2. The 2019 NFL Draft trade down
The Denver Broncos held the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and many assumed they would take either a linebacker or quarterback with that selection.
The most frequent mock draft selections were Michigan linebacker Devin Bush and Missouri quarterback Drew Lock with a smattering of other suggestions sprinkled in.
The Broncos came this close to drafting Devin Bush, but the Pittsburgh Steelers made them a trade offer they couldn’t refuse.
Pittsburgh decided to send the Broncos their first- and second-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft along with their third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft for the right to draft Bush.
After trading back 10 spots with the Steelers in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft and then moving up a few spots in the second round using their selection and the Texans selection we mentioned previously, this is the haul the Broncos came away with for the right to select Michigan LB Devin Bush:
- TE Noah Fant
- QB Drew Lock
- C Lloyd Cushenberry
All three of those players are projected to be starters for the Broncos in 2020, and trading one starter for three starters including potentially a franchise QB is a deal you make 10 out of 10 times.
The Broncos had no idea this is how the trade would play out, but they are looking like geniuses for making it at this point and it’s a move that has set the team up tremendously well for now and into the future.