Getty The Denver Broncos were linked to 2x College Football Playoff National Championship quarterback Stetson Bennett by Predominantly Orange's Sayre Bedinger
The Denver Broncos were linked to 2x College Football Playoff National Championship quarterback Stetson Bennett, who led Georgia to an undefeated season in 2022 following a one-loss title campaign in 2021, by Predominantly Orange’s Sayre Bedinger. Bennett was one of several signal-callers who Bedinger believes the Broncos will have a chance at since Hendon Hooker will likely be off the board by the time Denver is on the clock with the No. 67 pick in the third round.
“Right now, there’s a pretty massive gap between the guy most consider to be the fifth-best QB in this class (Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker) and the next best guy (whoever you may have ranked there), but it’s possible — just like every year — that NFL teams have fallen in love with guys behind the scenes and will have them ranked in a bizarrely different way than anyone expects,” Bedinger wrote. “I think Hooker is going to go to early for the Broncos to have a shot at him, but I also think there are guys they could consider in rounds 3-4 that provide some intrigue: Stanford’s Tanner McKee, BYU’s Jaren Hall, Fresno State’s Jake Haener, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, (and) UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson.”
Bennett is projected to be selected in the fifth round by NFL Draft Buzz, with his projected draft position at pick No. 134.
Denver Broncos Linked to CFP Runner-up’s Quarterback Too
Bedinger not only linked the Broncos to the College Football Playoff National Championship-winning quarterback, but also the runner-up, TCU’s Max Duggan — this in addition to oft-linked Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford.
“I don’t think anything is off the table,” Bedinger wrote. “Even some surprise names falling into that category. What about Sean Clifford out of Penn State, who the team did a Zoom interview with? What about someone like TCU’s Max Duggan, who had an awesome Combine workout?”
Bediner believes Denver will display an “open mind” when assessing the quarterback position at the NFL draft.
“I think the Broncos will approach this draft with an open mind at the QB position, as they should,” Bedinger wrote. “Again, don’t be surprised if Denver and other NFL teams have these QBs graded way different than the mock draft machines.”
Center and EDGE Positions the Broncos Could Focus on
Bedinger believes the Broncos’ draft could focus on bringing on a starting caliber center or an EDGE with their No. 67 and/or No. 68 picks in the 2023 NFL draft’s third round.
“A lot of folks right now feel like the Broncos are pretty likely to go with a center at some point in round three, and they may very well be able to find a starter there,” Bedinger wrote. “Others feel like the best direction for Denver in the third round is to go after an EDGE player, and I’m here to tell you they shouldn’t necessarily back themselves into any particular corners.”
The Predominantly Orange writer cautioned against drafting for needs, raising the possibility of missing out on talent by being close-minded.
“Given their draft positioning, the Broncos hopefully won’t be drafting for a specific need,” Bedinger wrote. “That’s how you get into trouble of missing out on better prospects because you decided to enter the draft with a clear area of need, and you’re force-feeding a specific position rather than playing the board.”