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Denver Broncos 2017 NFL Draft Primer

By Sayre Bedinger

Mar 1, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Denver Broncos executive vice president of operations John Elway speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Denver Broncos executive vice president of operations John Elway speaks to the media during the 2017 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 12, 2017; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos general manager John Elway speaks during a press conference held at UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2017; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos general manager John Elway speaks during a press conference held at UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

As the main decision maker for the Denver Broncos, John Elway has been mostly excellent. The very first pick he made was Von Miller, and while that might seem like a no-brainer pick to make, you have to consider the elite class of players Miller was among.

Elway chose Miller with the second overall pick in 2011 over the likes of Marcell Dareus, Patrick Peterson, A.J. Green, J.J. Watt, and other top prospects. Elway knew the value of a great pass rush, and pairing Miller with Elvis Dumervil at the time was something he simply couldn’t pass up on.

From 2011-2015, Elway used his top selections on the defensive side of the football:

2011: Von Miller, LB
2012: Derek Wolfe, DL (2nd round)
2013: Sylvester Williams, DL
2014: Bradley Roby, CB
2015: Shane Ray, EDGE

Then, in 2016, Elway traded a third round pick to move up in the first round and draft the Broncos’ quarterback of the future in Memphis’ Paxton Lynch. Lynch was the first offensive player to ever be a top pick in the Elway era, and the fourth quarterback Elway has drafted overall (Brock Osweiler, Zac Dysert, Trevor Siemian).

Elway’s philosophy in the first round has always been to take the ‘best player available’ and judging by that list, I’d say he’s done a pretty great job of that. The Broncos rarely reach for players they shouldn’t with their top selection, but they get into a bit of trouble on day two of the draft…

Since 2011, Elway’s day two picks have been mostly miserable…

2011: Rahim Moore, Orlando Franklin, Nate Irving
2012: Derek Wolfe, Brock Osweiler, Ronnie Hillman
2013: Montee Ball, Kayvon Webster
2014: Cody Latimer, Michael Schofield
2015: Ty Sambrailo, Jeff Heuerman
2016: Adam Gotsis, Justin Simmons

Not all hope is lost for the players on that list, but it’s clear that Elway and company need to start hitting on more second and third round picks. They do well in the first round, and then they seem to go into hibernation until day three of the draft.

To Elway’s credit, there are no players on that list drafted prior to 2015 that didn’t play a pretty significant role on a team that reached and/or won a Super Bowl…

Here’s a quick overview of Elway’s draft trends by position:

Quarterback: 4 (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Running Back: 3 (2012, 2013, 2016)
Fullback: 1 (2016)
Wide Receiver: 2 (2013, 2014)
Tight End: 3 (2011, 2015)
Offensive Tackle: 3 (2011, 2014, 2015)
Offensive Guard: 3 (2013, 2015, 2016)
Center: 2 (2012, 2014)
Defensive Line: 6 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Edge Rusher: 3 (2011, 2013, 2015)
Linebacker: 5 (2011, 2012, 2014)
Cornerback: 5 (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
Safety: 5 (2011, 2015, 2016)
Specialists: 1 (2016)
Total Selections: 46 (since 2011)

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