The Lead
The Broncos' selection of quarterback Bo Nix garnered most of the headlines about the team during the 2024 NFL Draft, but Denver secured several other players that could make an impact.
In the aftermath of the draft, both ESPN and The Athletic aimed to identify some of those players, as the publications selected prospects who offered the best value for where they were selected.
ESPN’s Field Yates tabbed cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine as one of the top five value picks in Round 5, while The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider selected wide receiver Troy Franklin as Denver's best value pick of the draft.
"I love Abrams-Draine's route recognition, which likely stems from his time as a wide receiver at the beginning of his college career (five games back in 2020)," Yates wrote of the Broncos' first fifth-round pick. "His anticipation of route combinations and concepts allows Abrams-Draine to be in the right place at the right time and helps offset his size limitations (5-11, 179 pounds)."
Kosmider, meanwhile, noted the Broncos were able to secure The Athletic's Dane Brugler's 58th-ranked player in Franklin with the 102nd-overall pick.
"The Broncos need productive, fast playmakers and Franklin ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the combine and has quickness in space," Kosmider wrote. "The pick wasn't simply about the Broncos reuniting Bo Nix with his favorite college target, but any move that enhances the environment around a rookie quarterback never hurts."
Abrams-Draine and Franklin may have been Day 3 selections, but ESPN and The Athletic believe in the value they'll bring to Denver.
