Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos LOAD UP in Mock Draft Post-Jaylen Waddle Trade

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Denver Broncos roster keeps getting better after the Jalen Waddle trade. We've got a brand new mock draft. You are locked on Broncos. Your daily Denver Broncos podcast. Part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Denver Broncos made a massive swing trading for wide receiver, Jalen Waddle, a move that certainly the fan base is excited about. The Broncos haven't had a ton of outside additions this offseason.

Starting point is 00:00:33 but Jalen Waddle is a big one. Now, how are the Broncos actually follow that up with the NFL draft just one month away? Well, we're going to explore one scenario today that takes a look at the Broncos getting a legacy player at the linebacker position, as well as addressing some of their other top needs in this class with the strength at tight end. We're going to exploit that a little bit here in this mock draft, as well as a maybe underrated position of need for the Broncos coming into this draft. We're going to look at that with the second pick in this mock draft. But Broncos country, before we get into the picks, I want to say thank you to all of you out there who make lockdown Broncos,

Starting point is 00:01:10 your first listen of the day. Every single day, we appreciate all you every dayers out there. And we're going to start off this mock draft with a bang, okay? And quite literally, because the Denver Broncos need linebackers. They need depth at the linebacker position. They need possibly a player to start as early as next year. And this is going to be a tough position to learn. I mean, it's going to be one of those things where we kind of reference back to what Drey Greenlaw said before he was cut by the Broncos at the exit interview portion of the offseason when he said, hey, I came to Denver.

Starting point is 00:01:44 Learning this defense was kind of like learning Spanish, right? I'm paraphrasing what he said, but that's essentially what he did say. And we heard Bance Joseph on Peter Stregor's podcast during the season talk about the fact that, look, Dre Greenlaw was being limited in his snaps, not because necessarily of his injury, but because it was taking him a bit to acclimate. to the defense. And so you need time. You need to let this pick marinate. Whoever the Broncos do select at the linebacker position. And I hope they take two in this draft because they need depth. But we're starting off with the 62nd overall pick in this draft. The Denver Broncos taking Josiah Trotter. Yes, that's right. A legacy player, son of the great Eagles player Jeremiah

Starting point is 00:02:25 Trotter. Many of you 90s kids out there, 2000s kids, you'll know who Jeremiah Trotter is. Well, guess what his uh his little one is not so little anymore a redshirt sophomore out of missouri started off his collegiate career at west virginia really productive transfer to missouri this past year and certainly you love the nfl bloodlines we know that sean peyton george peyton they've kind of gone after a number of players with nfl bloodlines or at least athletic bloodlines including obviously george peyton's very first pick with the denver broncos which was Pat Sartan, whose dad was a great corner in the NFL in his own right. But we've seen it at other turns, right? We've seen it with obviously Bo Nix is the son of a coach, right? And we've seen,

Starting point is 00:03:09 you know, Jonah Ellis, a third round pick. His dad played for the Broncos and his brothers are certainly really good ball players as well. So Josiah Trotter, what does he bring to the table? Well, he's got elite size at the linebacker position, right? I mean, we're talking six foot to 237 pounds. He's very well built. 32 and a quarter. inch arms, 10 and a quarter inch hands. I mean, he checks out everything when you look at the metrics threw up 27 reps on the bench press as well. So he's got that upper body strength. But here's what I love when I read his scouting report from Lance Zeerline at NFL.com. Here's what I really love that I think would make him a perfect fit this year for the Broncos, not just as a future starter.

Starting point is 00:03:49 He says, talented blitzer with a bag full of tricks. Euro steps single blocks for sudden wins as a blitzer. Times run blitzes to pierce gaps and disrupt the design. So what do we know about Vance Joseph's defense? Well, we know that Vance Joseph loves to blitz his off ball linebackers. And it sounds like Josiah Trotter could be one of the best fits for the scheme in that regard. So you get a linebacker that can blitz, can come in sub packages for you right away, and hopefully eventually take over as one of the starters on your defense. So second round pick, the Broncos have, obviously, So a limited draft capital in the top 100. They've got just the one pick now after the Jalen Wattle trade.

Starting point is 00:04:32 But Josiah Trotter would fill arguably this team's biggest need to get a young player at the linebacker position. So I kind of like this scenario. Let me know what you think of that. Pick Broncos country. We got six picks on day three of the NFL draft. And I love the turn that the Broncos have at pick 108 and 111. It's kind of really a nice, flexible area. I know Cody has gone on record as saying that he believes.

Starting point is 00:04:56 that the Broncos will use those picks to trade up. I'm interested to see what they do. I think that obviously you've got the flexibility to be able to trade up, but the Broncos still also have a number of needs to address, one of which being, I think, kind of an underrated need at the safety position. Now, they did just bring in Tyson Anderson to be a special teams player, but losing a player like PJ Locke and having Brandon Jones entering a contract year with the team, you certainly feel like you need to upgrade.

Starting point is 00:05:26 the talent behind those two starters, Brandon Jones and Tala Noah, Hufanga. You lose a guy like PJ Locke. You lose somebody who you feel like you can trust to start for you at any point in time. That's why with the 108th pick in this mock draft, I selected TCU safety Bud Clark. Now, I think a lot of folks are going to be, you know, questioning whether or not Bud Clark is going to be a good pick for whoever he ends up going to because while he was in college for six years. And so there's a stigma attached to that. Certainly the Broncos haven't really cared about that kind of stuff when it comes to the prospects they've been selecting in

Starting point is 00:06:05 recent years. But I think Bud Clark on day three would be an absolute steal for the Denver Broncos. Get this, 15 interceptions over the last four seasons at TCU, including for this past year, no fewer than three in any individual season. Sean Payton highlighted at the end of last year that one of the biggest things that he wants this team to improve upon in 2026 is creating takeaways. And there's obvious reasons for that. Of course, you want your defense to benefit in the takeaway department when you set franchise records for sacks two years in a row, but also it gives your offense extra

Starting point is 00:06:45 possessions. And it gives you an opportunity to have a little bit more margin for error on that side of the ball. And with a first year play caller in Davis Webb, the Broncos, are going to be prioritizing takeaways. And I think that obviously that's easier said than done, right? You can't just say, we want more takeaways. And then obviously it starts happening, right?

Starting point is 00:07:04 But when you bring in players who have a nose for the football like Bud Clark with 15 interceptions over the past four years, including seven over the last two seasons, I mean, you bring in somebody who's got that mentality who might be able as a 60 year player at TCU, he might be able to come in and get into your rotation right away or at least give you some depth to where you feel like if one of your starters goes down, hey, this guy can actually play. So the Broncos might be asking a bit more of their day three picks this year than in years prior just because they do have a need for depth at certain spots. But we'll also get a chance to see guys like Devon Key JL Skinner step up. Maybe Tyson Anderson gets to play a little bit more

Starting point is 00:07:45 defense in Denver. We don't know exactly how that's going to shake out. But I do think the safety position is one to watch for the Broncos. Be back-to-back defensive picks here with the offense really being the focus of this offseason from the fan base. Don't worry, Broncos country. We're going to address the offensive side of the ball. We got a tight end and a running back coming your way on this mock draft edition, a bonus episode locked on Broncos. Today's show is brought to you by TurboTax.

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Starting point is 00:10:15 We're going to do exactly that on today's episode, locked on Broncos. We've got a full seven round mock draft for you. We're going all the way to Mr. Irrelevant in this mock draft, but really quick, just want to say thank you once again to all you every dayers out there. Shout out to all of you that make us your first listen of the day every single day. We really appreciate you. Broncos country, let's get straight to it. I've got it in the notes here.

Starting point is 00:10:37 I'm really excited about this pick because I feel like the Broncos are going to be on the hunt for another weapon in the past catching department at the tight end position. Evan Ingram, he's only got one year left on his contract. We'll see what the Broncos end up doing with Evan Ingram when the time comes. But let's go with Justin Jolie to start this off. beat around the bush anymore. We went with Bud Clark with pick number 108. The Broncos have another pick, just a couple of selections after that. 111 overall. We're going with NC State tight end, Justin Jolie. And he's somebody that I feel like

Starting point is 00:11:10 could really be a big time weapon. And this is one thing that I've been really looking at when it comes to the Broncos in the NFL draft, right? I've been kind of looking at who's that player out there that can play in line, could also have some upside for you in the passing game. but I kind of wonder if I've been thinking about this wrong because Sean Payton, George Payton both said they're still kind of looking for those Joker types of players. I know Broncos country is so sick of hearing that term. It's okay, guys, it's okay. It's just fine.

Starting point is 00:11:39 What we're talking about is a difference maker in the passing game at tight end and or running back. And Justin Jolie has proven that he can be exactly that. 56 catches for 578 yards in his final year at Yukon before he transferred over to North Carolina State where immediately just made a massive impact. 43 catches, 661 yards, and four touchdowns, an average of 15.4 yards per catch. And then followed that up this past season with 49 receptions for 489 yards and a career best seven touchdowns. Played a lot of football. He's proven that he can move the chains. He's proven that he can capitalize in the red zone. He's proven himself as a big play threat. So in a deep tight end class, you might be able

Starting point is 00:12:24 to cash in on the fall of somebody like Justin Jolie there in the fourth round. And I wouldn't be surprised if he's high on the Broncos radar because of his past catching abilities, because he can go out there and potentially be one of those move tight ends for you. You've got players that maybe you believe in who can be blockers for you or maybe you double up in this draft. We've looked at other players like Eli Raritan from Notre Dame. We've looked at Marlon Klein from Michigan in previous mock draft scenarios. Obviously, Sam Roosch is another one from Stanford who can play in line. So there's no reason why the Broncos couldn't go after multiple tight ends in this draft. But in this box draft, spoiler alert, we're only taking one. And it's Justin Jolie. So he's coming in with the potential

Starting point is 00:13:08 to be a big time pass catching threat. Let's go with the next offensive weapon that the Broncos are going to be taking round five. Pick number 170 overall. You asked for it. We're delivering Adam Randall, the running back out of Clemson. Here's what I really. like about Adam Randall, aside from the fact that he's a former wide receiver, six foot three, really built well over 235 pounds, somebody who you feel like there's some things that we can find beneath the surface there. The athleticism is there. The size is there. Obviously, inexperienced as a running back, relatively speaking, but certainly talented enough to develop and give the Broncos some much needed depth at that position. But I kind of like Adam Randall as a

Starting point is 00:13:51 kickoff return option. He does have some history returning kickoffs at Clemson. There's maybe upside there that the Broncos can tap into. And I think that is an underrated element that we need to be looking out for in this year's draft is which players are great kickoff returners. Because right now, Marvin Mims is still under contract. We have no reason to believe the Broncos don't want him around for the foreseeable future. But there's two factors at play here. Number one, the Broncos have to consider life after or life without Marvin Mims because there's a reality that he could leave after this season and leave a gaping hole in the return game. But also there's the reality that the Broncos may not want Marvin Mims returning a bunch of kickoffs because he got hurt a couple

Starting point is 00:14:36 of times last year doing just that. So while Marvin may still return punts and be a weapon for the offense, I wouldn't be surprised if the team does decide, hey, let's pull back on his kickoff returns because we're going to now pay him a contract. Hopefully, that's my hope. That's another hope for a lot of you out there. They're going to pay him a contract, hopefully to be a weapon for this offense for the foreseeable future alongside all the other guys that they have.

Starting point is 00:15:01 So somebody like Adam Randall, who's got that sort of wide receiver, running back, returner, mystique to him. Could be a really interesting pick there on day three for the Denver Broncos. And let's go rapid fire in round seven. The Broncos have picks 246, 256 and 257, which is the final pick of the NFL draft this year. At 246, I took Wyoming offensive lineman, Caden Barnett. I think the Broncos, they'll stick local.

Starting point is 00:15:30 They've got probably scouts, local scouts, who have seen Caden Barnett play dating back to his time in Colorado. So I think that's a pick that really makes a lot of sense, a developmental guard from the same program that produced Frank Crum. And the Broncos, I mean, they need depth on the offensive line. There's no question about it, especially at guard. I'd love to see them take a tackle in this class. You know me, Broncos Country.

Starting point is 00:15:52 If you've listened to any of my previous mocks, you know that I would not be opposed to even a tackle with that top pick there at 62 overall. So we'll see what happens. But Caden Barnett, for the time being, gives you an option at the guard position, maybe even some flex to the tackle position, but depth on the offensive line nonetheless. With 256, I took a player named Latrell McCutcheon, Sr., a cornerback out of Houston, who was.

Starting point is 00:16:17 once recruited by Broncos defensive backs coach, Doug Belk, and has that connection. So, you know, when you look at late rounds, you look at guys who can play special teams, you look at upside and you look at potential coaching connections. McCutcheon has that connection to Doug Belk, which could come into play. And maybe he becomes a special teams guy for you there in round seven, which is nice value. Speaking of special teams with a Mr. Irrelevant pick, I took a player out of TCU once again. So we took a couple of defenders from TCU. This player's name is Namdi Obiaser.

Starting point is 00:16:50 So the linebacker out of TCU got great size, athletic ability up the wazoo, and certainly somebody that you feel like could come in and contribute on special teams while also giving you some much needed depth at the linebacker position. And consistent production, three years straight of great production from him at TCU. So I like taking some late round flyers on guys with upside, guys who can play special teams right away. You need some contributors, though, if you're the Denver Broncos there on day three. And I think those guys could contribute in the depth department for sure and on special teams right away. So Broncos country, let me know what you think of this mock draft. It's a recap every pick

Starting point is 00:17:29 that we made. Once again, we want Josiah Trotter, the linebacker out of Missouri with that 60 second overall pick. Then in round four, we took Bud Clark, the safety out of TCU, followed by Justin Jolie, the tight end out of NC State. Then in round five, we got. Adam Randall, the running back slash returner slash receiver slash, you know, weapon out of Clemson, which I know a lot of Broncos country is really high on him right now. And then we took Caden Barnett, the Olineman out of Wyoming, Latrell McCutcheon, Sr., the cornerback out of Houston, and Namdi Obiazer, the linebacker out of TCU. So let me know what you think of those seven picks, Broncos Country.

Starting point is 00:18:07 Of course, as of right now, the team hasn't made any other additions to the roster. feels like they still need to have a pretty balanced draft class here with needs at the running back position, linebacker, safety, tight end. They need some young developmental potential future starters at those positions. So going to be interested to see if they also attack the offensive tackle position, which, by the way, Broncos Country, team has not drafted an offensive tackle since Garrett Bowles in 2017. Pretty crazy stuff there. We'll see if they break that trend here in 2026.

Starting point is 00:18:38 But until next time, Broncos Country, we appreciate you for listening. Thanks, thanks so much today, and we'll catch you on the next episode of the show.

Locked On Broncos - Daily Podcast On The Denver Broncos - Denver Broncos LOAD UP in Mock Draft Post-Jaylen Waddle Trade

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