Denver Broncos: When should John Elway draft a new QB?

2020 and beyond

The Broncos are under no obligation to take a quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft to be the future of the franchise for the simple fact that the quarterbacks coming up in 2020 and beyond look really, really good.

The 2020 class right now appears to be led by Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, a southpaw who came in during the second half of what appeared to be a National Championship loss for the Crimson Tide and elevated his team to victory on the biggest stage of his life as a true freshman.

That poise and moxie he showed in the CFB championship game have gone nowhere in year two, as Tagovailoa looks like one of the best quarterback prospects to come along since Andrew Luck.

He’s completing 68 percent of his passes with 27 touchdowns and just one interception so far this season for Nick Saban and has given Alabama the best offense they’ve had in Saban’s tenure as head coach, which is saying something.

Tagovailoa is the early favorite to be the top overall pick in 2020, but he will likely have some competition.

What if Justin Herbert returns to Oregon for another season to play with his brother? What if Dwayne Haskins doesn’t cash in on the hype he’s receiving and returns to Ohio State?

2020 also features (potentially) Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, who led his team as a true freshman all the way to a College Football Playoff appearance.

Beyond even 2020, true freshman Trevor Lawrence replaced senior Kelly Bryant at Clemson and is lighting it up for the Tigers. He was one of the top prep prospects in the country this past year and has lived up to the billing so far in college.

The point here is that the Broncos could go all in for a quarterback in 2019, but if it’s at the expense of limiting your options or intentionally passing on the guys coming up in 2020 and beyond, it might not be a very wise decision.