a good returner \u2014 even if Marvin Mims Jr. doesn\u2019t see an uptick in playing time, NFL teams have realized you need two good ones given the kickoff rule\u2019s evolution \u2014 and can handle other duties, too.<\/p>\n Mr. Irrelevant? Try Mr. Freak. Weru hasn\u2019t gone mega-viral like IPP classmate and defensive lineman Uar Bernard<\/a>, but make no mistake, he\u2019s a ridiculous athlete. The 6-4, 244-pounder reportedly ran 4.45 in the 40 and jumped 41.5 inches vertical at the HBCU showcase. He\u2019s training with Javon Gopie, who also works with Nik Bonitto and trained Que Robinson last spring. Gopie told The Post recently, \u201cI think he\u2019d be a no-brainer fit in (the Broncos\u2019 scheme).\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Georgia](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26060841854277.jpg\")
Georgia Tech offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge (44) runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Julio Cortez)
\nRound 2, Pick No. 62: Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge<\/p>\n![\"Iowa](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP25312812517617.jpg\")
Iowa wide receiver Jacob Gill (5) catches a pass in front of Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher (28) during the first half of a game Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo\/Charlie Neibergall)
\nRound 4, Pick No. 114: Oregon inside linebacker Bryce Boettcher<\/p>\n![\"Boston](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26060755621010.jpg\")
Boston College offensive lineman Jude Bowry runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Michael Conroy)
\nRound 4, Pick No. 120: Boston College offensive tackle Jude Bowry<\/p>\n![\"Penn](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP25010132951892.jpg\")
Penn State linebacker Kobe King (41) interferes with a pass intended for Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon (9) during the second half of the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky)
\nRound 5, Pick No. 160: Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon<\/p>\n![\"Kaelon](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2256976256.jpg\")
Kaelon Black of the Indiana Hoosiers rushes against the Oregon Ducks during the third quarter of the 2025 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 09, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox\/Getty Images)
\nRound 5, Pick No. 170: Indiana running back Kaelon Black<\/p>\n![\"North](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP23245567682458.jpg\")
North Carolina State safety Bishop Fitzgerald (19) and defensive back Robert Kennedy (8) break up a pass to UConn wide receiver James Burns (13) during the first half an NCAA college football game in East Hartford, Conn., Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. (AP Photo\/Bryan Woolston)
\nRound 6, Pick No. 197: USC safety Bishop Fitzgerald<\/p>\n
\nRound 7, Pick No. 256: Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson
\nRound 7, Pick No. 257: IPP outside linebacker Josh Weru<\/p>\n