Even though the Denver Broncos have made some pretty awful decisions over the last three offseasons, there are a few that stick out as being phenomenal choices. Let's go over those. I do think George Paton should be fired, but it's not like the third-year GM has made all bad decisions.
In fact, he's made some very good decisions here and there. I do think almost every GM in the NFL who ends up losing their job still has a move or two that they can hang their hat on. The Denver Broncos are not in a great spot, but bits and pieces of the team provide reasons to be encouraged. Which three decisions stand out as being the best that the team has made since George Paton took over?
Denver Broncos: 3 best decisions team has made since George Paton took over
1. Drafting Patrick Surtain II
George Paton's first draft pick will surely end up being his best. Patrick Surtain II was the Denver Broncos' first-round pick back in the 2021 NFL Draft. The team still had a need for a franchise QB, but Paton decided to pass over Justin Fields and Mac Jones for Surtain, who is already the best cornerback in football.
Paton then famously said he thought it was harder to find franchise corners than quarterbacks. Justin Fields went a couple of picks after Surtain, and Fields still has not been able to consistently show that he's a franchise QB. And he may never do that. Right now, drafting Surtain was the right move, and is (hopefully) a player that is here for the long term.
2. Drafting Quinn Meinerz
I get that the offensive guard spot is not a super valuable position in the NFL, but it today's league, it's imperative to have quality OL play if a team wants to win. Fortunately, Denver does seem to have that through four games in 2023, and Meinerz is a big reason for it.
The third-year guard came from a Division III school and has looked every bit like a franchise player along the OL for Denver. In fact, PFF ranked Meinerz as the 12th-best guard in football ahead of the 2023 NFL season. Through 32 games, he's been called for just five penalties, and according to Pro Football Reference, he's played 1,615 snaps on offense in the NFL.
He's simply an all-around strong guard. If you care about PFF grades, Meinerz grades out at 72.6 in 2023, which is an above-average number. It's nice that the Broncos have some good, young pieces along the OL, as this team has had shaky OL play for years. Quinn Meinerz should be a priority contract extension for the team as soon as this offseason.
3. Acquiring Sean Payton to be the head coach
No one said Sean Payton would come in and instantly have this Denver Broncos team back to being a contending one. It's not an easy thing to do, and Payton probably has a bit more work to do than he originally thought, but he brings a Hall of Fame resume to Denver, including over 150 regular season wins, a Super Bowl title, and a winning playoff record.
His offensive expertise is also evident, never ranking lower than 12th in points scored in any year as a head coach besides 2021 when his starting QB Jameis Winston tore his ACL. Right now, he's made quick work of the offense, as the unit ranks 10th in the NFL in points scored and QB Russell Wilson looks like an elite signal caller once again.
Payton has struggled just a bit over his HC career in building up defense, but he was able to field a strong unit in New Orleans from 2017-2021, so he does have experience on this side of the ball. Payton also has the final say with roster moves, and he's had just one offseason under his belt to bring in the players and coaches he wants.
I would expect that we'd see Sean Payton continue to retool and rebuild this roster the way he wants. He's never won less than seven games as a head coach and is simply one of the best of this generation. The Denver Broncos are lucky that they have him in their building.