In his latest 2024 NFL mock draft, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm has the Denver Broncos beefing up the defensive line in the first round.
At No. 12 overall, the Broncos select Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy II, who is considered one of the best defensive tackles in the 2024 class.
“I know many will pine for a quarterback, but I think the Broncos will be hard-pressed to land a worthy talent at the position in this lofty draft slot,” Edholm wrote on NFL.com. “Instead, they could pivot to upgrading the interior D-line with an explosive penetrator such as Murphy, even if this feels a tad high for him.”
Murphy (6-1, 297 pounds) totaled 70 tackles (15 behind the line) and eight sacks in three seasons (34 games) with the Longhorns. With Mike Purcell and Jonathan Harris scheduled to become free agents and D.J. Jones facing an uncertain future in Denver, the Broncos could certainly use reinforcements on the defensive line.
As in the case in many mocks, Edholm’s projection has the top three quarterbacks going off the board right away — Caleb Williams at No. 1, Drake Maye at No. 2 and Jayden Daniels at No. 3.
Denver passes on QB J.J. McCarthy (No. 19) to select Murphy. Edholm has QBs Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. falling out of the first round in his mock.
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