Denver Broncos Depth Chart
- AFC West
- Stadium
- Empower Field at Mile High
- Head Coach
- Sean Payton
- Offensive Coordinator
- Joe Lombardi
- Defensive Coordinator
- Vance Joseph
- Special Teams Coach
- Ben Kotwica
- Defensive Scheme
- 3-4
Denver Broncos' connections to Oregon quarterback Bo Nix have persisted with the 2024 NFL draft just a day away on Thursday night. Nix is a player that teams could wait on until the second round, but the Broncos don't have a current second-round pick this year and are slated to select in the first round at No. 12. Their acquisition of former first-rounder Zach Wilson adds another layer to their QB situation heading into Thursday evening. The Broncos have done their homework on the QB draft class -- they hosted Washington's Michael Penix Jr. on a top-30 visit and watched Michigan's J.J. McCarthy work out -- and have discussed a potential trade up in the first round. However, they have plenty of other needs and have also talked about trading down. Right now, Jarrett Stidham and Wilson are slated to compete for the starting job in training camp.
Former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning recently talked with Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and said the Broncos are interested in him with the 2024 NFL draft beginning on Thursday night. "I know Denver is very interested in him and it sounded like a place he'd love to come to but it's a little bit out of his control," Manning told Denver Sports over the air. McCarthy played in a pro-style offense at Michigan and led the Wolverines to the national championship earlier this year. He wasn't allowed to throw the ball that much in college, but he really impressed at his pro day and has been rising up draft boards ever since. McCarthy is a candidate to go in the first five picks on Thursday night, although it seems unlikely that Denver has the ammunition to pull off a trade up into the top five this year to select McCarthy, especially after trading for Zach Wilson on Tuesday.
The Denver Broncos have picked up the fifth-year option on Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain II, meaning he will remain under contract through the 2025 NFL season. Since being selected by Denver with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama, Surtain has earned two trips to the Pro Bowl and one first-team All-Pro honor. In 50 career games, he has racked up 187 tackles (150 solo), one forced fumble, seven interceptions, and 36 pass deflections. The Broncos are in an interesting time for the organization with Sean Payton at the helm, and the roster needs major reinforcements. However, they have their true No. 1 cornerback locked in for at least the next two seasons.
The Denver Broncos are acquiring former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson from the New York Jets on Monday, according to sources. The Broncos are expected to send a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Jets for Wilson and a 2024 seventh-round selection, with the teams dividing his guaranteed camp roster bonus. The Broncos released Russell Wilson this offseason and were heading into this week's NFL draft with Jarrett Stidham as their starter under center in 2024. Wilson now has a much better shot at playing time with a change of scenery in 2024 after being benched in his final season with the Jets, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll beat out Stidham in training camp. The move to acquire Wilson also won't preclude the Broncos from selecting a QB in this year's draft, possibly as early as the first round.
Free-agent cornerback Levi Wallace signed an undisclosed deal with the Denver Broncos on Monday, according to a source. Wallace had six interceptions and 24 passes defended over the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He'll give the Broncos some added secondary depth this week just ahead of the start of this year's NFL draft on Thursday evening. The 28-year-old entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama in 2018 with the Buffalo Bills, and he spent the first four seasons of his career in Buffalo before playing for the Steelers the last two years. In his six seasons combined, Wallace has 305 tackles (236 solo), seven tackles for loss, 12 interceptions, 54 passes defended and one fumble recovery in 83 games (70 starts).