Fifth round (first pick): Clayton Thorson, QB, Northwestern
A couple of years ago, Clayton Thorson was getting hyped up as one of the next best young quarterbacks in college football.
There was even some early first round talk for him.
When you evaluate him strictly from a tools perspective, it’s easy to see why he was attractive to NFL Draft scouts and analysts.
Thorson has a good arm, works well in a pro-style offense, is a strong competitor, team captain, and is fairly athletic.
Coming off of an injury in 2017, Thorson rushed back to make sure he could be on the field with his teammates in 2018, and it probably cost him a bit in terms of his overall draft stock.
Thorson finished this past season at Northwestern with 17 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions, numbers strikingly similar to those of Case Keenum (18 TDs, 15 INTs) this past season with the Broncos.
Of course, those stats are not directly translatable, and Thorson should be evaluated differently than just his statistical production, but it’s a slight concern nonetheless.
Despite his lack of production, Thorson is a solid prospect with tools, intangibles, and experience and the Broncos get him as a developmental player here in round five.
This move would put Denver firmly in the running for a quarterback early in 2020.