Broncos Draft: Who are the best draft picks in the George Paton era?
Denver Broncos General Manager George Paton has had his fair share of ups and downs. Who have been his best draft picks thus far? Some may argue that the Broncos should have moved on from Paton following the Russell Wilson release.
His decision to trade for Russell Wilson and to hire Nathaniel Hackett back in 2022 seemed to be fireable offenses to some. Well, he's still with the Denver Broncos and has now just about wrapped up his fourth offseason with the team.
To Paton's credit, he's made some stellar draft picks, and we'll look at the four best of the George Paton era here.
Broncos Draft: Who are the best draft picks in the George Paton era?
4. Nik Bonitto, EDGE
Finishing second on the team in sacks in 2023, Nik Bonitto had eight of those, and also had 13 tackles for loss and 20 QB hits while playing just 52% of the team's defensive snaps. Bonitto was winning his pass rushes routinely in 2023, and I can only imagine just how productive he could be in 2024 if he played, let's say, 75% of the snaps and became more efficient rushing the passer.
Nik Bonitto was a 2022 NFL Draft pick by George Paton, and honestly, that 2022 class for the Denver Broncos is not looking good, but Bonitto could perhaps save it going forward. His development into year three is going to be massive for the Denver Broncos if it actually happens.
3. Jonathon Cooper, EDGE
Jonathon Cooper may actually be the Denver Broncos best pass-rusher right now. Cooper was a seventh round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and in 2023, he turned into a viable, every-week starter off the EDGE. He racked up 8.5 sacks, which led the team, 72 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 13 QB hits.
It is clear that Cooper still has some avenues to get better, but even if the 2023 version is his true ceiling in the NFL, the Broncos are in a good spot. Cooper may not develop into the alpha off the EDGE that Denver needs, but every Batman needs a Robin, and the Broncos may have their Robin in Cooper.
Honestly, I would not be opposed to Denver actually extending Cooper now for a lesser amount than he could potentially get next offseason when he'd hit the open market.
2. Quinn Meinerz, OG
The second of three players from George Paton's stellar 2021 NFL Draft, Quinn Meinerz was a third-round pick and by year two, really emerged as a fixture along the Denver Broncos offensive line. He was argubaly a top-3 guard in the NFL in 2023, believe it or not, and the Broncos recently rewarded him with a four-year, $80 million extension.
Meinerz is now among the most highest-paid at his position in the NFL and is the best player on the Broncos offense. Paton hit this pick out of the park. He plays with a mean steak and finishes his blocks better than any guard in the league. Meinerz ended up being the 98th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
1. Patrick Surtain II, CB
The obvious choice here - Patrick Surtain II was actually George Paton's first ever draft pick with the Denver Broncos. This came at pick nine in the 2021 NFL Draft, and many people in Broncos Country were a bit upset that Denver had passed up on Justin Fields and Mac Jones, two QBs who were still on the board when Denver made this selection.
It's easy to see why PS2 was the right pick, as he has quickly turned into the best cornerback in football and is just excellent. He is perhaps the next Broncos players who will sign an extension with the team, and it is not farfetched to see this deal approach $25 million per season, which would easily make him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history.