Based on the Denver Broncos’ signings since free agency opened, they are a team prepared to win with defense.
New general manager George Paton has picked up the contract option of Von Miller and re-signed Shelby Harris while finding a huge extension for Justin Simmons. In addition, he has brought in Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller to be the team’s new cornerbacks.
Cornerback was the No.1 concern heading into free agency. The Broncos were quick to bring in Darby and likely still had cornerback at the top of their draft board following his signing. But when the Chicago Bears cut Fuller, the Broncos were immediately tied to him.
That deal became official on Saturday night.
In addition to Darby and Fuller, the Broncos have Bryce Callahan and last year’s third-round pick, Michael Ojemudia in the fold. Suddenly, cornerback isn’t as big of a need, which means you won’t see as many mock drafts with the team selecting either Caleb Farley or Patrick Surtain in the first round.
While the team could easily still opt to take a quarterback with the No. 9 overall pick, making the defense even more ferocious makes sense too.
Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons should be directly in Paton’s line of sight right now.
There could easily be several teams trying to make trades and maneuver their way up the draft board in order to take one of the five top quarterbacks in this year’s class (Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zack Wilson, Trey Lance, Mac Jones).
The Broncos could easily stand pat at No. 9 and find Parsons to add another dynamic player to the defense.
When Vic Fangio was with the Bears in 2018, the defense carried the team to the playoffs and it seems as though this Broncos defense is being built with that blueprint in mind.
The Broncos have Harris, two stud pass-rushing linebackers in Miller and Bradley Chubb, perhaps the best safety in the league in Simmons and now, two veteran corners on the outside. The one thing that Bears defense had that the Broncos don’t was a do-it-all inside linebacker.
That year, the Bears used the No. 8 overall pick on Roquan Smith, an excellent linebacker coming out of Georgia. That year, Smith was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team after logging 121 tackles, five sacks and an interception. This past season he was chosen as a Second-Team All-Pro.
Smith is well on his way to being one of the best linebackers in football and Parsons has all the tools to be there someday too.
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Parsons is a downhill, attacking linebacker who would make guys like Chubb and Miller even more effective. He has sideline-to-sideline speed, is a great run defender and can get after the quarterback as a blitzer.
Parsons could be the final piece to what could become the best defense in the NFL. That’s high praise, but this group has the talent to do that.
It could be tempting for the Broncos to select a quarterback in the first round, especially if a guy like Fields or Lance dropped to the No. 9 pick. But the team could also try to win games with an overpowering defense and quarterback play that is just competent.
Signing a guy like Alex Smith, as insurance, makes a lot of sense.
Many fans are still going to hope the team trades for Deshaun Watson or find a way to get a quarterback in the first round, but Drew Lock can provide competent quarterback play with more reps and experience and help this team win games behind an elite defense.
For those reasons, the team’s first-round pick should be clear. Micah Parsons.