Denver Broncos: 10 biggest mistakes in the George Paton era

9. Drafting Javonte Williams

There was no reason for the Denver Broncos to use a high second-round pick on Javonte Williams back in the 2021 NFL Draft. The running back position is another position that is not valuable as it once was. Even more so than ILBs, having an elite RB does not mean that a team will succeed.

Just look at the past Super Bowl champions and their top rushers. It's not a position that is crucial to the success of the offense or the team. I get that George Paton has always invested a ton of resources into the position going back to his days with the Minnesota Vikings, but this was the wrong draft pick.

Players who went after Williams that would have been better picks for the Denver Broncos include Jevon Holland, Landon Dickerson, Christian Barmore, and Teven Jenkins, to name a few. Even if Williams rebounds and rushes for over 1,000 yards this year, that doesn't really bring value close to what other positions would have.

Having someone like Dickerson or Jenkins on the offensive interior would have been absolutely stellar. Christian Barmore is a very talented defensive tackle for the New England Patriots, and Jevon Holland is the best young safety in the NFL. This was the wrong selection, especially if Denver has to pay up to retain Williams' services next offseason or the one after.

There is no need to draft an RB high and pay them. That's just not good management. The Patriots took Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth round of this draft, and he turned out to be better than Williams. Taking a RB in the fourth round or later would have been the better move.