Denver Broncos: 2020 NFL Draft watch is officially on

The Denver Broncos are 0-4 to start the 2019 season which means the 2020 NFL Draft watch has officially begun.

Through the first quarter of the 2019 season, the Denver Broncos are 0-4.

While many expected the Broncos would not be a great team this year, I don’t think even the most pessimistic fans would have seen an 0-4 start coming.

The Broncos have now lost two home games to the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars in a painfully similar fashion, and they have now lost eight straight games dating back to last season.

I wonder if Vance Joseph will send a message to Vic Fangio telling him he feels his pain.

Through four games, some of the fan base on Twitter is calling for Fangio to be fired. Some are calling for John Elway to be fired. Some are saying the team’s ownership situation is to blame. Others say it’s the lack of talent and depth on the roster.

Even if all of those things are all partly to blame, the reality is the Broncos are not where they need to be and if winning is the cure-all, more talent is the medicine.

As of Sunday evening, the Broncos are projected to have the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

This is obviously very fluid. The Broncos could end up with the 20th pick by season’s end — who knows?

That seems highly unlikely right now, but there are still 12 games remaining so there’s so much still up in the air.

The Broncos being projected for another top five pick means another elite college prospect could be headed to this franchise, and this year’s draft is full of players who could help this team turn things around quickly.

• Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State: Many believe Young is the best non-QB in the entire class. He’s disruptive in the pass game, strong against the run, and just looks way bigger than everyone out there on the field. He’s a freak of nature.
• Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State: If Chase Young is the best defender in this year’s draft, Okudah is a close second or third. He’s a shut-down corner capable of dominating his side of the field.
• AJ Epenesa, DE, Iowa: Epenesa is more of a traditional 4-3 DE and the Broncos don’t really run a 4-3, but Epenesa would be a good fit for this team as he already plays on a defense at Iowa reliant upon a four-man rush to get pressure and he’s strong at the point of attack with size, length, and strength (6-6, 280).
• Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia: The Georgia Bulldogs have maybe the best offensive line in college football, and Thomas is a ringer at left tackle for them. He’s got every tool you look for at the position and is dominant in the run game. He would be an instant upgrade for the Broncos over Garett Bolles.
• Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa: One of the most freaky-strong offensive linemen in the country, Wirfs can play the right or left side and has the athleticism to make plays out in space as well as the raw strength and power to maul through people in the running game.
• Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama: Although many are leery of taking a WR in the first round, Jeudy is a rare breed with the ability to separate in so many different ways. His speed is unreal and his skills are so advanced for a 20-year old receiver.
• Grant Delpit, S, LSU: The Broncos are lacking a game-changing presence on the back end of the secondary. Delpit can be that guy. He’s a ball-hawk and one of the most instinctive defenders in all of college football.
• CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma: Just like many of the other receivers in this class, Lamb has elite speed and ability after the catch. He’s a freak of nature and a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
• Derrick Brown, DL, Auburn: One of the best interior linemen in this draft class, Brown’s stock is going to continue to skyrocket as the Auburn defense continues playing at a dominant level. Some people feel like the Tigers can contend with Alabama this year, and this kid is a reason why.

Aside from those guys, there are the top quarterbacks in the class, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (if he declares), Oregon’s Justin Herbert, and Georgia’s Jake Fromm. Joe Burrow of LSU is also creeping up that list at a rapid pace, and Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma (formerly Alabama) is quietly sneaking into the discussion as well.

The Broncos have Drew Lock, but if they feel one of those QBs can help them compete with Patrick Mahomes right away, they might take him.

As you can clearly see, if the Broncos are even sniffing the top 10 of this coming class, it has the potential to be similar to that 2011 class which featured so many star players in round one.

The Broncos would hate to get to the end of this season and still be picking in the top five, but at the same time, would they really hate it?

Not with this group of players available.