John Elway wheeled and dealed in the 2019 draft, making several trades which led to him bringing in multiple impact players.
Though Elway will forever be revered as a player, his job at running the team’s front office has been the subject of much criticism over the last several years with many diehard Broncos fans placing the blame squarely on him for the team’s failures.
But to be incredibly clear, this was a fantastic draft class. Of course, none of the team’s shiny new rookies have stepped onto the field yet, but judging by what the team now looks like on paper, there were some big improvements made.
For what it’s worth, Chad Reuter of NFL.com gave the Broncos a grade of A, the best in the AFC West. Perhaps you can, but I’ve yet to find a draft analyst knock this draft class.
Here are grades for each individual player and at the end, an overall grade for the whole class.
First round: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
You’ll probably still hear from some fans who would have preferred that the Broncos just stay at No. 10 and draft Devin Bush. But this trade turned into so much for the Broncos and that has to be factored into this grade as well.
Fant gives the Broncos a dynamic weapon (he’s really a big slot wide receiver more than a tight end) and Rich Scangarello will have the opportunity to get quite creative with him.
The Broncos have not had a tight end that can stretch the field in many years and defenses are going to have to account for Fant on every down.
Grade: B+
Second round: Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas State
Risner will likely become one of the fan favorite players on the team if he’s not already.
On top of being a local athlete who really wanted to play for the team, Risner is a versatile lineman who the Broncos are going to be able to put at guard, center or tackle, depending on where he is needed.
He is a strong, consistent player and fills one of the team’s major needs going into this draft. There’s almost nothing to dislike with this pick.
Grade: A
Second round: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri
This goes back to the trade in the first round in which the Broncos acquired the No. 20 overall pick, the No. 52 overall pick and a third-round choice next year in exchange for the No. 10 overall choice.
With that draft capital, the Broncos were able to move up and grab Lock, the clear-cut quarterback of the future. Without that earlier trade, the team likely wouldn’t have been able to get him.
If you’re drafting Lock to start from Week 1 in his rookie season, this isn’t a good move. But the fact that he can sit behind Joe Flacco and develop for as long as needed makes it a terrific move.
Grade: A+
Third round: Dre’Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State
Jones will likely play defensive end in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defense and he will be a force there.
The Broncos needed to get better as a pass-rushing defensive line and now they have a guy who pursues the passer with ferocity. Incredibly quick and athletic, Jones should be a key contributor early in his career with the Broncos.
And to get him in the third round? Goodness.
Grade: A-
Fifth round: Justin Hollins, LB, Oregon
Again, great value is found by Elway in one of the later rounds. Hollins is exactly the kind of player the team was looking for in this spot.
From a pass-rushing linebacker standpoint, the Broncos were actually pretty thin behind Von Miller and Bradley Chubb now that Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray have departed.
Hollins gives them another edge rusher and he’s one that can drop back into coverage and make plays against the pass. Great pick.
Grade: B+
Sixth round: Juwann Winfree, WR, Colorado
There were fans complaining about he Broncos trading up to get Winfree, a guy many of those fans thought could have been signed as an undrafted free agent.
While all of that may be true, if that is the biggest complaint coming out of this draft, the Broncos did something right.
When looking into this guy, don’t look at his statistics and throw your hands up. Watch him as a blocker and you’ll see one of the major reasons why the team liked him.
He should come in and compete for a role as the team’s fourth or fifth wide receiver.
Grade: B
Overall Grade: A-
Not one bad pick, nothing that can be considered a “reach.” This was an education in how to work a draft board. The Broncos and the team’s fans should be incredibly proud of what the team accomplished over the three-day draft period.
