Denver Broncos: Five prospects Elway passed on during 2019 NFL Draft
By Andrew Wade
Amani Hooker, DB, Iowa
Being an Iowa Hawkeye fan, I was hopeful the Denver Broncos might dip back into their player pool twice in one draft.
With their third-round pick, I felt it was the right range for Hooker to go off the board, and the Denver Broncos don’t have a true answer at safety opposite Justin Simmons. Furthermore, Hooker is a versatile guy who would fit in well with the versatile stable of defensive backs Denver currently has.
Hooker can be a dime-backer covering the AFC West’s great tight ends, or he can split out to the slot and cover a team’s slot receiver or he can play one of the safeties in a cover 2. Basically, he would have been a great fit for Denver and Vic Fangio.
As The Athletic’s Travis Haney covered in his inside look at the Tennessee Titans draft selections, they couldn’t believe Hooker was still available to them in the fourth, and that surprise is valid. He shouldn’t have been. He could have been gone in the third to Denver or Chicago and nobody would have blinked an eye.
However, the Denver Broncos went the route of Dre’mont Jones from Ohio State, who projects to be an above average interior defensive lineman with Domata Peko no longer on the roster.