5 Creative Moves the Denver Broncos Can Pull on Draft Day

The Denver Broncos are a team that doesn’t hesitate when creative moves in the draft are called for. They have moved around in past drafts to find the best value and the best players they possibly can.

The Broncos are not tied to their draft picks, and they have traded some away to acquire players from other teams.

General manager John Elway looks at all possibilities when it comes to the draft. He wants to craft a championship roster in Denver, and Elway does not shy away from “outside the box” thinking.

Here are five creative moves the Broncos can pull on draft day.

5. Move Up in the First Round

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Under the guidance of general manager John Elway, the Broncos have not moved up in the first round of the draft.

In 2011, the Broncos had what many thought was a no-brainer pick when they selected linebacker Von Miller with the second overall pick.

In 2012, the Broncos moved down not once, but twice in the first round. In fact, they moved down so much they ended up not making a selection on the first day of the draft.

They originally had the 25th overall pick, but the team traded that away to the New England Patriots so they could select linebacker Dont’a Hightower. They received the 31st pick in the first round and the Patriots' fourth-round pick, but Denver ended up trading out of the first round to acquire more picks from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Their first pick that year (36th overall) was defensive end Derek Wolfe. The Broncos stayed put in both 2013 (28th overall, defensive tackle Sylvester Williams) and 2014 (31st overall, cornerback Bradley Roby).

Is this the year they finally move up in the first round under Elway? That depends on the quality of player they feel is within their range.

If a player like defensive tackle Danny Shelton happens to fall a bit in the draft, then perhaps the Broncos would be tempted to climb up the draft order on the first day. Shelton is a disruptive player inside who plays with a nonstop motor. He could step in and start—and star—for new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and a more aggressive Broncos defense in 2015.

We haven’t seen Elway move up just yet in the four drafts he’s overseen—but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen this year.

Possibility: Low

4. Shop Brock Osweiler

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The Broncos' quarterback of the future is currently unknown at this time. Brock Osweiler was a second-round pick of the Broncos back in 2012 with the idea that he would be groomed as the eventual starter. However, Osweiler is entering the final year of his contract this season and there has been no word about possibly extending his deal at this time.

This isn’t a great class of quarterbacks entering the draft. One could make the argument that Osweiler (and his experience) is a more valuable commodity than adding a quarterback in the second or third round of the draft. Perhaps there would be some team out there interested in giving up a second-round pick for Osweiler.

If the Broncos lose Osweiler in free agency next offseason, they’ll be getting a compensatory pick in return. That compensation could be as high as a third-round pick. Given that possibility, the Broncos should not surrender the young gunslinger for anything less than that.

They are likely to add a quarterback in this draft class—even though the group of quarterbacks is not a strong collection. If they select a guy like Garrett Grayson (Colorado State) or Bryce Petty (Baylor), the Broncos could give them more reps in practice if Osweiler was playing elsewhere in 2015.

Possibility: Low

3. Draft a Wide Receiver with a Premium Pick

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It sounds crazy to consider it, but there’s a chance the Broncos could add another wide receiver to the mix with a premium pick. Under Elway, the Broncos have mostly drafted best player available in the first round. Even though they could use a quality right tackle, the wide receiver talent in this draft class might be too good to pass up.

It’s not only the talent that could be available at the 28th overall pick. The Broncos may not be able to work out a new long-term deal with superstar Demaryius Thomas. If he plays this season on his one-year franchise tender, the Broncos would likely lose him the next offseason. They need to be ready in case of that emergency.

Yes, they selected Cody Latimer (even moved up to get him) in the second round of the draft last year. Latimer is a fine talent as a red-zone threat, receiver and run-blocker. He could be asked to start on the outside opposite Emmanuel Sanders if Thomas leaves the Broncos.

Sanders is going to play some slot receiver this year when the Broncos use three-wide receiver sets. The team may want to keep him at the slot in certain instances, and they would need another outside receiver to do that if they no longer have Thomas.

This year’s draft class is chock-full of talented wide receivers. It’s not quite as full of talent as last year’s class (which might be the greatest in NFL history), but there are certainly difference-makers who will be available late in the first round.

Dorial Green-Beckham has top-10 talent, but he could be on the board in the late first because of several off-field incidents that plagued his college career. He’s a big target with a large wingspan, strength, speed and the ability to dominate at the point of the catch. Green-Beckham might be able to grow and mature behind guys like Thomas, Sanders and Latimer this year with the idea that he could be groomed for a larger role in the future.

Again, adding Green-Beckham, Jaelen Strong (Arizona State), Nelson Agholor (USC) or any wide receiver at the end of the first round seems like a bit of a stretch because of the talent already in place on the Broncos roster. However, it’s wise for Broncos fans to be ready for anything with Elway calling the shots.

Possibility: Low/Medium

2. Package Late-Round Picks

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

The Broncos have a collection of late-round picks they could offer to move around in the 2015 NFL draft. They’ve done this before, as recently as last year, and it would not be a surprise to see them do it again on the third day of the draft.

They are very good at identifying quality talent with star upside in the late rounds of the draft. Starters like linebacker Danny Trevathan (2012, sixth round) and tight end Virgil Green (2011, seventh round) were snared on the final day of their respective drafts. If the Broncos spot a player they want late, then they might have to do some maneuvering to get into proper position to acquire him.

A player that could be on the team’s radar is Oklahoma tight end Blake Bell.

Bell, a converted quarterback, played only one season at tight end for the Sooners. He’s incredibly raw at the position, but as a former quarterback, Bell does a good job of finding the soft spots in a zone and will square his shoulder to come back to the pass.

Measuring in at 6’6”, 252 pounds, Bell can fly for a man his size. He’s not going to attack the deep middle seam of a defense, but Bell is tough to match up against on routes over the middle. His size-strength combination helps him run away or rip away from linebackers or safeties tasked with covering him.

The Broncos are set with Green and Owen Daniels as their top two tight ends, but they could use a developmental player like Bell behind them. His upside is tremendous, and Bell could be another third-day pick that develops into a starter for the Broncos.

Possibility: Medium/High

1. Draft Cornerback Marcus Peters in the First Round

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

The Broncos have a quality secondary that is jam-packed with talent. Their starters on the outside, Chris Harris and Aqib Talib, are two of the top 10 corners in the game today.

Behind those two, the Broncos have a player with potential shutdown corner upside. Bradley Roby was the Broncos' first-round pick in 2014, and he stood strong against multiple targets during his first year. In fact, there have been internal discussions about Roby playing free safety this year just to get his incredible talent on the field.

After Roby, Kayvon Webster is fourth on the depth chart. The third-round pick in 2013, Webster has struggled to play effectively as a pro. He is certainly a big hitter, and moving him to safety permanently isn’t an outlandish thought.

This is why the Broncos may be considering a cornerback like Marcus Peters in the first round of the draft.

Peters was kicked off the Washington Huskies after multiple confrontations with the coaching staff. He’s a tall corner who can be disruptive at the line of scrimmage. He plays with a physical style, and Peters is not known to back down from challenges against top receivers.

In addition to playing close to the line, Peters can turn his hips and cover downfield on longer routes. His game is similar to that of what Aqib Talib was when he came out of Kansas years ago.

If this is Talib’s last year with the Broncos, the team needs to be ready with proper—and talented—depth at the cornerback position.

Many people think the Broncos are going to take a right tackle in the first round of the draft, but Elway’s best player available strategy could mean they’re going to surprise a majority of the audience on the first day of the draft.

Possibility: Higher Than Most Think

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos' media department unless otherwise noted.

Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions. Draft grades provided by NFLDraftScout.com.