All the best things in life age like a fine wine, no? With the play of the Denver Broncos in 2024, you can add general manager George Paton's draft classes to the list of things that are aging incredibly well. The play of the Broncos this year has been led in large part by the successes of former draft picks that were taken up and down the board by Paton, highlighted by the pass rush duo of Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto, one a former 7th-round pick and one a former 2nd round pick.
Paton has been heavily criticized through the years for his selections, but as the Broncos sit on the doorstep of the playoffs, he deserves equally loud praise and recognition. Most notably, Pat Surtain is arguably the best defensive player in football and was Paton's most high-profile first-round selection.
Paton Denver Broncos draft picks at the heart of the playoff push
As the Broncos sit at 9-5, their recent successes can be attributed in massive part to the play of players drafted by Paton, and those he found undrafted. Aside from the duo of Bonitto and Cooper, the additions of players such as Jaleel McLaughlin, Devaughn Vele, Quinn Meinerz, Kris Abrams-Draine, Luke Wattenberg, Ja'Quan McMillian, and several others have become vital for this team.
At the heart of the 2024 Broncos has been the team's defense, which is loaded with players who were selected by Paton. Of the 11 defensive starters, five were either drafted or made their NFL debuts as an undrafted free agent under Paton. Nose tackle DJ Jones is a free agent addition under Paton, and safety PJ Locke did not receive a worthwhile role in the NFL until he was developed by the Broncos.
Offensively, the amount of Paton-era Broncos grows. Six of the Broncos starters broke into the NFL under George Paton, with key role players such as Marvin Mims Jr. and McLaughlin also coming in under Paton.
A Deserved Apology
Paton caught a ton of flack from Broncos fans and media members alike for some of the selections he made, and their lack of immediate impact. Marvin Mims was effectively missing for the most part of 2023 in the Broncos offense, and Nik Bonitto was a very minimal rotational piece in 2022. Since then, both have become vital pieces to the fabric and DNA of the Broncos. Paton deserves an apology, as the impact of his drafts is finally being felt in Denver, and has changed the franchise for the better, maybe forever.