When the Denver Broncos first hired general manager George Paton, the word sent around the league was that the Broncos were bringing in one of the league's best eyes for talent. As his tenure has carried on, countless core pieces of a Broncos team that is now expected to contend for the AFC West are the product of Paton's scouting and drafting.
Whether it be a first-rounder such as Patrick Surtain, a seventh-rounder like Jonathan Cooper, or a Division-III product such as Quinn Meinerz, Paton has dominated the draft boards and has been busy rebuilding a Denver roster that seemed hopeless just 18 months ago, and seemed to be a roster that could end Paton's tenure.
In recent years, Paton's draft ammunition has been relatively weak, especially in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In total, Denver had just one selection on day one, and six in the first two days, four of which were third or fourth-round selections. Ultimately, Paton has had to make the most of a weaker warchest of draft picks, and reasonable minds could assume that he was drafting for his job.
Broncos turned surprise 7th-round pick into future capital
When the Broncos selected WR Devaughn Vele with a seventh-round selection in 2024, the team caught some slack for bringing in a 26-year-old rookie who played seven seasons of college football. Taken at the 235th overall selection, Vele was arguably the best value selection of the entire draft. All Vele did was haul in 41 receptions for 475 yards, started seven games, scored three times, and was one of Bo Nix's favorite targets.
There is a strong case to be made that the Broncos won't make the playoffs and end their historic playoff drought without the performance of Vele. The Broncos knew heading into 2024 that their receiving options were limited, and they would desperately need someone to step up and run across from Courtland Sutton and pose a threat to defenses across football.
Ultimately, a weak camp and stronger competition at the position put Devaughn Vele's roster spot in jeopardy. As camp moved into pre-season games, it was becoming more and more clear that the Broncos would need to move on from at least one wide receiver, and the duo of Payton and Paton made their choice. In return for Vele, Paton netted a fairly solid 2026 selection.
A fourth-rounder might not appear to be the most flashy, but this effectively means that the Broncos turned a highly questionable 7th-rounder into a 2026 fourth-rounder, and an improvement of three rounds. Additionally, the Broncos are clearing a spot on the roster for one of the younger receivers who have impressed in camp, and have made way in the receiver rotation for Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant, both of whom have shown more reason for hope in their respective games than maybe anyone else on the roster.
George Paton once again did his George Paton ting, which continues to be an increasingly great sign for the Denver Broncos.