Denver Broncos face ‘puzzle’ as they drop major hint over first-round NFL Draft pick

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton says that ‘it sure looks like’ they will draft a quarterback in next week’s NFL draft, but has admitted they will need to solve a ‘puzzle’ to land the right player. 

The Broncos called time on their failed Russell Wilson trade last month, releasing the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback after two underwhelming seasons at the AFC West team. 

That leaves just Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci on their roster, with the team now looking to join several franchises in drafting a quarterback from this year’s highly-touted crop of NFL Draft hopefuls. 

The Broncos have the 12th overall selection when the draft gets underway next week, with Payton and general manager George Paton addressing the matter during a press conference on Thursday. 

"Do we have to draft a quarterback? You'd say it sure looks like we have to draft a quarterback," Sean Payton said.

"And yet, it's got to be the right fit, the right one. And if we had the tip sheets as to who everyone else was taking it'd be easier to answer that question. And so, that's the puzzle here." 

Amid speculation that the Broncos could look to move up in the first round, Paton believes that getting the pick right - whatever position they opt for - is the priority. 

"Our first pick, we have to hit on," said Paton.

"What you don't want to do here is force it. Otherwise you'll be in this position next year and the years after.

"If it's a player you feel like can change the landscape of your franchise going forward you do what you have to do to get him,” the GM added when quizzed over the possibility of trading up. "We're wide open."

Paton also said that there are as many as eight quarterbacks the team are monitoring. 

"There (are) seven, eight quarterbacks that we like, that we think can play in the league one day," he continued.

"It is a good quarterback class. It's been fun getting to know them, seven or eight of them. So we think we can get a quarterback early, we think we can (in the) mid-rounds, we think there's going to be quarterbacks throughout the draft that are interesting to us."

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