Denver Broncos: Drafting a 1st round QB could be best option
2016 NFL Draft: Should the Denver Broncos make a play for a quarterback in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft? It would make a lot of sense…
In the 2016 NFL Draft, there are a number of reasons why taking a quarterback in the first round would be a good idea for the Denver Broncos. Other than the fact that there are only two currently on the roster (Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian), the Broncos have millions of reasons to ‘save money’ on the QB position and select one early in the draft.
In order to keep the roster generally in-tact, the Broncos are going to need to find a cost-effective player at the quarterback position for the foreseeable future, considering the amount of money Von Miller is about to be paid.
Of course, things change in the NFL roster-wise like clockwork, but the Broncos will have the ability to keep the majority of their star players under contract to try and at least have the core of this team solidified. What would be the best option at the quarterback position, then?
Well, it might just be drafting one in the first round.
I don’t know how far the Broncos would want to trade up considering they are going to need their draft assets for the next two or three years to fill out the depth on this roster (there are just over 60 of a potential 90 currently on the team), but moving up for a QB is definitely an option if the right one falls.
The biggest obstacle the Broncos face is that the supply and demand for QBs didn’t really change after the Rams’ trade for the top overall pick, it just means the likelihood of the QB the Broncos wanting being off the board increased.
With a number of teams ahead of the Broncos possibly interested in a quarterback, it seems more likely than not that the trio of Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, and Paxton Lynch will all be off the board and unavailable to John Elway. Realistically, the QB he would have the best chance of trading up for would probably be Lynch, but I don’t see how the Bills or Jets would pass on the opportunity to get him.
That would seemingly leave the Broncos with the option of Connor Cook at the bottom of the first round, and as anti-Cook as I have been in the past, the more I come to the realization that he could be the option, the more I feel okay about it.
Cook is certainly an interesting study, and the Broncos would have to feel comfortable about him being the leader of the team, but he won a lot of games in college with a good team around him and is considered one of the most pro-ready in this year’s draft.
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Why does drafting him in the 1st round matter? Well, the Broncos certainly won’t get him later. They also probably won’t get a guy that is going to be starter-capable after Cook goes off the board, at least in year one. There are a lot of fun options in the other rounds like Dak Prescott, Christian Hackenberg, or even Cardale Jones, but after Connor Cook the options are more long-term projects than immediate contributors.
This is all assuming the Broncos don’t have a deal for Kaepernick in place, but if they have to take a QB in this year’s draft and Wentz/Goff/Lynch are unavailable, it seems like Cook would be the best/only option.
Taking a QB in the first round ensures the Broncos are going to be cost-effective at the most important position on the team, but it also ensures they have said player locked up for at least five years if they want at a below market price.
Not a bad option to have.
John Elway isn’t on the clock yet, but taking a quarterback seems to be a pretty good option at pick 31 (or whenever) if he wants to do that.