The Denver Broncos have a new weapon on offense and it’s not a quarterback, running back or wide receiver. It’s a tight end.
While tight end may not have been the No. 1 position on the wish lists of many Broncos fans, Noah Fant was a player the team felt it couldn’t let slip away.
Fant is not your typical tight end. He’s closer to a big wide receiver, much quicker and way more athletic than just about any tight end on an NFL roster today. He also has a knack for scoring touchdowns, something he did more times than any tight end in Iowa school history.
When was the last time the Broncos had a player like that at tight end? The last dynamic player that lined up at tight end for the Broncos was Julius Thomas, and he only put up the kind of numbers he did because Peyton Manning was the quarterback.
Fant fills a big need for the Broncos and immediately makes the offense better. The team will be able to move him around and do what he does best, which is to create mismatches. New offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello should have a field day with this new offensive toy.
The Broncos took Fant after trading down 10 spots in the first round, sending the No. 10 overall pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The jury is still out on whether that was the right decision or not, but that transaction won’t factor into this grade.
There were some great players still on the board at positions of need for the Broncos when Fant was drafted, but this move makes sense for several reasons and it’s hard to complain about this pick.
Grade: B+
