Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton received criticism from fans for allegedly using dishonest tactics in their draft plans.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported on April 29 that they purposely did not rank their quarterbacks in order on their draft board, keeping their preference a secret even from some people in the room. However, not all of this was done in secret.
Payton was public with many of his actions.
He expressed the possibility of trading up at the owners meeting in March and spoke positively about rival team officials multiple times. Payton took it a step further.
“It turns out Payton was indeed contacting other teams. The Bears received communication from Denver and one other team while they were making the 9th pick. It wasn’t clear at the time which player Denver was aiming for in a potential trade up, or if they even had a specific player in mind,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN wrote on May 7. “It's safe to assume that Denver wanted the Vikings to choose McCarthy, paving the way for [Bo] Nix, considering that the teams picking 9th, 10th, and 11th were unlikely to be interested in him.”
According to Fowler, a source from the Broncos said that Bo Nix was “our guy all the way.”
The Broncos selected Nix with their original 12th overall pick, while the Vikings traded with the New York Jets, moving up from 11th to 10th and selecting J.J. McCarthy.
Sean Payton, Broncos ‘Did a Lot of Work’ Researching Bo Nix
GettyBo Nix of the Denver Broncos.
Payton has been promoting the Broncos’ belief in Nix since the selection. Breer previously reported on the Broncos’ interest in Nix, supporting Fowler’s source’s statement.
“The Broncos privately did extensive research on Oregon QB Bo Nix—they had a one-hour Zoom meeting with him on March 7, then sent a group led by Sean Payton to Eugene to assess him on March 18, according to sources,” Breer reported on X on April 23. “So there is interest. He is also a good fit. But not having a second-round pick could complicate things.”
However, the Broncos also gave McCarthy the impression that they were interested in him.
“Yes, I did think that [Denver could draft him],” McCarthy said on KFAN’s “#92Noon!” on April 29. “That was kind of my two spots that I really felt like I was going to go after seeing the first six picks.”
McCarthy spoke highly about his potential connection with Payton as a fellow Illinois native during the scouting combine.
He noted that everything worked out in the end.
Broncos Looked at Productive Pass Rusher as Backup Plan in Draft
GettyLaiatu Latu of the Indianapolis Colts.
It's reasonable to wonder what the Broncos would have done if McCarthy had fallen past Minnesota, who also had the 23rd overall pick, which they later traded for the 17th pick, choosing Dallas Turner from Alabama.
The Atlanta Falcons picking Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 ultimately influenced Denver’s decision.
However, Fowler points out that if the Broncos had decided that 12th was too high for Nix, UCLA’s Laiatu Latu would have been “firmly considered.”
The Indianapolis Colts chose the productive edge defender with the 15th overall pick, putting an end to his decline. It was likely related to his injury history that led to the productive Latu retiring from football after the 2021 season, only to return two years later and re-establish himself.
The Broncos were one of the worst teams in the NFL at getting sacks as a team last season.
