Denver Broncos complete seven-round 2021 NFL mock draft

The Denver Broncos have some cap space to work with this offseason, but also have many key players who they are going to want to bring back. They already brought back a key defensive piece when they placed the franchise tag on safety Justin Simmons. The Broncos will likely lock Simmons down with a long-term contract extension soon, but there is still plenty of work for them to do this offseason.

Depending on what the Denver Broncos are able to do in free agency, they could enter the 2021 NFL Draft with major holes at many key positions. They have the draft capital to fill those holes, but how can they make the most of it? Let’s find out in this complete seven-round 2021 NFL mock draft for the team.

Note: This mock draft was completed using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine.

With Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley off of the board in this mock draft, the Denver Broncos find themselves in a tough position. North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance is still on the board and he is certainly a tempting target for the team. However, instead of taking Lance, the Broncos move forward with Drew Lock and trade the No. 9 overall pick to the quarterback-needy San Francisco 49ers.

Denver only moves down a few spots and is able to add some nice mid-round draft capital for their troubles. This feels like a fair and realistic trade that could happen if the board falls something like this on draft night.

Denver Broncos mock draft: Round 1, 12th overall

Ju’Wuan James has hardly seen the field since the Broncos signed him to a major free-agent contract prior to the 2019 season. He should be back in action as the team’s starting right tackle in 2021, but it is hard to count on him as a stable long-term piece for this team at this point. With this in mind, offensive tackle stands out as a major potential need for Denver and they could look to attack the position early.

Rashawn Slater stands out as a strong target for the Denver Broncos because of his position versatility. James has a heavy dead cap hit on his contract for this upcoming season, but the team will have an opportunity to move on from him next offseason if they wish. Slater has theoretically guard/tackle versatility, giving the Broncos an opportunity to kick him inside during his rookie year and move him to right tackle after the season if they want to get rid of James.

Slater is a quick and athletic offensive lineman who shows impressive pass protection ability and attacks the second-level well. He is an impact run blocker who shows good power at the point of attack and can be a real weapon when is asked to get out in space.

Simply put, Slater is an extremely talented offensive lineman who would provide immediate and long-term value to the Denver Broncos’ offensive attack.