Grade: B+ Round 3, Pick 98: Quinn Meinerz, IOL However, with how the board fell they were able to address most of those other needs with good players later on in the draft, which lessens the sting of the opportunity cost. Once again, the Broncos land a great talent (ranked 23rd overall and first among running backs on our Mile High Sports Broncos big board) but there are questions surrounding the positional value and how needs were prioritized. He should also be able to make a day one impact in the passing game, as he’s strong in pass protection and is a really gifted receiving threat. He has the speed and short-area quickness to create big plays and make people miss if necessary, but he prefers to lean on his marvelous power running to get the job done most of the time. However, many viewed Javonte as the best running back in the draft and there are very few boxes he doesn’t check. That proves Broncos could’ve used their premium top 40 pick on a position like tackle or edge rusher - one of which they weren’t able to address until the seventh round and the other they were unable to address at all via the draft - and still have landed a solid running back with starting potential late in the draft. The value there is questionable when a player like Jermar Jefferson, who still could’ve contributed a lot to Denver’s running back room, is one of the final selections of the draft. Pick 114 is early enough in the fourth round where you can still get an important contributor and the Broncos sacrificed that hypothetical player to draft a running back, maybe the least valuable non-specialist position. To acquire Atlanta’s 35th overall pick and select Williams, Denver had to sacrifice the 40th and 114th overall selections in the draft, though they did get pick 219 in return as well. This time let’s start with the negatives and end with the positives. C+ if the latter) Round 2, Pick 35: Javonte Williams, RBĪs is the case with each of Denver’s first three picks, the selection of Javonte Williams is a mixed bag despite Paton managing to land a very talented player. However, if Lock doesn’t take a massive step in year three and Paton is unable to reel in the catch of a lifetime while Fields solves Chicago’s 50-year quarterback drought, it will be incredibly difficult to look past what could’ve been to enjoy the talented cornerback play.
#Broncos big mac deal mac#
If Justin Fields and Mac Jones flame out in Chicago and New England, while Lock or Rodgers make Denver a competitor in the AFC West, this selection is worthy of an “A” or an “A+” because Surtain is that level of prospect. The controversy lies in passing up a quarterback with the pick, thus placing the otherwise loaded roster’s fate in the hands of an unproven quarterback, Drew Lock, unless George Paton is able to somehow land Aaron Rodgers. It’s a near certainty that Surtain will start games at some point this season, even if he doesn’t win the camp battle.
#Broncos big mac deal free#
The team’s two best cornerbacks, Bryce Callahan and Kyle Fuller are free agents next season, and Callahan and Ronald Darby have combined to play one complete season. Darren Waller and Travis Kelce are matchup nightmares because they’re too athletic for linebackers and too large for most defensive backs, but Surtain’s size and physicality might change that perception.Īlso, while the cornerback is incredibly talented thanks to some recent additions, including Surtain, the position was still a need.
That profile can provide Broncos Country with some hope that maybe Surtain will be the answer to their tight end coverage woes. His athletic profile compares favorably to Richard Sherman, though Surtain has much better long speed, and while he’s best in press coverage, there’s no reason to believe he’ll struggle in Vic Fangio’s scheme. He’s incredibly polished, and as a result, one of the safer prospects in the draft. Surtain is a nearly unanimously loved cornerback prospect, that was widely ranked as the best player in the draft at the position and viewed as a top 10 player in the class. The most controversial pick of Paton’s entire draft class is Patrick Surtain II, though due to no fault of the player. This is going to be a long one, so let’s dive right in. Let’s seek to answer that question as we take a thorough look at each individual pick by breaking down the pros and cons of each prospect and the other options which existed at the time before assigning a final grade to the draft as a whole. After much anticipation, George Paton attacked his first NFL Draft as a general manager with gusto and added incredible talent, but could Paton have done even better?