Every year, it seems John Elway and the Denver Broncos fall in love with a quarterback prospect. In 2012, it was Brock Osweiler. In 2013, it was Zac Dysert. Last year, there were rumors the Broncos were really into Blake Bortles, or possibly even Brett Smith of Wyoming.
Obviously, nothing materialized in 2014 but with a new coaching staff usually comes a new quarterback or two, and the guys at Dove Valley have apparently taken a liking to local DII prospect Chris Bonner of CSU-Pueblo.
Bonner is an impressive looking athlete at 6-foot-7, 237 pounds, and can sling the ball like you can’t believe.
I took to Draft Breakdown’s database to try and figure out what the Broncos see in Bonner that makes him a candidate to take a roster spot or practice squad spot, and you might be interested to see the very first play of the first game tape I threw on.
All kidding aside, there is plenty to like about Bonner when you watch this game and the others made available by Draft Breakdown.
First and foremost, you notice Bonner’s size. He looks like Brock Osweiler did at Arizona State out there, just towering over everyone. Perhaps immediately after his imposing size, you notice Bonner’s strong arm. Obviously, going up against DII competition, you have to consider the jump Bonner is going to make in terms of what defenses will throw at him, but you can’t teach a rocket arm.
Bonner has that.
Like I mentioned on Twitter on Monday night, Bonner looks like he’s throwing around a Nerf ball with his friends out there. He slings the ball so effortlessly, and while that’s a blessing for him, it can also be a curse.
One thing you notice immediately about Bonner is that he doesn’t quite have the ability to drop the ball in a basket with touch. He is a line drive thrower and can get the ball downfield in a hurry, but when he needs to make touch throws, he can struggle a bit and put too much English on the back of his passes.
Other than that, Bonner has a really interesting skill set. He does a great job of stepping up in the pocket and avoiding pressure. He sees the field well and in the limited tape we’ve got available, he does well dipping his shoulder to avoid rushers while setting his feet and keeping a wide base to make an accurate throw down the field.
Movement skills are going to be necessary in the Broncos’ offense, so the fact that Bonner already has work outside the pocket and under center is a huge plus for him.
The Broncos have apparently been keeping close tabs on Bonner throughout this offseason, and were recently on hand to watch him throw at his pro day. It would not be a shock if they decided to pull the trigger on him with their sixth round pick or one of their three seventh round picks.