Should the Denver Broncos go safe route in 2022 NFL Draft?
Should the Denver Broncos take a risk in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, or should they take a safer player?
Quarterback or no quarterback for the Denver Broncos in the 2022 NFL Draft? Well, that all depends on a couple of things. We’ve pretty much gathered that Teddy Bridgewater isn’t the answer for this team. Some have suggested to me that we don’t truly know what Drew Lock is yet.
Whether that’s a fair point, that’s up for debate. But with a new coaching staff seemingly on its way sometime during the offseason, will it be comfortable with Lock? If not, what’s their plan?
If the Broncos can’t swing a deal for either Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, will they go after a quarterback in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft? The current staff did not. They believed in their starter (Bridgewater). Unfortunately, Bridgewater just isn’t the long-term answer.
Taking a quarterback in the first round of an NFL Draft is a major risk. While it’s not as much of an investment financially as it once was, you’re ultimately putting all of your chips on the table for your first-round guy.
The Broncos should only do that if they’re 100 percent happy with a prospect. In last year’s draft, they had the chance to take either Mac Jones or Justin Fields. They kept those two players on the board and took cornerback Patrick Surtain.
Broncos General Manager George Paton’s history suggests that it might be better to lure a quarterback to the Mile High City. The former Vikings Director of Player Personnel and Assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel helped bring in 22 Pro Bowl players from 2007-2020. Here’s a slideshow from the Denver Broncos team website of those players.
Spoiler alert: On the list are Bridgewater, Kirk Cousins, and—wait for it—Brett Favre.
While the Bridgewater experiment hasn’t worked out, I did bring up the idea of Cousins a while back and he might be a fallback plan if the team can’t land a guy like Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson.
Denver Broncos: What about the non-quarterbacks?
Like I mentioned above, the team should only take a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft that they love. From most indications, there aren’t a whole lot of quarterbacks that are worth taking in the first round this year.
If the team does not love a quarterback prospect, where do they turn to?
Wide receiver? Not after using their first two picks in the 2020 NFL Draft on the position. Running back? Nope, too early in the draft process for that.
How about defensive end or outside linebacker? Depending on the team’s defensive scheme in 2022 and beyond, the Broncos could go after Texas A&M’s DeMarvin Leal or Purdue’s George Karlaftis. I personally love Karlaftis. Heck, if the Broncos got Karlaftis, they could absolutely have him on the field at all times, given that he’s so versatile. There’d be no reason to take him off the field.
In 27 games so far in his career, Karlaftis has recorded 63 solo tackles, 98 total tackles, and 14.5 sacks. While the team could look to upgrade the right tackle position (as a long-term plan. Bobby Massie has been more than fine in my opinion), I feel that Karlaftis would be too good to pass up if he makes it to the Broncos’ pick.
With the trade of Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams, the Broncos could use more depth at the outside linebacker position, with Malik Reed currently taking over Miller’s spot.
Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd should also be a priority target of the Denver Broncos. With this pick, the Broncos would be getting a tremendous starter at outside linebacker. The concern with Lloyd appears to be his stiffness but that should be easily fixed by the Broncos coaching staff and whoever else. I don’t see it as a long-term issue in the NFL.
With one game remaining for the Utah Utes, Lloyd has four interceptions and has defended six passes to go along with his 107 total tackles, the most of his career.