The Denver Broncos made seven picks in the 2024 NFL draft this spring. The team’s most notable selection was first-round quarterback Bo Nix, but the four players Denver picked after him are also notable.
The Broncos had higher round grades on pass rusher Jonah Ellis, wide receiver Troy Franklin, running back Audric Estime and cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine than where they ended up falling on draft day, according to coach Sean Payton.
“You try not to be an instant evaluator, but I would say that I was encouraged,” Payton said when asked about the progress of the team’s rookies in June. “I was encouraged after the draft because with each of these selections — and it doesn’t always fall this way — but after Bo, we are then in the third round taking a player Elliss, who we had a second-round grade on. Then we get to the fourth round, and we have a second-round grade on Troy.
“[In t]he fifth round, we have two third-round grades on the runner Estime and Abrams-Draine and so on, even to our seventh rounders. That doesn’t always happen. Obviously, it can’t happen if you don’t have a lot of picks, but we were close to our normal number of picks again. Then the validation that they belong, you get to see the early first impressions. Then we hold reservations until we get the pads. I was encouraged with this class.”
As Payton noted, true evaluations won’t begin until training camp starts next week, but the early signs were promising this spring. The coach is clearly pleased with the rookie class going into camp.
