The Denver Broncos have drafted really well under general manager George Paton, for the most part. But every NFL general manager has their fair share of swings and misses, and every general manager has some guys they should have taken a chance on when they actually had the chance.
One of the Broncos' biggest roster needs over the last handful of years has been at the tight end position. It's a position they've been unable to properly address through the NFL Draft, free agency, or any other method of acquiring players. They prematurely cut former 3rd-round pick Greg Dulcich. They signed Evan Engram to a big-money contract in 2025, but didn't even use him on 45 percent of the snaps.
The receiving production for the Broncos at tight end hasn't been good enough, and frankly, neither has the blocking. The Broncos brought in Marcedes Lewis at the age of 41 last year to help in that particular area.
And to think: All of this could have been avoided with just one draft pick. The Broncos, on multiple occasions, passed on Darnell Washington in the 2023 NFL Draft. He lasted to the 30th pick of the 3rd round (93rd overall), where the Pittsburgh Steelers scooped him up. Fast forward to today, and it should come as no surprise that a guy with 1st-round draft grades has now received a big-money contract extension, amplifying the Broncos' whiff.
Denver Broncos should have taken Darnell Washington when they had the chance
Leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft, the talk about Darnell Washington coming out of Georgia was that he was an outlier among outliers. A 6-foot-7, 265-pound beast who could run a 4.64 and had elite blocking abilities?
This is a guy who looks like he could have been built in a tight end lab with Sean Payton as the mad scientist.
There are not that many tight ends who can play in line with the level of elite physicality we saw from Washington at Georgia. For apparently health reasons, Washington was dinged in the pre-draft process and became a case of highway robbery late in the 3rd round for the Steelers.
After three seasons with the team, even playing alongside Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith (among others), Washington has earned a 4-year deal worth $42 million in total money and $21 million in guarantees. And in the meantime, the Broncos are still trying to figure the position out. They still don't have the personnel they feel like they can keep on the field in both run and pass situations, at least not based on what we saw last season.
The Broncos used their top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Marvin Mims Jr., so you can't fault them too much there. But their next selection was spent on linebacker Drew Sanders. Ironically, it's Sanders who has been mostly unavailable due to injuries compared to Washington, who has only missed one game in three seasons.
The Broncos also traded up to the 83rd overall pick in that particular draft to select Riley Moss. They had three chances to take a tight end with 1st-round traits, and they passed all three times.
Washington's contract extension is a great reminder of the importance of taking calculated risks in the NFL Draft, and not missing a window of opportunity when it gets put right in front of you.