The Denver Broncos have their work cut out for them during the 2024 NFL Draft. Their trade for Russell Wilson has turned out to be a disaster, so much so that the Broncos waived him and ate a record $85 million in dead cap space. That has severely impacted their flexibility in the offseason. They've only been able to make moves on the fringes as a result. Denver has signed Josh Reynolds, Brandon Jones, Malcolm Roach and Cody Barton so far in free agency. That's it.
The Broncos are really going to have to nail the NFL Draft. To make matters even more difficult on that front, Denver has only two picks through the first three rounds of this month's draft. Their second-round pick is off to New Orleans as a result of their trade for Sean Payton. With that said, the Broncos are going to have to find some late gems. Players like Spencer Rattler, Michael Pratt, and Austin Booker could qualify.
Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina
It wasn't that long ago that Spencer Rattler was in the running to be the number one overall pick. No, seriously, that was a thing that happened. One former Oklahoma quarterback is likely going to be the number one overall pick in this year's draft, but it won't be Rattler. However, if the South Carolina Qb falls to the Broncos in the third round, they may take the plunge.
Rattler isn't going to live up to his hype, but the fact that he was talked about as a potential top pick at least shows that he has some type of NFL talent. His arm is plenty good enough.
The issue with him, however, is consistency and turnovers. Rattler did throw for 28 touchdowns to just seven interceptions in 2020 while at Oklahoma. Since then, he has 48 touchdowns and 25 interceptions to his name. To cut him some slack, a poor offensive line during his two seasons in Columbia didn't help matters much at all. But, those problems still persisted.
The only quarterbacks on Denver's roster at the moment are Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci. They won't be able to trade up for one of the top-notch prospects in this year's class. Throwing a shot at Rattler, giving him some time to develop behind Stidham, and seeing if Sean Payton can tap into the upside many thought he had a couple of years ago isn't a bad idea. It's worth the dart for the Broncos.
Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane
Rattler represents a home run possibility that could pay huge dividends for the Broncos. It's also possible he fizzles out like recent Round 3 quarterbacks Malik Willis, Matt Corral and Kellen Mond. Tulane's Michael Pratt seems like a safe bet to be a solid NFL quarterback. He doesn't have the tantalizing ceiling that Rattler has, but Pratt really played a clean game throughout his four years in New Orleans.
Pratt takes care of the ball. In four seasons as a starter with the Green Wave, he threw for 90 touchdowns to just 26 interceptions. He also adds a lot with his legs. His rushing yard total doesn't look like anything special after factoring in sacks, but 1,145 yards and 28 touchdowns in four years is nothing to sneeze at. Pratt is a flat-out good player.
His 60.5% completion percentage isn't awesome, however. He averaged just about eight yards per attempt, which is fine. He might not be a true franchise quarterback. But with the state of the Broncos' quarterback room, why not at least see what he's got and if he can be something to build around.
Austin Booker, Edge Rusher, Kansas
Outside of quarterback, the Broncos need help rushing the passer. They ranked 30th in pass rush win rate last season as well. They were also tied for 22nd in sacks produced on the year with the Atlanta Falcons. Both Jonathan Cooper and Nik Bonitto were able to register at least eight sacks last season, but they didn't have much else beyond them.
Kansas' Austin Booker could be a sneaky addition later on in the draft. Booker only has two years of FBS play under his belt and one of those years was mostly spent on the bench in Minnesota. He took off with the Jayhawks in 2023, though. There, he registered eight sacks and two forced fumbles.
Teams can never have enough pass rushers in their stable. Booker adds more to Denver's group. He'd be a solid draft pick in Day 3 of the Draft if he lasts that long.
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