With the largest parts of the NFL free agent period just about wrapping up, new and improved mock drafts have begun to surface, predicting where the top prospects in this year’s class will land. It makes for a great time to take a look at what the Denver Broncos could end up being with their 12th overall pick.

The Broncos have seen a bit of a refresh on the roster to start the new league year, cutting ties with key starters like Russell Wilson, Justin Simmons, and Jerry Jeudy in the first few weeks. It effectively makes them a captivating team to watch who can go a number of directions once draft time hits.

In Field Yates’ most recent ESPN NFL mock draft, the Broncos opt to select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix at 12, effectively making him the fifth quarterback off the board in his scenario.

Yates dives into his reasoning for pinning Nix with Sean Payton and the Broncos:

Quarterbacks are flying off the board in this scenario, and with Denver not scheduled to pick again until the third round, it must act decisively to add one now. The Broncos have not addressed the quarterback spot in any way this offseason — they are currently slated to start Jarrett Stidham — and Nix’s blend of accuracy, processing speed and mobility makes him an intriguing option. He was incredibly efficient last season at Oregon, completing 77.4% of his throws and tossing 45 touchdown passes to three interceptions. It has been a transformative offseason for the franchise, with Denver releasing quarterback Russell Wilson and safety Justin Simmons and trading receiver Jerry Jeudy. Nix would help get things back on track.

Since the release of Wilson, it’s been radio silence from the Broncos to acquire new talent at quarterback. Last year’s free agency acquisition Jarrett Stidham remains on the roster, but the discussions around bringing in any other veteran to compete have remained quiet. As a result, going with a signal caller in the first round of this year’s draft could be the direction Denver goes.

The draft stock of Nix has been in flux through the scouting process, but there’s beginning to see some added traction for him to be a first-round guy. There’s a high demand of teams in the NFL trying to seek out their quarterback of the future, which could ultimately force the Broncos’ hand in selecting one early once late April rolls around.

With just over a month to go until the day of the draft hits, the wait won’t be much longer before we finally see what move the Broncos make.