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The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers both made the playoffs this season despite falling well behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West race. However, both teams went down similarly in the Wild Card round.
The Chargers were drubbed 32-12 by the Houston Texans and the Broncos were easily beaten 31-7 by the Buffalo Bills. If you watched those two games, they looked a lot alike.
The Chargers got out to a 6-0 lead and the Broncos got out to a 7-0 lead. But both teams lost for the same reason... they don't have enough help around their star quarterbacks.
Because the Chargers swept the Broncos this season, they finished one game ahead of them in the standings. That will allow the Broncos to have the No. 20 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and the Chargers will pick at No. 22.
That could be hugely important come late April.
Broncos have many similarities with division rival Chargers
The Broncos and Chargers are currently very similarly constructed. They each have a strong-willed head coach in the midst of turning the organization around. The rosters are also mirror images in many ways.
Both the Broncos and Chargers have strong defenses but on offense, they need better running games, more options at wide receiver and perhaps most importantly, a top-notch tight end.
If all of that stays the same, these two teams could be looking at the same player in the draft. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren could be that player.
The Chargers could also be looking at Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, particularly because he played for Jim Harbaugh in college, but Warren may be the better option overall. He was the best tight end in college football this year and could have top-10 pick potential in the draft.
Tyler Warren would be perfect for Broncos
Warren may rise up the board in the pre-draft process. Both the Broncos and Chargers were considered fits for Georgia tight end Brock Bowers last year and he fell to the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 13 overall pick before having the best rookie season for a tight end in league history.
Reading his answer, Sean Payton and the #broncos did not have that "joker" player on their roster this season. And it clearly changes how his offense works and what it does for the QB.
So the success Bo Nix had his rookie season should be viewed accordingly, and finding that…
Warren could definitely be the answer to the "joker" position Payton loves for his offense but he may not last until the 20th pick in the first round. The Broncos will also have to be wary of the Chargers leaping ahead of them via trade in the draft.
It will certainly be an interesting process to follow but as the Broncos are building their draft board, Warren needs to be at, or at least near, the top.
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