The frenzy began before Day 3 had even concluded, George Paton and Sean Payton’s post-draft maneuverings well-known for years as a major roster-building tool.

And after the Broncos took their crystal in Jahdae Barron on Day 1, went skill-heavy Day 2 and upside-heavy Day 3, they targeted a slew of positions to fill out their roster with potential impact names who’d fallen through 257 picks in Green Bay.

The Denver Post has confirmed 11 undrafted free agents, via sources or public announcements, who’ve agreed to terms with the Broncos as of Saturday night. Here’s a breakdown of the new faces.

C Clay Webb, Jacksonville State: Webb excelled for three seasons at Jacksonville State, allowing just seven pressures in 915 snaps at left guard in 2024. He’s got the size at 6-foot-3 and 312 pounds to be a difference-maker and provide solid offensive-line depth in the NFL. In 2020, however, AL.com reported he was named in a federal bullying lawsuit, a plaintiff alleging he was encouraged to drink from a Gatorade bottle that allegedly contained Webb’s semen.

Edge Johnny Walker Jr., Mizzou: The Broncos may have gotten a steal here. After adding edge help in Alabama’s Que Robinson in the fourth round, Denver picked up another potential impact pass-rusher in Walker, who recorded 9.5 sacks for Mizzou this past season. The frame isn’t huge at 6-foot-2 and 246 pounds, but the production is worth a look.

WR Joaquin Davis, North Carolina Central: An ideal post-draft flyer. Davis didn’t have massive production at HBCU North Carolina Central, with 30 catches for 448 yards in 2024, but the measurables are off-the-charts: 6-foot-4, 4.44-second 40-yard dash and 40.5-inch vertical at the HBCU Combine. Fun fact: he’s a horseback rider, according to The Athletic.

WR Jerjuan Newton, Toledo: The 5-foot-11, 190-pound wideout brings big-time production with 72 catches for 1,048 yards and 11 touchdowns his final season at Toledo. He’s totaled 29 touchdown catches in the last three years.

WR Courtney Jackson, Arkansas State: A potential slot receiver for the Broncos, Jackson played a majority of his snaps there for Arkansas State the past two years and totaled 81 catches across 2023 and 2024.

OL Xavier Truss, Georgia: Hard to go wrong with adding veteran SEC linemen. Truss started for three years at Georgia, with decent but inconsistent results as a pass-blocker. He’s got NFL-ready size at 6-7 and 309 pounds, and has taken snaps at every line spot besides center across the last four years.

LB JB Brown, Kansas: He likely went undrafted because of his size — sort of a tweener at 6-2 and 230 pounds — but Brown was a difference-maker last year at Kansas in playing both mike and will linebacker, and getting plenty of looks as a blitzer off the edge. He racked up 20 pressures and five sacks last year, according to Pro Football Focus, and offers plenty of versatility.

OL Joe Michalski, Oklahoma State: NFL.com characterized Michalski as having “below-average mass and length” for a center, at 6-5 and 305 pounds. He’s been solid the past two years for Oklahoma State, though, only allowing a combined 14 pressures across 2023 and 2024, per PFF.

DT Christian Dowell, UT Martin: Dowell hails from an FCS program in UT Martin and hasn’t put an overwhelming amount of collegiate snaps on tape. He showed promise as a run-stopper in 2024, though, and has nose-tackle mass at 6-2 and 320 pounds.

LB Karene Reid, Utah: The Broncos and Paton have mined plenty of talent from Utah in recent years, between outside linebacker Jonah Elliss and wide receiver DeVaughn Vele in 2024 and tight end Caleb Lohner in this year’s class. They kept the party going with Reid. He profiles similarly to Brown, with tweener size at 6-foot and 226 pounds and splitting time between mike and will in 2024.

CB Jaden Robinson, Oregon State: Robinson was a two-year starter for the Beavers, racking up 38 tackles and four pass deflections in 2024.

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GAINESVILLE — Quarterback Graham Mertz was one of the nation’s top quarterback recruits when he signed with Wisconsin, but a longshot to get drafted by the time he left Florida.

The Houston Texans decided to give the 24-year-old an opportunity to prove himself, selecting him during the sixth round of the NFL draft with the No. 197 overall pick.

After UF failed to produce a draft pick during the first three rounds for the first time since 2012 and just the third instance since 1990 (’92, ’93), Mertz was among seven Gators to have their name called during the draft’s third day (Rounds 4-7).

The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Mertz was the 10th quarterback selected among 13 drafted overall, going ahead of Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke, who led College Football Playoff teams. Also selected in the sixth round were Ohio State’s Will Howard and Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard, who squared off in the national title game won by Howard’s Buckeyes.

Mertz spent six years at the collegiate level and started 48 starts, allowing him to acquire experience and hone his leadership skills while also improving accuracy and decision-making he struggled with at Wisconsin.

The Kansas native arrived at UF after he transferred following the 2022 season to culminate an inconsistent career in Madison. Mertz threw 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions while completing just under 60% of his passes for the Badgers.

But Mertz would set program records at Florida for completion percentage in a season (72.9) and consecutive passes without an interception (239) while throwing 20 touchdowns and just 3 picks before he suffered a broken collarbone during a narrow loss at Missouri to end his season.

Mertz, though, failed to build on his breakout 2023 season, suffering a concussion during a season-opening 41-17 loss at Miami. During an overtime loss Oct. 11 at Tennessee, he tore the ACL in his left knee to end his college career.

Less than six months after the injury, Mertz performed at the Gators Pro Day March 27. His return was the final time at Florida Mertz showcased the toughness he displayed repeatedly during a 31-sack 2023 season or in his final game at Tennessee, where he threw a touchdown on the play after he injured his knee.

The Texans will now give Mertz an opportunity to compete for the role of backup to rising star CJ Stroud. Former Stanford quarterback Davis Mills was his backup in 2023.

NFL teams also drafted six of Mertz’s former Florida teammates and signed others as free agents.

Receiver Chimere Dike, who played with Mertz at Wisconsin and in 2024 at Florida, was the first player selected on Day 3. The Tennessee Titans drafted him No. 103 overall, making him the 14th receiver chosen after he led UF with 42 catches, including a team-high 18 of at least 20 yards. The 6-foot-1 ½, 195-pound Wisconsin native ran a 40 time of 4.34 seconds at the scouting combine.

Former 5-star recruit Jason Marshall Jr. will return to his hometown of Miami to play with the Dolphins, who chose him with the No. 150 pick. Ten selections earlier the Carolina Panthers selected defensive tackle Cam Jackson.

At No. 152, the Dallas Cowboys selected three-year starting linebacker Shemar James, who left school a year early. Veteran Jeremy Crawshaw, a member of UF’s 2020 class, will join the Denver Broncos as the only punter drafted (sixth round, No. 216 overall). The native of Australia averaged a school-record 46.4 yards for his five-year career.

Defensive tackle Trikweze Bridges was the penultimate pick of the draft, going No. 256 to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Oregon transfer led UF with 70 tackles after he stepped in at safety because of injuries and became one of the defense’s most consistent performers.

Several Gators were undrafted.

The Tennessee Titans signed offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson as a free agent. He started 47 college games, including 35 at San Diego State before he transferred in 2024.

Mammoth nose tackle Des Watson (6-5, 464) signed as an undrafted rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, allowing the Plant City native to remain close to home.

Receiver Elijhah Badger will join the Kansas City Chiefs, winners of three of the past six Super Bowls, as a undrafted free agent. After leading the Gators with 798 receiving yards and 4 scores on 39 catches, the former Arizona State transfer hopes to catch passes from superstar Patrick Mahomes.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

After going undefeated last season, the Seminole girls water polo team only lost once this season — 8-7 against Winter Park back in mid-February — before reaching Saturday’s FHSAA state final for the second consecutive year.

But the Seminoles fell victim to a late comeback in an 8-5 loss to South Florida power Gulliver Prep in Saturday’s state final in Miami. It’s only the second loss for the ‘Noles in the past 61 games.

Seminole (28-2) had a 5-4 lead with less than five minutes left when top-ranked Gulliver (27-1) scored four straight goals to clinch the title.

Fiona Pando had two goals for the Seminoles. Halle Zimlich, Caroline Brown and Vivian Swain had the other goals.

Swain’s tally gave Seminole the lead with 6:37 left in the fourth quarter.

Seminole reached the final with a 14-5 win over Miami Country Day on Friday. Zimlich had six goals in the win, while Pando added four goals.

West Orange reached the state semifinals for the second consecutive season, but lost to Gulliver, 14-4, on Friday. Breanne Patrolia had two goals for the Warriors (17-6). Last year, West Orange lost to Seminole in the state championship game.

In the boys’ final four, Seminole lost 15-8 to Mater Lakes of Hialeah in Friday’s semifinal. Becton Suber had four goals for the Seminoles (20-9).

Lacrosse

Lake Highland Prep girls and boys both won Class 1A region quarterfinals, as did Bishop Moore.

The Highlander girls (16-4), No. 2 in the FHSAA 1A power rankings, rolled 21-1 victory over Holy Trinity Episcopal. They’ll host Tampa Catholic (18-4) in a Tuesday semifinal.

The Highlanders 11-6 boys team defeated St. Edward’s, 14-6, and will travel on Wednesday to face state No. 1 Benjamin (20-1) of Palm Beach Gardens.

Bishop Moore’s boys, 19-3 and ranked No. 2, cruised to a 20-4 win against The First Academy. Bishop Moore will be home against No. 4 Tampa Jesuit (16-2) on Wednesday.

The Hornet girls (13-7) thumped All Saints 19-4 with Lizzie Scalzo scoring 6 goals and adding 2 assists. Bishop Moore, ranked No. 10 will also be home Tuesday against No. 11 Academy of the Holy Names (13-4).

Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandoSentinel.com. 

The Post’s sports staff weighs in with grades on the Denver Broncos’ 2025 NFL draft.

Parker Gabriel, Broncos beat writer

Grade: B-

Yes, it’s a bit silly to grade a draft right after it ends. The real tale of the tape starts to unfold in the fall, but teams really want three years to evaluate a class. The Broncos get dinged a bit for not landing a tight end until No. 241 overall, though at some point there’s only so much a team can control about how the board falls. Points for staying true to the board in the first round and taking Jahdae Barron. Then they went to work moving around the board. It’ll never feel quite as buzzy when a quarterback’s not involved, but several players in this class can make an early impact for Sean Payton’s team.

Luca Evans, Broncos beat writer

Grade: B

Sure, the Broncos’ output from the past three days, relative to the amount of buzz in pre-draft mocks, looks kinda … bleh. Then you look a little deeper, and each pick makes solid sense in a vacuum. First-round pick Jahdae Barron can play at a variety of spots in the secondary and was a pretty solid value at No. 20. RJ Harvey can be the difference-maker in space at running back that Sean Payton covets. Pat Bryant is a big receiver with sure hands. And Denver added some defensive-line upside guys in Sai’vion Jones and Que Robinson. They could’ve used some more offensive-line depth and maybe a tight end, and Bryant and Robinson might’ve been slight reaches, but this was an overall combination of best-player-available and best-fit that grades out decent enough.

Troy Renck, sports columnist

Grade: B-

There’s no fault in the Broncos taking Jahdae Barron in the first round. The value was impossible to pass up. But the lack of aggression in addressing the running back, wide receiver and tight end positions remains puzzling. Denver had multiple chances to move up for a tight end or even to take local kid Gunnar Helm on Day 3. What are the Broncos going to do if Evan Engram gets hurt? For this draft to pay off, the onus is on RJ Harvey to develop into an impact player as a rookie.

Sean Keeler, sports columnist

Grade: B

What happened to giving Bo Nix as many weapons as possible? Barron was an eyebrow-raiser, given the offensive talent on the board at the time. Harvey is a potential home run every time he touches the ball, but sometimes plays smaller than he’s listed and didn’t look like a prototypical three-down back at UCF.  Bryant felt like a reach, but based on last year’s rookie haul, I’ve learned to give the law firm of Payton & Paton the benefit of the doubt when it comes to picks from rounds 2-6.

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MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins had eight selections in this year’s NFL draft and they used five of them on defense, and three of those on nose tackles beginning with Michigan nose tackle/defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.

There’s reason to question why the Dolphins didn’t draft a cornerback in the first three rounds but they did get defensive help early.

Here’s a look at the Dolphins’ 2025 draft class: 

DT/NT Kenneth Grant, Michigan, first round (No. 13)

Grant (6 foot 4, 331 pounds) is a physical run-stopper who fills a need and will be expected to be a Day One starter.

He’ll line up on the front of the Dolphins’ 3-4 defense alongside fellow tackle Zach Sieler and nose tackle Benito Jones in an attempt to improve on what was the league’s No. 9 defense against the run last season.

Grant isn’t much of a pass rusher right now but it’s thought that he can improve on that skill.

Guard Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona, second round (No. 37)

Savaiinaea (6-4, 324) has position versatility between guard and tackle but the Dolphins said Savaiinaea will be expected to be a Day One starter.

It’s not known whether he’ll play RG or LG, meaning line up next to young LT Patrick Paul or veteran RT Austin Jackson.

Savaiinaea is a physical player who has played RG, RT and LT in the past two years. 

DT/NT Jordan Phillips, Maryland, fifth round (No. 143)

Phillips (6-2, 312) is a run-stuffing nose tackle who can shed blocks and make tackles with skill.

He’ll be expected to compete for a roster spot and be a rotational player although there are low/reasonable expectations for fifth rounders.

Phillips takes on double teams well and shows good strength and quickness, traits that should serve him well.

CB Jason Marshall Jr., Florida, fifth round (150)

Marshall (6-0, 194), a long-armed player, will most likely get his best shot at the 53-man regular-season roster via special teams even though the Dolphins are deficient at cornerback.

Marshall played the first seven games of last season before sustaining a shoulder injury. He still amassed 20 tackles, four PBUs and a forced fumble. Marshall is a disruptive player who is regarded as smart and a zone coverage specialist.

Safety Dante Trader Jr., Maryland, fifth round (155)

Trader (5-11, 196) also played lacrosse player and is a skilled athlete as well as a versatile safety who can play slot, one-high, two-high or almost anything else.

Beyond that, he’s a core special teams player with experience at punt, punt return, kickoff and kickoff return, skills that should help him earn a spot on the 53-man roster as a rookie.

RB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State, sixth round (179)

Gordon (6-1, 226), who joins a crowded backfield among De’Von Achane, Jaylen Wright and short-yardage specialist Alexander Mattison, was the Doak Walker winner as the nation’s best RB as a sophomore after rushing for 1,732 yards.

As a junior he rushed for 880 yards. Gordon is a big back who prefers to run through defenders than run around them. Gordon is also strong in pass protection.

QB Quinn Ewers, Texas, seventh round (231)

Ewers (6-2, 214) will be the third-teamer behind starter Tua Tagovailoa and backup Zach Wilson. Ewers has good arm strength but he’s inconsistent and not very agile.

Still, he had 31 TDs and 12 INTs. Ewers will likely get lots of training camp snaps because Tagovailoa won’t get much work outside of joint practices.

DT/NT Zeek Biggers, Georgia Tech, seventh round (253)

Biggers (6-6, 321) is a nose tackle who has 35-inch arms that he uses to keep blockers away from his body, but as a seventh-rounder he’s a longshot to make the 53-man roster.

Biggers totaled 23 tackles, 1.0 sack, 3.5 TFL and two blocked kicks last season. Special teams play could help Biggers get attention from coaches.

More 2025 NFL draft coverage

Dolphins add slew of wide receivers among undrafted free agent pickups after draft

Fast facts: Learn more about the Dolphins’ Day 3 draftees

Dolphins, still without Jalen Ramsey trade partner, add DTs, local CB, QB on Day 3 of draft

Chris Perkins: Why didn’t Dolphins draft a cornerback in first three rounds?

Chris Perkins: Dolphins rookie Kenneth Grant under tremendous pressure months before his first game

Fast facts: Learn more about Jonah Savaiinaea, the Dolphins’ second-round pick

Dolphins move up in second round to draft guard Jonah Savaiinaea

Miami Dolphins’ first-round draft pick DT Kenneth Grant | PHOTOS

Perkins and Furones: Is Kenneth Grant a good pick for Dolphins? And Will Johnson in second round? | VIDEO

What draft analysts are saying about Dolphins’ first-round pick Kenneth Grant

Chris Perkins: New DT Kenneth Grant’s ‘dawg mentality’ is exactly what Dolphins need

Fast facts: Learn more about Dolphins’ first-round pick Kenneth Grant

Instant Analysis: Miami Dolphins’ first-round pick Kenneth Grant

Dolphins select Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant in first round of NFL draft

Brock Nelson is enjoying the ride in Avalanche burgundy and blue. But he’s already tired of feeling like a passenger over the first week of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Trust me, I believe (the puck is) going to go in,” the Avalanche’s second-line center said before Saturday night’s Game 4 of Colorado’s series with the Dallas Stars. “And that (next one) would be a timely one.”

No kidding. Avs coach Jared Bednar has had to weather a handful of little frustrations through the first three games with the Stars, but the two that keep recurring are scoring from his top power-play unit and scoring from his second line.

Bednar is looking to one player who might solve both issues. Captain Gabe Landeskog, whose return from cartilage surgeries after three years away from the sport was highlight of Game 3, practiced with both units before Saturday night.

After playing with two different left wings in the first three games of the series, Nelson says he’s quickly taken to life with Landy.

“Obviously playing with Landy and Val, we’re capable of doing the same thing (as a unit),” Nelson said. “And Val, of course, creates a lot of space (for others) and creates a lot of space for himself.”

It’s the first postseason series for the 33-year-old center in which he hasn’t logged at least a point through the first three games since Islanders-Hurricanes in 2019 — a series Nelson’s Isles went on to lose, 4-0.

After jelling so well in Game 1 of the Stars series, the plethora of new faces the Avs acquired after Christmas slowed down in the two tilts that followed. Nelson went into Saturday night without a point. First-line winger Martin Necas had a point going into Game 3.

Avs icon Mikko Rantanen, who was traded to Carolina for Necas, finally registered a point in Game 4 and helped set up Dallas’ overtime winner.

Colorado fans have been waiting for a similar in-series turnaround from Nelson — and from the second line, which accounted for only 0.44 expected goals per game as a unit in the opening three contests.

“It doesn’t matter who you (played) with last. You know, it’s going to be tight. Space is tight,” Nelson said. “Teams lock it down.

“And yeah, (Dallas) is a deep team. Big defenders. (Their) defenders all move well. A lot of skill up front. So it was a tough matchup to play … (the matchup) in the regular season was tough. So yeah, it’s kind of what we expected. But we just have to find a way to keep pushing and unlock a little bit more.”

By inserting Landeskog higher up the line combos, Bednar thinks he might’ve found the key.

“So, a little bit quiet at the start of the series,” the coach said of Nelson. “But I thought he played a really good game at home (in Game 3).

“I think he comes back out and plays the way he did the other night at home, then that’s a pretty good game from him. Part of that line’s responsibility is to help produce, right?

“So as long as they’re getting those chances, that can be really helpful and beneficial to our team. But I’m pretty happy with the way they played Game 3. And hopefully they just ramp it up from there.”

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Aaron Gordon wished he didn’t have to turn around. The sooner he got out of Intuit Dome, the better.

But he had to turn back for a replay review before he could sprint to the locker room, and he’ll have to return again next Thursday for Game 6, because his buzzer-beating dunk off a Nikola Jokic air-ball handed the Nuggets a series-tying 101-99 Game 4 win over the Clippers on Saturday.

First, the Nuggets wilted. They led by 22 early in the fourth quarter but could not withstand an earthquake of a run from their hosts. They stopped defending. They gave up blow-by layups and dunks. They over-helped from the corners and surrendered open 3s. Their shots stopped falling. Their legs looked tired.

Bogdan Bogdanovic beat his countryman Jokic for an offensive rebound and go-ahead put-back layup with a little over a minute to play. Jokic answered with a game-tying free throw, then a nasty fade-away bucket in the post to give Denver a 99-97 lead with 16.1 seconds left.

Clippers center Ivica Zubac tied it with another play on the offensive glass. It seemed Denver was outclassed in those hustle spaces. But Gordon, the consummate junkyard dog who accepted James Harden’s invite to throw hands earlier in the game, prevailed with the ultimate clean-up play.

Jokic heaved another tough shot in isolation. It was wide left. Gordon flushed it, narrowly getting his fingers off the ball with 0.1 seconds to go. He tried to race off the court and toward Game 5 before realizing the bucket was under review.

Jokic was N.C. State’s Dereck Whittenburg. Gordon was Lorenzo Charles. And the Nuggets will host a Game 5 on Tuesday after two much-needed days off. Four starters, including Jokic, played the entire fourth quarter.

“Trying to find breaks at the right time,” interim coach David Adelman had said before the game, stressing that his starters would have to play intense minutes — especially without injured sixth man Russell Westbrook. “Using the TV timeouts as best we can. You hate to use timeouts to rest players, but sometimes you have to do that in these games. … It’s Game 4. We’re down 2-1. Our main people, they’re gonna roll. They’re gonna play a lot.”

The series reached a boiling point early in the game. With six seconds remaining in the first half, Christian Braun purposefully reached in on James Harden, as he often does when the Nuggets have a foul to give before halftime. Harden took exception and got in Braun’s amused-looking face, causing Gordon and Jokic to intervene. Harden tried to take a swipe at Gordon’s face, setting Gordon off. As he pursued Harden through a crowd of Nuggets and Clippers, his hand made seemingly inadvertent contact with Norman Powell’s face.

That was the extent of the fireworks show. Sides were separated, and the officials determined nobody had acted out enough to warrant an ejection. Six offsetting technical fouls were issued to Harden, Powell, Kris Dunn, Gordon, Braun and Jokic. No free throws. Carry on.

Before the first possession of the second half, Harden and Gordon even appeared to be laughing while they had a quick chat.

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Instant reaction from the Denver Nuggets’ 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of their first-round NBA Playoffs series on Saturday at Intuit Dome:

1. ‘All hands on deck’: Interim Nuggets head coach David Adelman vowed it would be “all hands on deck” for Game 4. What did that look like, exactly? Not all that different from the first three games, save for one change: With Russell Westbrook out with a foot injury, the first two players off the bench in the first quarter were second-year guard Jalen Pickett and … Vlatko Cancar?!?! Cancar hadn’t played a single minute of meaningful playoff basketball in this series before Saturday, then came in the first quarter and promptly turned the ball over on his first touch for an easy bucket the other way. The Slovenian lasted all of two minutes — illustrating just how few options Adelman has at his disposal.

2. MPJ’s true grit: Aside from Westbrook, the other big question coming into Game 4 was whether Michael Porter Jr. could grit his teeth through another game with his sprained left shoulder. MPJ admitted that he played at “20 or 30%” after Thursday night’s blowout loss. Then he came out Saturday with a bandaged shoulder and made just about every tough shot he took, including a stepback 3-pointer over Kawhi Leonard in the second quarter that was part of a 4-of-7 night from deep. That’s not to say there weren’t times when his injury reared its ugly head. Ball-handling, in particular, appeared to be a challenge. But anyone questioning MPJ’s toughness after Thursday’s minus-25 could only sit and watch Saturday as the veteran forward made his first big imprint on the series. If Denver gets more of the same from Porter in Tuesday night’s Game 5, the Clippers are in trouble.

3. Showing fight: You didn’t have to look hard to find takes declaring this series over after L.A. took a 2-1 lead late Thursday night. But after getting pushed around for much of this series, Denver took the fight to the Clippers on Saturday. The moment everyone will remember, of course, is Aaron Gordon taking exception with James Harden mean-mugging Christian Braun after a take foul — igniting a kerfuffle that resulted in six (!) offsetting technical fouls. But it was so much more than that. It was MPJ grinding out tough buckets. Braun crashing the boards and scoring around the tin. Gordon making Kawhi work. And Nikola Jokic playing the role of puppet master — as he always does. Even with Jamal Murray submitting a 5-for-17 dud, the Nuggets found a way to escape L.A. with the series knotted at 2-all. And now we’ve got ourselves a best-of-three with Denver reclaiming home court advantage — after Gordon’s putback dunk for the ages.

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Jahdae Barron revealed that he is best friends with Matthew McConaughey. That was the most interesting thing about the Broncos’ draft.

And this is not “all right, all right, all right.”

Fresh off a 10-win season that ended a nine-year playoff drought, the Broncos were positioned to take big swings. So why is a picture of Michael Toglia flickering in my head?

Thinking back on the 2024 Broncos brings unbridled optimism. So much went right. But the conversation starts and ends with Bo Nix.

So what went wrong with the draft? That is a fascinating conversation, but it comes back to one person: Nix.

Thought the idea was to boost the offense around the franchise quarterback?

The Broncos addressed the problem, but did they fix it?

Coach Sean Payton and George Paton deserve the benefit of the doubt based on their recent drafts.

But this weekend requires suspension of disbelief. Sitting at No. 20 in the first round, the Broncos never found traction to move up. Payton denied they even tried, despite tight end Tyler Warren floating out of the top 10.

It is easy to understand why they selected Barron. They ranked him as a top-10 player, so taking the best player available was an auto-pick. His versatility made it easy — he can play outside, inside and in the box — as the Broncos became deeper with Jerry Jeudy’s legacy game still haunting their dreams.

Alas, Barron does not play running back, receiver or tight end.

The Broncos’ additions illustrate the dangers of risk — one for waiting, the other for acting quickly. Denver landed running back R.J. Harvey with the 60th pick, a bowling ball out of Central Florida who is skilled at making defenders miss.

Payton sees similarities to Darren Sproles, explaining that watching him run produced a series of “Wows!” But if the Broncos loved him, why trade back twice from the 51st spot?

Draftniks will extrapolate that those moves allowed them to land LSU defensive end Sai’vion Jones, whose importance could swell if John Franklin-Myers exits after this season.

But Harvey is not Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins, both of whom were drafted early in the second round. And Henderson could have been selected in the first without raising any eyebrows.

Harvey requires projection, namely that he will make a smooth transition into the passing game as a receiver and blocker. There is a path for this to work — his speed and decisiveness could cast him as this draft’s Bucky Irving — but it is narrower than preferred and makes a three-man Broncos running back committee unfortunately more likely.

With Warren off the board at No. 14, the Broncos finally took a tight end, sort of. The 6-foot-7 Caleb Lohner is a former basketball player at Baylor and BYU who played one season of football at Utah. He is a project.

Yes, they signed Evan Engram, a joker. But nobody will be smiling at the production from Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins if he gets hurt.

Another weapon would have helped. Payton’s confidence always extends, sometimes to a fault, to the roster he overhauled. He believes in his guys, but has been slow to realize how poorly some have performed (see: Javonte Williams and any tight end).

The Broncos wisely supplemented their receiver room. But the selection of Illinois’ Pat Bryant was a head-scratcher. Most talent evaluators projected him to go in the fifth or sixth round. Denver took him in the third.

Watching highlights, he bore a resemblance to Tim Patrick. And there was an educated guess that he represented Lil’Jordan Humphrey’s replacement. Then Payton blew minds by saying Bryant shared “traits” with Michael Thomas.

Can’t Guard Mike? That guy? If Payton is correct, this will be one of the greatest picks in Broncos history. But Bryant ran a 4.61-second 40-yard dash, a number that is hard to find over the last 20 years among receivers taken in the first 75 picks. This pick screams that Payton has big plans for Devaughn Vele.

The expectation is not that the Broncos should nail every pick. No one does, though Payton’s 2017 draft class is as good as it gets — Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Alvin Kamara, Trey Hendrickson — even when edged out for Patrick Mahomes.

But this was the draft to provide props for Nix. It did not play out that way. Payton and Paton will insist they are not wrong. Looking at the offensive picks, it is hard to believe they are entirely right.

After three days, Vance Joseph was the big winner, not Nix.

Barron and Jones will make an ornery defense absolutely vicious. Denver has the best secondary in the AFC West, if not the conference, equipped to slow Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Geno Smith.

But those games will now become a referendum twice a season on this draft. The Raiders chose human pinball Ashton Jeanty and receiver Jack Bech. The Chargers added running back Omarion Hampton, the most mocked player to the Broncos, and the Chiefs bulked up their offensive line with tackle Josh Simmons and took fliers on receiver Jalen Royals and running back Brashard Smith.

The conclusion? Payton likes his running backs, tight ends and receivers way more than you do.

It is a fascinating bet. Why?

Because if they are just OK, the Broncos’ season will not be all right.