Broncos trade package for top pick might not be enough to land the QB they want

The Denver Broncos are looking to move up the draft board. They have their quarterback in mind and will pay the price, but will THAT guy still available?

According to Heavy.com's Josh Buckhalter, reports are stemming that Denver is not satisfied with their current quarterback situation (how can they be?) and are exploring moving up the draft board to acquire one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft. ESPN's Matt Miller released a mock draft saying that the Broncos are exploring a deal of moving up to the No. 4 pick in the draft by trading with the Cardinals.

The price? Three first round picks, a deal similar to the one the San Francisco 49ers did when they swapped with the Miami Dolphins for the right to draft North Dakota State QB Trey Lance. It's a good move, but will the quarterback the Broncos want still be available at No. 4?

The Denver Broncos may need to consider moving up even higher than No. 4

Let's hypothetically take a look at Jayden Daniels out of LSU for a second. He's worth a first-round grade, no question, and his resume is impressive. But here's the issue. Caleb Williams is going to Chicago despite all the pathetic comments about his fingers and phone color, and Washington owns the No. 2 pick. They could take Daniels and the Patriots at 3 could take Drake Maye.

That means Michigan's JJ McCarthy and Oregon's Bo Nix are the highest-rated quarterbacks available that are reasonably considered first-round grades despite the outside noise. McCarthy comes from a run-oriented offense in college while Nix's college days were largely a heavy passing attack. Either quarterback could thrive in Denver given the right situation, but are the Broncos really interested in mortgaging more draft capital for a quarterback that they may not prefer?

The Russell Wilson saga was a disaster and it was clear that Sean Payton did not want Russ as his QB. He may want another player, even if it is a rookie. If so, the price to pay is going to be steep, especially if what Miller is saying is true.

Denver has not had a true franchise QB since Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset after Super Bowl 50. What comes next remains to be seen in the Mile High City, and we may get our answer soon.