Denver Broncos mock draft: Kyle Lauletta to the rescue?

First Round: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State

Along with missing out on Kirk Cousins to the over-bidding New York Jets, the Broncos got unlucky in the early portion of this draft as the top two picks were Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen, and the Colts sold the third overall pick for a king’s bounty to the Miami Dolphins, who wanted Baker Mayfield badly.

That left the Broncos with really no choice as the Browns went with the best defensive player on their board with the fourth overall pick, and Saquon Barkley fell into Denver’s lap.

The Broncos certainly would have liked to have landed one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft, but getting Barkley is a nice consolation prize.

This is a big time talent at the running back position that, unlike many at his position, is worthy of this premium selection.

Barkley has a rare combination of deep speed, quickness, acceleration, power, and vision. He’s an excellent receiver out of the backfield, and will instantly be a rookie of the year candidate. The opportunity to pick someone of his caliber with this pick was too great to pass up.