The Lead
Before the draft, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said that if the Broncos were to come away from the draft with Nik Bonitto, it "would be a home run."
Jeremiah ranked Bonitto as the 44th-best prospect in this draft class in his top-150 ranking, so he imagined the Broncos would have to get a little lucky to get a player who "kind of plays like Von [Miller]." That's exactly what happened, and the Broncos were able to get Jeremiah's No. 44 player at No. 64.
In revisiting those rankings and comparing them to how things ultimately shook out, Jeremiah assigned a top value pick to each round, and Bonitto was the best value pick of the second round.
Over on NFL.com, Dan Parr wrote that the Broncos' draft class was the second-best in the division and also noted how much value the team got with its first few picks.
"Using NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah's Top 150 prospects as a guide, Bonitto (ranked 44th, picked 64th), Dulcich (ranked 60th, picked 80th) and Mathis (ranked 99th, picked 115th) netted a value of +56," Parr wrote. "Dulcich was NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks' No. 2 tight end in the draft and he fills a major void at the position for Denver after it traded Noah Fant to Seattle in the Wilson swap. The former UCLA star isn't going to help much as a blocker, but he averaged 17.6 yards per catch during his collegiate career and brings it in the hair department.
"... Bonitto has the potential to be a force off the edge versus the pass early in his career and could develop a more well-rounded game if he adds strength. They landed another exceptional athlete in Mathis, who posted an 11-foot-1 broad jump and a 43 1/2-inch vertical at the Pitt pro day (the top vertical at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine was 42 inches). Uwazurike was a sneaky-good addition to the depth of the defensive line."
Below the Fold
NFL.com's Dan Hanzus has resorted the league in his postdraft power rankings, and the Broncos are standing strong in the top 10 at No. 8 (no change from his previous edition).
"The blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson was a massive lift for the franchise, and it's hard to quibble with any transaction that ends with the arrival of a potential Hall of Fame passer in his prime," Hanzus wrote. "One minor drawback of the deal was the departure of tight end Noah Fant, who was sent to Seattle. Denver addressed this hole in its attack through the draft, selecting UCLA's Greg Dulcich in the third round. Dulcich was a downfield playmaker in college, and he should have a clear path to an immediate role in Nathaniel Hackett's offense."
