Denver Broncos: Justin Fields should be only quarterback drawing draft interest

Until next the first round of the NFL Draft kicks off next Thursday, the main question surrounding the Denver Broncos will be whether or not the team takes a quarterback.

Though I am a firm believer that the team should give Drew Lock one more year, many fans are not convinced that is a good idea and would welcome a new signal caller. However, with this being the first draft for general manager George Paton in Denver, he would be foolish to chase around a quarterback.

The idea of trading up to the No. 4 slot held by the Atlanta Falcons is a popular idea, but one that would be costly. There is also a high chance that one of the top five quarterbacks in the draft is still on the board at No. 9.

First and foremost, Paton should not trade up. That is the one option that should be off the table, simply because if he is patient, a talented player such as Penei Sewell or Micah Parsons could land in his lap at No. 9.

Trading back and acquiring more picks is a good option as well.

If Paton is considering a quarterback, Justin Fields is the only one that should really be on his list.

We know that Trevor Lawrence is going to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a pick that is such a slam dunk to happen that the team may as well just announce it now. Zach Wilson will almost certainly join the New York Jets with the second overall choice.

The draft gets fun with the next pick, which the San Francisco 49ers made a trade to acquire. Most likely looking at a quarterback as well, do the Niners take Fields, Mac Jones or Trey Lance?

Lance is a gifted player with a big arm, but he is a true raw talent coming from a small school where he didn’t have a lot of experience. If you believe in his raw skills and have a good system with a veteran quarterback in place (like Atlanta), then you can afford to take him.

Denver would not be the greatest spot for Lance to land because he would need to be developed and the organization hasn’t really done a good job of developing young quarterbacks for quite some time. There’s no reason to believe it would happen with Lance.

Jones is a guy that wouldn’t even be on my board at all. He has no mobility and a small sample size at the No.1 school in the country where he played with two wide receivers who are also likely first-round picks.

Jones might be able to succeed in a place like San Francisco, where Kyle Shanahan has a proven system in place, but he would be an atrocious pick for the Broncos.

Fields is a guy who can make every single throw as well as be a dual-threat quarterback. He has big-game experience at every level and has learned how to be a leader, playing at one of the top programs in the country.

However, if I’m Paton, the only way this pick happens is if Fields happens to be sitting on the board still at No. 9, which is a possibility. As stated here, Fields is a guy the team shouldn’t pass on if he is still there.

Between Fields, Lance and Jones, Fields should be the easy choice as the best option. Other teams may see more talent down the road in Lance while others, like the 49ers, may feel that Jones is a natural fit for what they like to do.

Fields is the type of player that will make teams regret not taking him and the Broncos should not become one of them. But it has to be a practical move as well. Trading up to get him should not be considered and the team should be confident that it has a young, growing Lock to fall back on.

Paton, don’t chase a quarterback in this draft. If Fields falls into your lap, fine.