In his latest 2024 NFL mock draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the Denver Broncos selecting Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell with pick No. 12 in the first round.
Caleb Williams (No. 1), Jayden Daniels (No. 2), Drake Maye (No. 3) and J.J. McCarthy (No. 5) all go off the board early, so instead of reaching for a quarterback at No. 12, the Broncos land Kiper’s top cornerback prospect.
“Mitchell, my top-ranked cornerback, had 46 pass breakups in four seasons at Toledo, and he ripped off an elite 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the combine,” Kiper wrote on ESPN.com. “He’s ready to play early and often as a rookie.”
This is a change from Kiper’s last mock draft which had Denver selecting Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. Before that, Kiper had the Broncos picking UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu in a previous mock.
Kiper seems to be in agreement with our assessment that quarterback, cornerback and pass rusher are Denver’s three biggest draft needs.
After the top five picks, no other QBs go off the board in the first round of Kiper’s latest mock. He has Nix (No. 33) and Michael Penix (No. 37) going early in the second round (where the Broncos do not currently have a pick).
The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.
