Denver Broncos select in top 10, take one of top defensive players in NFL analyst's mock draft

Travis Wakeman

Denver Broncos select in top 10, take one of top defensive players in NFL analyst's mock draft image

The Denver Broncos are eager to go out and prove doubters wrong in the 2024 NFL season but until they start to do so, the projections from around the NFL media world will not be high. 

In his latest mock draft, Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News shows the Broncos a little more love, but not much. He has the Broncos picking at No. 7 overall (a bit lower than most, who have them in the top 5) and with that pick, the team selects Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker. 

The Broncos will need help along the defensive line next year as it is a position that the team may not have done enough with ahead of this coming season. D.J. Jones, a veteran many fans were surprised to see the team stick with this season, will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025. 

Deone Walker is a massive pro prospect

Walker is a mountain of a defensive tackle at 6-foot-6 and 348 pounds. In two years with the Wildcats, he has racked up 95 total tackles (17 for loss) and 8.5 sacks. 

 

He's an incredible run-stopper and could be one of the focal points of a 3-4 defense like the Broncos prefer to run. He also plays in the SEC where he goes against top-notch competition and he doesn't look inferior.

It would be a disappointment if the Broncos were drafting at No. 7 next April, but this pick would be a great way to get smiles back on the faces of Broncos fans. 

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman Photo

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.