The Denver Broncos made a conscious effort going into free agency this year. They were going to buy the defense and draft the offense. Thankfully, both the head coach and general manager are on the same page and are sure to give Broncos Country a sense of relief. John Elway was smart to find players that fit the culture in Denver and ones that wouldn’t break the bank. With a few smart trades for draft picks and two major signings on the offense, Denver now has the ability to wait for the best prospects.
Denver Broncos Draft Needs Post Free Agency
Looking through the roster you can see where the holes still remain in this Broncos roster. The secondary got a boost with the addition of cornerback A.J. Bouye from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2020 fourth-round pick. Bouye was a player that Vic Fangio picked out personally due to his versatility and ability to match up with bigger receivers. Cornerback Bryce Callahan will be joining him after recovering from surgery.
Similarly, Elway made another big trade sending a 2020 seventh-round draft pick to the Tennessee Titans for Pro Bowler Jurrell Casey. Unfortunately, Denver had to say goodbye to Derek Wolfe this off-season as he chose to sign with the Baltimore Ravens. The Broncos were able to bring Shelby Harris back on a one-year prove-it deal.
Per an NFL Source: Broncos Free Agent Defensive Lineman Shelby Harris is set to come back to Denver on a 1-yr deal that’s guaranteed $2 Million with a max value of $3.25. Last year he posted a career high 6 sacks and led the NFL in passes knocked down by D-Linemen. @KOAColorado
— Brandon Krisztal (@BKDenverSports) March 28, 2020
On offense, the Broncos made two moves to give franchise quarterback Drew Lock some protection and a new weapon. The first move was for the offensive line bringing in Graham Glasgow on a four-year contract to play right guard. The second move was stealing running back Melvin Gordon from the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers for a two-year contract. This gives Denver a truly potent one-two punch out of the backfield with Phillip Lindsay.
Where Denver Broncos Draft
Sitting at the number 15 pick in the NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos have the chance to land a blue-chip prospect. However, there are numerous ways that Denver could go but the most popular option is wide receiver. The top three guys in this year’s receiving corps are Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, and CeeDee Lamb. The first two being from the same school, Alabama, and Lamb hailing from Oklahoma. Ruggs is the leading favorite for Denver to either land at 15 or possibly trade up to try and secure.
Ideally, the Broncos would love to sit tight at 15 with one of the tackle prospects falling. In doing this, Denver could focus the rest of their picks giving Drew Lock better options on offense. Denver has one second-round pick and three third-round picks all within the top 100. We could see the Broncos taking a receiver in the early second with this deep class. Laviska Shenault is a name being linked to the Broncos due to the fact that he is a Colorado kid. Unfortunately, his less than stellar performance at the NFL Combine was clearly due to injury. That might just allow him to slide into the second where Denver picks early.
The third round is for developmental players. Eventually, these are the guys that are going to build depth on your team and start. A few of the top interior offensive linemen might go in the second round late. With Graham Glasgow playing right guard and not center, the Broncos would be lucky to snag a guy like Tyler Biadasz out of Wisconsin. Biadasz is a solid four-year starter in the Big Ten Conference from a school known for churning out quality NFL linemen.
With the remaining picks, I see Denver picking up a developmental interior defensive lineman and a coverage linebacker for Fangio to mold. Elway can continue to stack quality draft classes as he has for the past two years. Denver could see themselves back in the playoffs. Hence, going 7-9 last season was nothing to be proud of. Although, there was a sense of pride in how this team finished. Denver is a dark horse in the AFC conference and Patrick Mahomes kryptonite.
