Rumor: Broncos are in talks with the Eagles and Steelers about a potential trade

We have a draft rumor that states the Broncos are talking with the Eagles and Steelers about a potential trade back.

According to draft analyst Tony Pauline, the Denver Broncos are having trade talks with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles about a possible draft night trade. He states that both teams are eyeing Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and are speaking with the Broncos about their 12th overall pick.

The potential deal would include the Eagles’ 22nd overall pick and one of the Eagles’ second-round picks (at least) for the Broncos 12th overall selection. He continues and says the Broncos would then use that 22nd overall pick to select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

However, the Steelers are also talking trade with the Broncos and are also interested in Quinyon Mitchell. So, there could be a bit of a bidding war happening here if the Broncos do indeed decide to trade back from 12th overall.

As of Tuesday afternoon, I’m told the Eagles are speaking with the Denver Broncos about trading for the 12th selection so they can draft the Toledo cornerback. The Broncos, in turn, would receive the Eagles’ pick in the first round (22nd selection) which they would use to draft quarterback Bo Nix – a strategy I outlined on Monday. The Eagles have a pair of picks in round two and would part with one of them to move up to the Broncos’ spot. This assumes the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t beat out the Eagles for that pick. I’m told the Steelers and Broncos are talking trade as Pittsburgh is another team that is targeting Mitchell and would move up to draft him.

There is a good bit of smoke right now about the Broncos trading back rather than up in the first round of Thursday night’s NFL Draft. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that he has a sense that the Broncos are more likely to trade back than up in the draft and now we have this report/rumor of the Broncos talking trade with the Eagles and Steelers.

If the Broncos can trade back, acquire more picks, and still draft Bo Nix, a quarterback who is a great fit for Payton’s offense, I will feel good leaving night one of the draft. It would be great to get one of the top four quarterbacks, specifically J.J. McCarthy, but keeping those future picks and still getting a good fit at quarterback would be a good deal.

If the Broncos can acquire a second-round pick and more for their 12th overall selection, they can use those selections to continue to build up their roster. This draft is very deep at wide receiver and they can use that second-round pick on a playmaker at wide receiver to help their rookie quarterback.

Now, this is all purely speculation and rumors at this point, but a trade-back does seem like a likely option for the Broncos in the first round. Things can change and if a player drops farther than expected, they can pounce, but we shall see.