The Denver Broncos need to build for the future — one of the stealth ways they can do that is by stashing future draft picks. Doesn’t matter what round. The Broncos just need bodies.
That means taking a hard look at the roster and seeing where they might be able to get value for players that aren’t being put to use and have trade value. With the ever-fluctuating NFL quarterback market, that might include former No. 2 overall pick and current third-string quarterback Zach Wilson.
On Sept. 18, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put Wilson as the No. 4 trade target in the entire NFL headed into Week 3, and listed the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins as possible targets.
The Panthers are in upheaval at the quarterback position after benching 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young after an 0-2 start and putting veteran Andy Dalton in his place. The Dolphins seem like a much more realistic move as they await word on when or whether starter Tua Tagovailoa can resume his football career after his third “fencer pose” concussion in the last 2 years.
“(Miami) lost Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion last Thursday,” Knox wrote. “While Miami recently signed Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, it might want additional depth if Skylar Thompson proves incapable of bridging the gap to Tagovailoa’s return.”
Wilson has yet to be on the active roster the first 2 weeks of the 2024 NFL regular season — losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers. Rookie Bo Nix has started both games with veteran Jarrett Stidham as his backup.
Broncos Traded for Zach Wilson in Offseason
Getting another team to bite on Wilson as trade bait could help the Broncos recoup what they gave up for him — their 2024 6th round pick — in a trade with the New York Jets in the offseason in which they got Wilson and a 7th round pick.
Broncos general manager George Paton has said Wilson will eventually be a starter again in the NFL.
“He has all the starting traits in the world. He’s still working through some things,” Paton said in late August, according to the Denver Gazette. “You could see the really good last week in the game (against the Cardinals). He can throw it as good as anyone in the league. … I do think he’ll be a starter in this league.”
Wilson Leads Group of Failed QBs From ’21 Draft
The 2021 NFL draft has already gone down in history for the epic failures of the quarterbacks taken in the first round.
Of the 5 quarterbacks taken in the first round, only No. 1 overall pick and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence remains with his team and signed one of the biggest contracts in NFL history when he signed a 5-year, $275 million contract extension in June 2024.
Wilson, the No. 2 pick, is with the Broncos. Trey Lance, the No. 3 pick by the San Francisco 49ers, is with the Dallas Cowboys.
Justin Fields, the No. 11 pick by the Chicago Bears, is now the starter for the Steelers. Mac Jones, the No. 15 pick by the New England Patriots, is now Lawrence’s backup on the Jaguars.