The Denver Broncos ended up making a stellar move by hiring George Paton as the team's next General Manager following the 2020 campaign, which was the last of the John Elway era with the franchise.
Paton and the Broncos definitely took some time to get going, but it ended up paying off. One huge thing that sticks out besides the obvious Sean Payton trade is many of Paton's draft picks panning out big-time.
Some have not only hit their stride, but have emerged as Pro Bowlers and All-Pros. Paton's record outside of the first round as a drafter might be better than any GM in the NFL right now, even finding Jonathon Cooper in the seventh round. Ahead of Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, we took a look at Paton's first-round history with the Broncos.
George Paton's Round 1 history with the Denver Broncos
2021, Pick 9: Patrick Surtain II, CB
2022, Pick 9: Traded for Russell Wilson
2023, Pick 5: Traded for Russell Wilson
2023, Pick 29: Acquired from the Bradley Chubb trade, traded for Sean Payton
2024, Pick 12: Bo Nix, QB
2025, Pick 20: Jahdae Barron, CB
2026, Pick 30: Traded for Jaylen Waddle
In total, Paton has dealt with seven first-round picks, only using four of those picks on players actually drafted to the team. His first back in 2021 has been the best of his tenure. Many Broncos fans did want the team to target Justin Fields or Mac Jones, but it's clear Paton made the right move by taking Patrick Surtain II, the best defensive player in the league, a Pro Bowler, All-Pro, and Defensive Player of the Year.
Frankly, Surtain is already on a Hall of Fame pace through the first five seasons of his career and only recently turned 26 years old. The middle of Paton's tenure, though, is where things got wacky. In 2022 and 2023, Denver did not select anyone in the first round. Two of those picks were traded for Russell Wilson, one of the worst moves in NFL history, and another one was shipped to the New Orleans Saints for Payton.
But that first-rounder that Denver sent to New Orleans was acquired by the team when Paton sent Bradley Chubb to the Miami Dolphins. And that pick originally began with the San Francisco 49ers. Back in 2021. The pick that was sent to the Saints went from San Francisco, to Miami, to Denver, and finished off in New Orleans.
In 2024, Denver used pick 12 on Bo Nix, one of the most important picks that Paton will ever make as a GM, whether that is always with the Broncos or on another team in the future. Nix is a budding superstar in this league and is every bit of a franchise quarterback.
In 2025, in a shocking move, Paton took Jahdae Barron at pick 20, a defensive back who hardly made a dent as a rookie. Paton has always prioritized the secondary, but this pick felt a bit unnecessary, as Barron just did not have a path to playing time in 2025.
With Barron's ability to play all over the secondary, some have begun to wonder if he could step up for safety Brandon Jones following 2026, as Jones' contract expires after this coming season. And speaking of 2026, the Broncos traded their first-round pick again for Jaylen Waddle. That pick is the 30th overall selection in a class that just isn't all that talented.
Denver clearly believes that the impact Waddle will make for the team is greater than anyone they could have drafted with pick 30. Of the seven first-round picks Paton has dealt with during his tenure, only four of them have been used on drafted players, and you could argue that no team has made a bigger impact with their first-round picks than the Broncos.
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