{"id":42681,"date":"2018-04-23T19:33:40","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T23:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=42681"},"modified":"2025-09-16T17:07:46","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T21:07:46","slug":"predicting-broncos-2018-nfl-draft-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2018\/04\/23\/predicting-broncos-2018-nfl-draft-picks\/","title":{"rendered":"Predicting the Denver Broncos 2018 NFL Draft Picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Throughout the off-season, the <\/span>Denver Broncos<\/span><\/a> have wasted no time on the market, and although their moves have been spread out, they\u2019ve had a huge impact on their roster. That impact\u00a0could allow them to draft more players than expected within the next couple weeks. After the team released <\/span>Jamaal Charles<\/b><\/a> and <\/span>C.J. Anderson<\/b><\/a>, <\/b>for example, the Broncos then acquired <\/span>Su\u2019a Cravens<\/b><\/a> from the <\/span>Washington Redskins<\/span><\/a>. This not only allowed them to get a younger player on the defensive side, it also allowed them to strengthen their team.<\/span><\/p>\n

Predicting the Denver Broncos 2018 NFL Draft Picks<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Their decision to trade <\/span>Trevor Siemian<\/b><\/a> to the <\/span>Minnesota Vikings<\/span><\/a>\u00a0also allowed them to acquire <\/span>Jared Veldheer<\/b><\/a> from the <\/span>Arizona Cardinals<\/span><\/a>. With all that said, it\u2019s no wonder why the Broncos draft picks look much more different than they did three weeks ago. So, what\u2019s next for the Broncos? As of right now, it\u2019s hard to tell, but one thing is clear. General manager <\/span>John Elway<\/b><\/a> is doing his best to <\/span>facilitate a winning environment<\/span><\/a>, which is what great general managers do, right? With <\/span>Josh Rosen<\/b><\/a>, <\/span>Saquon Barkley<\/b><\/a>, <\/span>Lamar Jackson<\/b><\/a>, and <\/span>Sam Darnold<\/b><\/a> all in the mix, there\u2019s no telling who the Broncos will go after. Or if they\u2019ll even use their first-round draft pick to grab anyone and instead, trade with another team. That way, they\u2019ll have a better draft pick in the 2019 draft selection, and use their salary to acquire other veteran players.<\/span><\/p>\n

Draft Picks<\/h3>\n

Although the Broncos’ next move is hard to predict (especially with the draft around the corner), here\u2019s an updated 2018 draft order:<\/span><\/p>\n

First Round: fifth overall pick<\/span><\/p>\n

Second Round: 40th overall pick<\/span><\/p>\n

Third Round: 71st overall pick<\/span><\/p>\n

Third Round: 99th overall pick<\/span><\/p>\n

Fourth Round: 106th overall pick<\/span><\/p>\n

Fourth Round: 113th overall pick (acquired from the Redskins)<\/span><\/p>\n

Fifth Round: 149th overall pick (acquired from the Redskins)<\/span><\/p>\n

Fifth Round: 160th overall pick (acquired from the Rams)<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the Broncos are now armed with eight picks for the draft \u2013\u2013 after trading away their fifth and seventh round picks to the Redskins and Vikings, they\u2019re now in a favorable position. This allows them to draft players without worrying about their salary cap or filling out balance sheets this early in the season to help them determine how much they can spend on each athlete; something Bronco fans haven\u2019t seen in years. If the Broncos didn\u2019t trade their picks away, they would have 10 picks going into the 2018 draft. Of course, the Broncos wouldn\u2019t grab 10 rookies expecting them to start over some of their big-time veterans like <\/span>Von Miller<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and <\/span>Chris Harris<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

That would mean about a fifth of their players would lose their starting job. With eight picks, however, the Broncos can take their time and be more flexible with their selection. As the team moves forward, expect to continue seeing trades occur much throughout the off-season. Just keep in mind, not all offers and trades will go through. Some players will remain on the team, and some won\u2019t. The draft is a stressful time for athletes. It\u2019s perhaps the most important time of the year for athletes to practice effective stress management by prioritizing self-care. The pros know how to take care of themselves by <\/span>taking steps to ensure they\u2019re getting enough sleep <\/span><\/a>and by making space for stress-relieving activities, so they\u2019re well rested and ready to face the next challenge. As most fans know, NFL players are human too and although they\u2019re immune to hits, they aren\u2019t immune to stress. That\u2019s because stress has the ability to push people over the edge, and causes them to react differently. <\/span><\/p>\n

The NFL, in particular, is a sport that doesn\u2019t allow athletes to showcase weakness, which means for rookies, their ticket to success all comes down to their physical and mental demeanor. With the fear of uncertainty, however, it\u2019s understood why so many athletes succumb to the pressure of stress. Whatever happens, though expect the Broncos to make moves that will get them back to the Super Bowl.<\/span><\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>