The Denver Broncos will officially release quarterback Russell Wilson next week, but the search for his replacement started months earlier.
The Broncos have been scouting quarterbacks in this year’s class for more than a year, and they met with eight QB prospects at the NFL combine last month. Those meetings can play a big role in the evaluation process.
"The first thing is putting a name with the face,” Denver coach Sean Payton said on Feb. 27. “It's the first personal visit where you are like, 'Nice to meet you.' You'll spend time with [them with] questions and they will be football-related. There will be follow-up meetings and pro day visits and private workout visits.
“These are all pieces of the equation that are necessary. … The interactions in the meetings are important because for a lot of us — maybe not the scouts so much — but for a lot of us, it's the first time we are getting introduced to a prospect. Not just at quarterback, but all the positions. That first impression is important.”
Broncos general manager George Paton went to games to scout quarterbacks including Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Michael Penix in person last fall.
"You just want to get around them as much as you can,” Paton said at the combine. “I was fortunate to see a lot of these quarterbacks during the fall. That's one step of the process. Then you have the all-star games and then you have the combine, and then you have pro days and maybe private workouts. So as much as you can get around them and see what makes them tick.
“Sean talked about leadership. What's the day-to-day like? What do their teammates feel about them? You can evaluate the arm strength, the accuracy, the athleticism, being able to process is a little more difficult. But I think the more you can get around them, the better decisions you'll make."
So, which quarterbacks did Payton and Paton get to know in Indianapolis? Here’s a quick recap of the QBs the Broncos met with at the combine.
1
QB Caleb Williams (USC)
Williams is widely considered the top QB in this year’s class and he is expected to be picked by the Chicago Bears with the No. 1 overall pick. He started his career at Oklahoma before transferring to USC ahead of the 2022 season. Over the last two years, Williams completed 67.5% of his passes for 8,170 yards with 72 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. If the Broncos want to draft Williams, they’ll have to trade up. Williams will turn 23 in November.
2
QB Drake Maye (UNC)
Maye spent three years with the Tarheels, winning the starting job in 2022. Over the last two seasons, he completed 64.9% of his passes for 8,018 yards with 63 touchdowns against 16 interceptions. Most draft pundits expect Maye to be the second QB drafted in April, so the Broncos would need to trade up from No. 12 if they hope to land UNC’s QB. Maye will turn 22 in August.
3
QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)
Widely considered the third-best QB in this year’s class, Daniels spent three years at Arizona State before transferring to LSU in 2022. He had a breakout season last fall, completing 72.2% of his passes for 3,812 yards with 40 touchdowns against four interceptions. Once again, Denver would likely need to trade up if they hope to draft Daniels. He will turn 24 in December.
4
QB J.J. McCarthy (Michigan)
McCarthy is the first QB outside of the “Big Three” that could be a realistic target for the Broncos. He spent three years at Michigan, starting the last two seasons. McCarthy completed 67.6% of his passes for 6,226 yards with 49 touchdowns against 11 interceptions with the Wolverines. Denver coach Sean Payton is said to be “quite enamored” with McCarthy, but there’s no guarantee the QB will fall to 12th overall. So — you guessed it — the Broncos might need to trade up if they want to draft McCarthy. He turned 21 in January after leading Michigan to a national title.
5
QB Bo Nix (Oregon)
Nix spent three seasons at Auburn before transferring to Oregon in 2022. Over the last two years, he completed 74.9% of his passes for 8,101 yards with 74 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He will likely be available when the Broncos are scheduled to pick 12th overall in April. Nix turned 24 last month.
6
QB Michael Penix (Washington)
After four injury-riddled seasons at Indiana, Penix transferred to Washington in 2022. He completed 65.4% of his passes for 9,544 yards with 67 touchdowns against 19 interceptions in two years with the Huskies. Penix’s biggest question mark going into the NFL is his health — the QB suffered torn ACLs in 2018 and 2020 and shoulder injuries in 2019 and 2021. He will likely be available when Denver picks at No. 12. Penix will turn 24 in May.
7
QB Michael Pratt (Tulane)
Pratt was a four-year starter at Tulane, completing 60.6% of his passes for 9,611 yards with 90 touchdowns against 26 interceptions. Pratt has said he studies film of former NFL quarterback Drew Brees, and Broncos coach Sean Payton has several connections to the Green Wave in New Orleans. Pratt is projected to be a second- or third-round pick in April. He will turn 23 in September.
8
QB Spencer Rattler (South Carolina)
Rattler spent three years at Oklahoma before transferring to South Carolina in 2022. Over the last two seasons, he completed 67.5% of his passes for 6,212 yards with 37 touchdowns against 20 interceptions. Most mock drafts project Rattler to go off the board in the third or fourth round. He will turn 24 in September.
