NFL Rumors: 3 long-term Broncos replacements for Russell Wilson
When the Denver Broncos acquired Russell Wilson in their blockbuster trade with the Seahawks, they thought they were going to find themselves in Super Bowl contention for several years to come. They couldn't have been more wrong.
Wilson struggled immensely last season, leading to the firing of Nathaniel Hackett as the team's head coach. Surely Sean Payton would fix Wilson and the Broncos would be right back in contention, right? Wrong. Wilson did play better and the Broncos technically aren't dead yet, but the team is on the brink of being eliminated from the playoffs and Wilson has now been benched for the final two games of the season.
The reasoning behind the benching is related solely to Wilson's contract. Denver is protecting themselves from a major Russell Wilson injury as if one would occur, releasing him ahead of the 2024 season becomes much more difficult. Jarrett Stidham is set to take over for Wilson, but he's far from the answer in Denver. These three quarterbacks are ones the Broncos should consider with Wilson's Broncos career coming to an abrupt ending.
3. The Broncos should draft Jayden Daniels
The way things stand right now, the Broncos are in a tough spot when it comes to drafting their next quarterback. They're not good enough to make the playoffs which is disappointing, obviously, but their 7-8 record isn't bad enough for them to definitely land their future star QB.
As of now, the Broncos hold the 14th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, per Tankathon. They can potentially find their way into the top 10 by losing out, but even then, it's hard to know who will be available. The dream scenario in terms of rookie QBs would be Denver trading up to select either USC's Caleb Williams or UNC's Drake Maye, but a more realistic scenario would be Denver drafting LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Selecting Daniels could still require a trade to move up in the draft, but it wouldn't take nearly as much to get him. The 23-year-old Daniels is coming off a terrific season which saw him take home the Heisman Trophy which was awfully impressive considering how tough the SEC is.
Daniels proved to be one of the top dual threats in the country, completing 72.2% of his throws for 3,812 yards in the air and rushing for another 1,134 yards on 135 attempts on the ground. Pairing Daniels with the offensive mind of Sean Payton should have Broncos fans drooling.