How do the Denver Broncos’ drafts compare to the AFC West?
By Andrew Wade
The Denver Broncos have done a fantastic job hitting on the first pick in each draft. The only two players that did not live up to expectations is Sylvester Williams and Paxton Lynch. That is five for seven for the first pick.
The Paxton Lynch pick being a miss still could be up for debate. However, as reported by Predominantly Orange, the Denver Broncos are also not sure about Lynch’s future.
Where Elway has failed is finding value on day two. Outside of 2016 (Justin Simmons and Adam Gotsis), Elway has only drafted three starters (Derek Wolfe, Rahim Moore, and Orlando Franklin) in rounds two and three. He has whiffed on Brock Osweiler, Montee Ball, Michael Schofield, and Ty Sambrailo to name a few.
Despite mixed results on days one and two, Elway has had a ton of success finding late round talent. Matt Paradis and Malik Jackson, arguably two of the best players at their respective positions, were found on day three. Danny Trevathan was added out of Kentucky on day three and so were one-time Bronco starters, Julius Thomas, Virgil Green, and Trevor Siemian.
After crunching the numbers, I have the Broncos with four elite starters, nine starters, ten round 1-3 busts, and eight-day three impact players.