KC Chiefs: Grading each AFC West team’s 2019 offseason
By Cullen Jekel
Ultimately, the team had six selections in the NFL Draft, and used the first three picks on offensive players. In the first round, Denver traded down from 10 to 20 and selected Iowa tight end Noah Fant.
In the second round, with the 41st pick, they selected Colorado native and offensive tackle Dalton Risner out of Kansas State. After trading back up to pick number 42, the team selected Missouri quarterback Drew Lock.
In the third round, Denver landed Dre’Mont Jones, a defensive end out of Ohio State. In round five, the team took another defensive end, this time Oregon’s Justin Hollins. Finally, the team selected wide receiver Juwann Winfree out of Colorado in the sixth round.
Overall, it’s clear that Elway believes the Broncos still have the pieces on defense to compete as the biggest acquisition on that side of the ball looks to be the new head coach. But Elway surgically reshaped the offense in just a couple of months.
He not only acquire his (probable) quarterback for 2019 in Flacco, but also one for the years beyond in Lock. Plus, he added necessary protection pieces in James and Risner. Fant adds an element to the passing game that the team has missed since Julius Thomas bolted for Jacksonville several years ago.
Is this enough to compete with the Chargers and Chiefs in the division? Perhaps, with some timely injuries to those squads. Regardless, Elway’s paving the way for his team to compete in the near future.
With parity as it is in the NFL these days (at least when it comes to teams qualifying for the playoffs, if not teams competing for the Super Bowl), the Broncos could return to the postseason as soon as the 2020 season. If that happens, it will be in large part due to the moves made this offseason.