2018 Broncos Season— The Draft in Review

The 2018 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Broncos along with 31 other NFL Teams went through seven rounds and grabbed players they hope will improve their team's fortunes. As always, the draft is unpredictable. Now it's time to reflect on the players Denver took!

This will partly be a draft remembered for who the Broncos didn't take. They didn't take a quarterback. Heading into the draft, it seemed most national pundits — and many fans — wanted the Broncos to take a quarterback, and expected it to happen. I didn't. At least I didn't think it would happen, and from a certain standpoint I didn't want it to happen.

The Broncos signed Case Keenum — investing $36 million over the next two years. Let's see what he's got. Taking a quarterback in the Top 5 of the draft starts a ticking clock on him before he's even gotten to play. That hardly seems right or fair. The option should have been to sign a premier free agent, or to draft high. Not both. Wisely, we didn't do both.

In addition, John Elway and Vance Joseph have said, several times, they haven't given up on Paxton Lynch and believe in Chad Kelly. This draft was confirmation of that. Lynch, who was drafted two years ago when people said he was a project that would require a few years to get ready. That's seemingly been true. His health issues, and possible lack of mental fortitude, are something to consider, but he's a guy who's played in four games in two years and had three offensive coordinators.  So I guess we'll see what comes of it.

Now on to the draft picks we did make. I'll list them all with the round beside them:

Offense:
* Courtland Sutton, WR SMU (2)
* DaeSean Hamilton, WR Penn State (4)
* Royce Freeman, RB Oregon (3)
* David Williams, RB Arkansas (7)
* Troy Fumagalli, TE Wisconsin (5)
* Sam Jones, G Arizona State (6)

Defense:
* Bradley Chubb, DE North Carolina State (1)
* Josey Jewell, LB Iowa (4)
* Keishawn Bierria, LB Washington (6)
* Isaac Yiadom, CB Boston College (3)

A total of 10 picks, six on offense and four on defense. And all of them addressed areas of need for the Broncos. I thought it was a great draft. And here's a few reasons why:

1. It starts with Chubb. Chubb was the premier defensive player, and he slid to the fifth pick. That was a complete surprise, and one the Broncos jumped on. He is like a second Von Miller, who gets to line up opposite Von Miller. When combining Miller and Chubb with Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett, that returns the Broncos outside rush to a place it was in 2015, when we won the Super Bowl.

2. We got offensive weapons. Heading into the draft, the Broncos had just a handful of receivers (Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Jordan Taylor, Carlos Henderson and Isaiah McKenzie) and three running backs (Devontae Booker, DeAngelo Henderson and Andy Janovich) on the roster. The Broncos don't have a lot of cap space, so drafting players makes sense. The Broncos got two good receivers in Sutton and Hamilton, both of whom figure to be on the field. Those two combined with DT and Sanders gives me hope. I also hope McKenzie can still be a decent punt and kick returner, despite last year's fumbling woes. I think this also spells doom for Carlos Henderson, who looked bad in 2017 before being injured, and then was arrested in January. In terms of RBs, Booker and Henderson were never going to be enough. Freeman could be a good hammer, and Williams provides excellent depth. (So, too, does undrafted free agent Philip Lindsay). This is a good sign for the future.

3. The Broncos loaded up on defense. The team needed a corner, and got a good one in Yiadom, who figures to help bolster the No Fly Zone. LBs Jewell and Bierria will also help add depth, as will a few of the undrafted free agents.

Finally, my biggest question post draft remains offensive line and tight end. The Broncos took a lineman — Sam Jones — to add depth, but it will be interesting to see who makes the final group. And tight end is another crapshoot of sorts. Jake Butt, who was injured all of his rookie year, has a chance to be the starter, and Jeff Heuerman and new pick Fumagalli figure to be in the mix. It will be interesting to see who rises to the top, and what they bring.

But as of now, I'm happy with the draft and can't wait to see what these guys bring to the team in 2018.