Denver Broncos: Nightmare 2021 NFL Draft scenarios

The Denver Broncos are less than a week away from making their first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. We’ve all speculated about what George Paton will do in his first draft as General Manager for the Denver Broncos. What about the worst-case scenario, where George Paton falls flat in the draft?

Several teams around the NFL have had “Nightmare Drafts”, where teams picked a player much higher than his expected value was, or just drafted the wrong player. Examples like Isaiah Wilson and Damon Arnette remind us of just what can go wrong for teams in the NFL Draft.

Here, we look at some players and position groups George Paton should avoid in the 2021 NFL Draft.

With the 9th Pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos Should Not select…

Quarterback- Mac Jones, Alabama

The rumor is the Denver Broncos are potentially interested in a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. The top of the draft has plenty of talent, including Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, and Trey Lance.

However, there is a fifth quarterback that people are talking about in the 1st round: Alabama’s Mac Jones.

Mac Jones led the highest rated offense in College Football during the 2020 season, according to Football Outsiders. Jones was aided by an excellent supporting cast, including the eventual Heisman Trophy Winner in Devonta Smith.

Athletically, Jones doesn’t bring anything special to the table, as his fellow draft mates do. Jones had uninspiring numbers during his athletic workout but showed off his ability to accurately deliver the football to all areas of the field.

Jones isn’t a bad quarterback prospect by any sense of the word. With the Crimson Tide in 2020, Jones and Devonta Smith destroyed everyone who stood in their path to a National Championship victory, including a 52-24 rout of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

However, in today’s NFL, traits are coveted above all else at the quarterback position. Players like Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, and Kyler Murray are prime examples of players who weren’t finished products coming into the NFL, but who have thrived due to their athleticism and ability to create offense without always being an elite passer.

And, well, Mac Jones simply doesn’t have the physical makeup that the elite athletes have at quarterback. Jones isn’t known for his scrambling prowess or his ability to make people miss in space, and we simply don’t know how his pocket presence will hold up at the NFL level. Jones had one of the top offensive lines in College Football last season.

In short, the Denver Broncos making a move for a quarterback wouldn’t be a nightmare scenario. Taking a quarterback without the athletic upside of the “Big Four” in the 2021 NFL Draft would be a nightmare scenario.