Sean Payton, George Paton and Greg Penner have to be the smartest people in the room and the NFL Thursday night. 

The triumvirate must be triumphant. 

The Broncos have suffered for far too long — eight agonizing years during the worst stretch in franchise history since the first 17 seasons. 

Is Michael Penix Jr. the “Pick’’ in the pyramid? Serious sources say so to me. 

To make their decision in the draft P, P & P won’t pay attention to prognosticators, psychics, pundits, player personnel, projections, predictions, propositions and, particularly, Paige. 

On Jan. 3, I wrote for The Denver Gazette that the Broncos pix for QB fix should be Nix or Penix. 

Yet, in the intervening 3 1/2 months, the Broncos also have been connected to another six quarterbacks — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy, Spencer Rattler and Michael Pratt — with rumors, reports and random conjectures that the team would move up in the draft to 1-5 to get one of the top four quarterbacks, stay at 12 and select Penix or Nix prematurely or drop in the first round to 17-31. Every egocentric expert and turnip truck traveler has offered odd opinions. 

Williams will the First One to go to the Bears, and the Commanders will choose Daniels or Maye, with the Patriots picking the other. Somebody – most probably the Vikings or perhaps the Broncos – will trade with the Cardinals to draft McCarthy. 

The quarterback class will freeze from 5-11 until the on-the-clock strikes 12 (and about 8 p.m. Denver time) for the Broncos. 

Is Payton the ultimate Horse Whisperer? Will Paton be able to retain his dream job? Do Walmart riches and business acumen make a confident difference for Penner? 

This is exactly when the head coach, the controlling owner and the general manager, who have been with the Broncos only 1,2 and 3 seasons – must determine Denver’s defining direction. 

More mediocrity or return to relevancy? Broncos Back toward the Bowl or Busted Broncos? 

The Broncos’ draft possibilities are: 

– Broncos bite the bullet one more time (read: Russell Wilson) and trade up for Maye at No. 3 or McCarthy at No. 4, giving up first-round choices in ’24 and ’25, a third in ’24 and a second in ’25 and/or whatever is demanded. 

– Payton and Penner permit Paton to stick at No. 12, and the Broncos draft tight end Brock Bowers, edge rusher Dallas Turner or cornerback Terrion Arnold. 

– The three Ps prefer Penix Jr. or Nix, higher than their pre-draft rankings. 

Paton pulls off a trade that drops the Broncos to 17-31, and most likely 22nd in a deal with the Eagles, and acquires a second-round choice (50, if Eagles) and an exchange of late-round round picks. In the 2024 draft evaluation chart the 12th choice is worth 1,200 points and the 22nd 780, with the 50th pick valued at 400. 

– The Broncos pick Nix or Penix Jr. at 22. 

– GM George trades out of the first round and gets three more picks, then trades back into the first round (getting 49ers’ 31st choice), and the Broncos draft Penix Jr. 

The 6-foot-2, 218-pound left-handed quarterback, who led Washington to the national championship game (a loss to Michigan), threw 9,544 yards (65.4 percent) for 67 touchdowns (19 interceptions) in two seasons with the Huskies. At Indiana for four years, he underwent two knee surgeries, so he was downgraded in the draft. However, he passed medical examinations at the Combine – and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, which was witnessed by four members of the Broncos’ coaching and scouting staff. 

Penix Jr. was interviewed by the Broncos at the Senior Bowl and again at the Combine (after which he praised Payton and said the Broncos asked the toughest questions). Other than Pratt, Penix Jr. was the only other of the eight QBs who came to Dove Valley for a personal visit that lasted a full day with all the offensive coaches and Payton. Nix wasn’t invited. 

Only one left-handed quarterback has been selected by the Broncos in the first round. 

The Broncs declared publicly they are drafting a quarterback. 

Penix the prominent pick for Payton, Paton and Penner? 

The Great Wait almost is over, and the Great Weight will be lifted.