
Conclusion
So what will the Broncos do?
Joe Flacco is being pitched as the unquestioned starter at this point in time. John Elway has mentioned the Packers’ transition to Rodgers as an option here, but in my opinion, that’s only if Flacco plays at an elite level.
If Flacco plays at an Alex Smith level and the Broncos are winning games in the meantime, they might look at Lock as a Mahomes type.
If Flacco is not playing well enough for the team to win games, we could see a situation like the one in Cleveland with Taylor/Mayfield.
If Flacco is hurt, this could be the Dak Prescott situation all over again. Prescott, by the way, is the only non-first round QB on this list. He proved he was ready for the rigors of the NFL long before any NFL Draft analyst thought he could.
A sixth, less applicable scenario in my opinion, is the one with Matt Flynn and Russell Wilson in Seattle. The Seahawks saw how bad Flynn was right away, and how good Wilson was, and there was such a stark difference between the two that they had no choice but to put the rookie in.
Is that possible in Denver? I’m not so sure. I think at the very least, Flacco will look like a competent starter. But if the Broncos start to experience death by inches, the quarterback — whose job is to win games — will be the first one catching blame.