Over the past couple years, the Denver Broncos have been known for many things: they’ve been a dominant force on the field, broken countless records with legendary quarterback Peyton Manning, and have had players featured in fashion commercials similar to Tom Brady, Manning, and Russell Wilson. Which Denver player? None other than Von Miller – the Old Spice, fashion guru defensive player.
Denver Broncos 2018 NFL Draft: What To Expect
Oh, and let’s not forget about their Super Bowl 50 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Pretty cool, right? Especially when the only player on the team being featured in commercials is a non-quarterback player. That’s pretty rare.
Despite all their success throughout the years and all the new gear they’ve received from Nike, arguably the most valuable brand in the world, the Broncos’ 2017 NFL season has essentially been a roller coaster ride for coaches, fans, and players. With that in mind, the team has officially started looking forward to the 2018 NFL Draft, and, needless to say, it will be interesting since the team hasn’t held a top-five selection since draft Miller back in 2011.
Since then, the Broncos were usually out of the first-round completely or selecting their first-round draft picks in the 20s and 30s.
But since John Elway took over as the head decision maker in 2011, the Broncos have selected the following players throughout the past seven years:
2011: Von Miller, linebacker from Texas A&M (first round)
2012: Derek Wolfe, defensive line from Cincinnati (second round)
2013: Sylvester Williams, defensive tackle from North Carolina (first round) currently with the Tennessee Titans
2014: Bradley Roby, cornerback from Ohio State (first round)
2015: Shane Ray, linebacker from Missouri (first round)
2016: Paxton Lynch, quarterback from Memphis (first round)
2017: Garett Bolles, offensive tackle from Utah (first round)
Since the draft class that included Miller, Denver’s top picks has usually been in the late 20s. So for fans wondering why the team’s roster isn’t as great as it should be, this could be why. Picking this late in the draft every year for the past six years can actually be detrimental to a team. On the contrary, however, the Broncos will have a much higher pick going into this year’s draft. Since the draft selection is designed for the top 20 picks (non-playoff teams), it’s easy for sport commentators along with fans to see where they’ll end up picking in the second, and third round.
Draft Round Picks
As of right now, the Broncos hold three picks in the top three rounds, and all of their picks will be within the top 75 – unless they trade their draft pick. Their order in the upcoming 2018 draft is as follows:
First round: fifth overall.
Second round: 40th overall.
Third round: 71st overall.
The good news is the Broncos will get the highest draft pick in the first-round out of the other two teams who share a 5-11 record. On the other hand, since they get the highest first-round draft pick and have the same record as two other teams, they cannot pick fifth in every round. Why? Well, it’s simple: the NFL draft order rules require teams with the same record to rotate picks.
Although there are a number of things that change between now and when the draft is solidified in February or March, as of now, this is a pretty good guess of how things will go for the Broncos come draft day.
