Why the Broncos should go Cornerback in the first round
By Gustavo Kury
Day 2 receiver options
It´s on Day 2 where the depth of this year’s wide receiver class starts to show. Players like Laviska Shenault, Denzel Mims, Jalen Reagor, Justin Jefferson, and Brandon Aiyuk are projected to go late in the first round or early on the second, which will make them unavailable for the Broncos at 46 overall.
But, the list does not end there, as there are a lot more prospects that showed during their college career that they have legitimate WR1 potential at the next level.
Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
Johnson has numbers on his resume that showed that he could be an elite WR in the NFL. He had back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons, 25 total touchdowns, and was the most productive WR in yards per route run (3.5).
He is falling off the boards because he doesn’t have the speed that usually catches the eyes of NFL scouts, but he wins with his outstanding route-running ability. He could be a steal in round 2 or maybe even round 3.
Michael Pittman, USC
Pittman is, again, a prospect that did not generate the hype he deserved because of his NFL Combine. His 40-yard dash was no better than the 65th percentile, but for a 6’4″, 223 pound wide receiver, that may be just good enough.
The USC product had only five drops in 176 catchable targets. He closed his senior year with a 101/1,269/11 stat line, proving he is a guy a quarterback can rely on consistently.
John Hightower, Boise State
With a 4.43 40-yard dash and a 98th percentile 10-yard split, Hightower secured his spot on Day 2 as one of the most dangerous deep threats on this draft. He had one of the largest ADoT (average depth of target) in the FBS at 17.3 yards. Hightower could help the Broncos as defenses would need to step back and open more space in the middle of the field.
K.J Hamler, Penn State
The Penn State product is truly a big play waiting to happen. His quickness and agility are as good as the very best in this class, and that kind of electric play is well received in the NFL. Hamler proved himself as a deep threat and the Broncos could use a player with that skill set to pair up with Courtland Sutton.
Drew Lock should have no problem throwing the ball to any of these four wide receivers. As a deep threat or a polished route runner, the WR2 spot in Pat Shurmur’s scheme would still be very well covered if the Broncos decide to go wide receiver on Day 2.