ESPN’s 7-round mock has Broncos making blockbuster trade for quarterback

A huge trade gets the Denver Broncos their next franchise quarterback, but would it be too much to give up?

Matt Miller of ESPN went absolutely crazy with a full 7-round NFL mock draft. All 257 picks in once place, which is a lot to digest. For the Denver Broncos, his strategy was even more interesting and we’ll want to take a look at those picks and tear them apart, uh, I mean break it down.

He started things out with a huge trade between the Broncos and Arizona Cardinals for the fourth-overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Projected mock trade: Denver also moves up for a QB

With quarterbacks going 1-2-3 to start the draft, I could see the Broncos getting on the phone and sending a package to Arizona for the No. 4 pick to get QB4. I think it would take something in the realm of pick No. 12, a 2025 first-rounder and a 2026 first-rounder. The deal is molded like the deal the 49ers made in 2021 to move up for Trey Lance, and yes, it’s an expensive trade package. But if Broncos coach Sean Payton lands his quarterback, no one will care much about the cost to move up to get him. The Cardinals, meanwhile, would have multiple first-rounders in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

The compensation to move up just eight spots was a king’s ransom and one that could either make or break a franchise for year’s to come. Denver would send three first-round picks in a deal similar to what the San Francisco 49ers traded in 2021 up from the No. 12 spot to the No. 3 spot with the Miami Dolphins, so the comparison is rather close to where Denver would need to go here in this trade.

Frankly, it’ll likely take more than just three first-round picks for Denver here. The 49ers also sent a fourth and a third along with those three first-round picks. Hopefully, the Broncos would be able to preserve some picks somewhere, but given the demand for quarterbacks it is highly unlikely.

But if they get a franchise quarterback? Who cares… speaking of the pick. Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy is the guy Sean Payton drafts in this scenario.

4. Denver Broncos (via mock trade with ARI)

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

McCarthy is a tough, instinctive and accurate quarterback with above-average mobility and great play from the pocket. I’m not saying he’s Drew Brees, but the style of play would fit very well with what Payton ran in New Orleans. McCarthy is relatively inexperienced with just 28 starts in college, but he left Michigan with a 27-1 record. He completed 72.1% of his passes and threw only four picks last season, and his third-down QBR of 86.7 was 11th-best in the nation. McCarthy would be a sure bet to beat out Jarrett Stidham and start Week 1 for Denver.

Of all the quarterback prospects, McCarthy has been the one I hope Denver somehow finds a way to draft. However, McCarthy’s draft stock just keeps rising and he could end up going second overall. But if Denver were to give up three first-round picks, I would hope that McCarthy is the guy they end up with.

Paired with Sean Payton, I think McCarthy could end up growing into a franchise-level quarterback that would finally help lift Denver out of its QB purgatory in the post-Manning era.

76. Denver Broncos: Andru Phillips, CB, Kentucky
121. Denver Broncos (via MIA): Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice
136. Denver Broncos (via CAR/CLE): Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame
145. Denver Broncos (via NYJ): Sedrick Van Pran, C, Georgia
147. Denver Broncos: Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State
203. Denver Broncos (via HOU/CLE): Trente Jones, G, Michigan
207. Denver Broncos (via SF): Marcus Harris, DT, Auburn

After potentially solving their franchise quarterback problem, I feel like the draft class went downhill pretty quickly. While I love the idea of adding Luke McCaffrey to the roster, I’m not excited about any of the other picks outside of maybe Isaiah Davis who our own Chris Hart said is an outstanding Mark Ingram-type back that Payton would love in his offense.

I’d still grade it an A, because I believe McCarthy is a franchise quarterback and if you can find one in the NFL Draft then that draft has to end with a perfect grade. Finding a unicorn isn’t easy, so you must celebrate it once one arrives.