Mel Kiper mocks quarterback Trey Lance to the Broncos
Apr 20, 2021, 11:46 AM
With just over a week until the 2021 NFL draft, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay’s latest three-round mock draft has the Broncos drafting North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
In this mock, Kiper and McShay made their predictions based on what they would do with each pick, not what they think each team will do — essentially playing general manager for all 32 teams using their personal rankings.
“I don’t think Drew Lock is the long-term answer in Denver,” Kiper wrote. “Lance is only 20, and he’ll need some time, but he has a high ceiling.”
Lance had his final pro day on Monday and ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that the San Francisco 49ers were “extremely involved” in his workout on Monday.
No one truly knows what is going to happen on draft night, but one thing that’s certain is San Francisco’s pick will have a huge ripple effect on the rest of the league.
Going beyond the Broncos’ first pick at nine, McShay believes Denver should target cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. from Florida State at No. 40.
“Linebacker was the first thing I looked for on my “best available” sheet, but there’s just no value there,” McShay wrote. “While Denver brought in Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller (who is on a one-year deal), I still think this cornerback unit needs depth. Samuel can also play the nickel role in the short term.”
To finish things off Kiper believes the Broncos should draft outside linebacker Joseph Ossai from Texas at No. 71.
“This is a great fit, as Ossai is undersized and probably needs to land on a team that runs a 3-4. He could be a menace as a rookie pass-rusher in Vic Fangio’s defense,” Kiper wrote.
