Fansided

The bad news is that the Denver Broncos season ended in thudding fashion on Sunday, as Bo Nix and Co. started fast but then promptly fell apart in a 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round. But the good news is that, no matter the result this weekend, this team — and its rookie quarterback — are already well ahead of schedule. Few people outside of Denver, if any, expected this team to sniff postseason contention in 2024. This was supposed to be a reset year, a season for Sean Payton to lay the groundwork for Nix to grow into becoming an NFL starter. But Nix proved ready for more than his naysayers initially believed, and with some help from a nasty defense, the Broncos proved competitive far faster than anyone thought. Now, though, comes the hard part. Denver proved that it has the foundation in place. But the gap between the Broncos and the league's truly elite was apparent on Sunday, and it's time to take the next step this offseason. So let's do just that, with a three-round mock draft that would help Payton surround his young QB with the weapons he needs to thrive.