Saturday, April 28th, 2018
With the fifth pick of the first round or the 5th overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft, the Denver Broncos
selected Bradley Chubb, an EDGE, from NC State. I give this pick an A+ grade. This was an excellent
pick for Denver, possibly the best one they could have made with the possible picks available. They
already had a quarterback in Case Keenum, already had skilled WR in Emmanuel Sanders and
Demaryius Thomas and they weren’t going to select a RB or an offensive lineman that early in the
draft. They also had two elite CB in Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby to replace Aqib Talib. Denver's
defence makes them elite. With Bradley Chubb on the opposite side of Von Miller on the defensive
line, it not only mirrors when Demarcus Ware was on the defensive line with Von Miller in 2015 when
they and won Super Bowl 50 but also; with Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Derek Wolfe, the Broncos
now have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL along with Jacksonville, Minnesota and
Philadelphia. Chubb has many outstanding qualities that make him so athletic, which combine: an
impressive get-off, an advanced approach to the pass rush and a relentless motor. He never stops
running. A strip-sack savant, he’s also athletic enough to make the move to outside linebacker in a 3-4
defence and hold up in space. He can also play DE. He’s flexible and a great overall pick for the
Broncos. Instead of getting good at many positions, they are getting excellent at a few positions.
He definitely has future Hall of Fame potential.
selected Bradley Chubb, an EDGE, from NC State. I give this pick an A+ grade. This was an excellent
pick for Denver, possibly the best one they could have made with the possible picks available. They
already had a quarterback in Case Keenum, already had skilled WR in Emmanuel Sanders and
Demaryius Thomas and they weren’t going to select a RB or an offensive lineman that early in the
draft. They also had two elite CB in Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby to replace Aqib Talib. Denver's
defence makes them elite. With Bradley Chubb on the opposite side of Von Miller on the defensive
line, it not only mirrors when Demarcus Ware was on the defensive line with Von Miller in 2015 when
they and won Super Bowl 50 but also; with Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Derek Wolfe, the Broncos
now have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL along with Jacksonville, Minnesota and
Philadelphia. Chubb has many outstanding qualities that make him so athletic, which combine: an
impressive get-off, an advanced approach to the pass rush and a relentless motor. He never stops
running. A strip-sack savant, he’s also athletic enough to make the move to outside linebacker in a 3-4
defence and hold up in space. He can also play DE. He’s flexible and a great overall pick for the
Broncos. Instead of getting good at many positions, they are getting excellent at a few positions.
He definitely has future Hall of Fame potential.
With the eighth pick in round two or the 40th overall, the Broncos drafted Courtland Sutton, a WR,
from SMU. I give this pick an A- grade. In today’s NFL, a team needs three quality wide receivers to
succeed. The Broncos cannot just rely on their two principal and ageing WRs in Emmanuel Sanders
and Demaryius Thomas. Adding an NFL ready Courtland Sutton, to a team with a quarterback who
deemed himself worthy to possess a starting job in the NFL based on his outstanding 2017
performance with the Minnesota Vikings was an excellent move that will benefit Denver’s offence and
wide receiver core immensely. This WR trio has the potential to be elite for years to come and Sutton
will help replace Bennie Fowler and Cody Latimer who left the Broncos to play for the Bears and
Giants respectively. The Broncos got a big, tall and strong WR who can adjust to difficult balls and
gain plenty of yards after the catch, which is important when playing with Case Keenum, an aggressive
but not always precise passer who prefers to throw short rather than long.
from SMU. I give this pick an A- grade. In today’s NFL, a team needs three quality wide receivers to
succeed. The Broncos cannot just rely on their two principal and ageing WRs in Emmanuel Sanders
and Demaryius Thomas. Adding an NFL ready Courtland Sutton, to a team with a quarterback who
deemed himself worthy to possess a starting job in the NFL based on his outstanding 2017
performance with the Minnesota Vikings was an excellent move that will benefit Denver’s offence and
wide receiver core immensely. This WR trio has the potential to be elite for years to come and Sutton
will help replace Bennie Fowler and Cody Latimer who left the Broncos to play for the Bears and
Giants respectively. The Broncos got a big, tall and strong WR who can adjust to difficult balls and
gain plenty of yards after the catch, which is important when playing with Case Keenum, an aggressive
but not always precise passer who prefers to throw short rather than long.
With the seventh pick in round three or 71st overall, the Broncos selected RB Royce Freeman,
from Oregon. I give this pick a B+ grade. As much as the Broncos love RB C.J. Anderson, they cut him
for financial reasons, as there would be no ‘dead’ money after his release, and as a result, they need
a strong, air back who is patient while looking for holes in the offensive line to run through and who
can catch the ball in the backfield and run with it; like Le’Veon Bell. The Broncos feel that Royce
Freeman would fit that description and would be able to share reps with Devontae Booker and they
will help each other develop. If only RB Derrius Guice was still on the board for the Broncos at #71,
but Royce Freeman is just as good.
from Oregon. I give this pick a B+ grade. As much as the Broncos love RB C.J. Anderson, they cut him
for financial reasons, as there would be no ‘dead’ money after his release, and as a result, they need
a strong, air back who is patient while looking for holes in the offensive line to run through and who
can catch the ball in the backfield and run with it; like Le’Veon Bell. The Broncos feel that Royce
Freeman would fit that description and would be able to share reps with Devontae Booker and they
will help each other develop. If only RB Derrius Guice was still on the board for the Broncos at #71,
but Royce Freeman is just as good.
With the 35th pick of the third round of the 2018 draft or the 99th overall, the Broncos selected
Isaac Yiadom, a CB, from Boston College. I give this pick a B- grade. The Broncos have always been
a three CB team and even with the adequate support from cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley
Roby to replace Aqib Talib, it appears they still want to have a third CB. Perhaps GM John Elway
believes cornerback is a position that must always have replenished talent and depth. That is why
they invested in Isaac Yiadom this year as a 3rd CB despite he might never be an elite CB in the NFL,
for the Broncos. Although Denver’s success in training and developing all-star cornerbacks like Aqib
Talib, Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby, part of Denver’s “No Fly Zone” which also includes their elite
safety unit led by free safety Darian Stewart, would suggest Isaac Yiadom will be a successful CB in
Denver very soon. This would also explain why Elway and the Broncos drafted CB Brendan Langley
in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, who is also not on the Broncos yet, he’s still developing on
their practice squad but will be a great addition to the Broncos secondary soon.
Isaac Yiadom, a CB, from Boston College. I give this pick a B- grade. The Broncos have always been
a three CB team and even with the adequate support from cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley
Roby to replace Aqib Talib, it appears they still want to have a third CB. Perhaps GM John Elway
believes cornerback is a position that must always have replenished talent and depth. That is why
they invested in Isaac Yiadom this year as a 3rd CB despite he might never be an elite CB in the NFL,
for the Broncos. Although Denver’s success in training and developing all-star cornerbacks like Aqib
Talib, Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby, part of Denver’s “No Fly Zone” which also includes their elite
safety unit led by free safety Darian Stewart, would suggest Isaac Yiadom will be a successful CB in
Denver very soon. This would also explain why Elway and the Broncos drafted CB Brendan Langley
in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft, who is also not on the Broncos yet, he’s still developing on
their practice squad but will be a great addition to the Broncos secondary soon.
With the sixth pick of round four or number 106th overall, the Broncos selected Josey Jewell, an
ILB from Iowa. I give this pick an A- grade. With more help on the defensive line and a flexible ILB
that can also play EDGE and on special teams, Jewell is a great addition to the Broncos defence and
will compliment OLBs Von Miller, Derek Wolfe and newly acquired Bradley Chubb, which will improve
the Broncos’ pass rush. He was truly a steal in the draft and he’s also a generational talent being one
of the best tacklers in Iowa history who played about 3,330 snaps in his Iowa career and maybe 100
more for special teams and he will help Denver strengthen their running defence by tightening up the
defensive line when he plays DE, which was 5th best in 2017 and can be even better next year in
2018 and for many more years to come.
ILB from Iowa. I give this pick an A- grade. With more help on the defensive line and a flexible ILB
that can also play EDGE and on special teams, Jewell is a great addition to the Broncos defence and
will compliment OLBs Von Miller, Derek Wolfe and newly acquired Bradley Chubb, which will improve
the Broncos’ pass rush. He was truly a steal in the draft and he’s also a generational talent being one
of the best tacklers in Iowa history who played about 3,330 snaps in his Iowa career and maybe 100
more for special teams and he will help Denver strengthen their running defence by tightening up the
defensive line when he plays DE, which was 5th best in 2017 and can be even better next year in
2018 and for many more years to come.
With the 13th pick of round four or No. 113 overall, the Broncos selected WR DaeSean Hamilton
from Penn State. I give this pick with a B- grade. Another wide receiver to add to Sanders and Thomas
can be beneficial to Denver. He’s another fast wide receiver who can adjust to difficult passes and
execute the catch and run play very well. The more targets you have, the better team you will be.
Overall, this is a safe pick that meets Denver’s needs for WRs and to improve an offence that
struggled greatly in the 2017 season, finished 25th overall.
from Penn State. I give this pick with a B- grade. Another wide receiver to add to Sanders and Thomas
can be beneficial to Denver. He’s another fast wide receiver who can adjust to difficult passes and
execute the catch and run play very well. The more targets you have, the better team you will be.
Overall, this is a safe pick that meets Denver’s needs for WRs and to improve an offence that
struggled greatly in the 2017 season, finished 25th overall.
With the 12th pick of round five of the 2018 NFL draft or number 156 overall, the Broncos selected
TE Troy Fumagalli, from Wisconsin. I love this pick, it deserves an A. The Broncos have not had an
elite TE since 2015 when they had Owen Daniels. When he left, they only had Virgil Green and Julius
Thomas. They were okay, but not an all-star like Gronk, Kelce, Ertz or Graham. With Fumagalli, the
Broncos have the potential to become elite at the position with Fumagalli developing and working with
Jeff Heuerman, a rookie in 2017 and an ex. Ohio State Buckeye who had a great year in 2017 for
Denver, despite their bad season as a team collectively. Also factor in Jake Butt, a TE selected in the
fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft, the TE position for Denver improves greatly and has potential to be
elite again like in Denver’s two Super Bowl years in 2013 and 2015.
TE Troy Fumagalli, from Wisconsin. I love this pick, it deserves an A. The Broncos have not had an
elite TE since 2015 when they had Owen Daniels. When he left, they only had Virgil Green and Julius
Thomas. They were okay, but not an all-star like Gronk, Kelce, Ertz or Graham. With Fumagalli, the
Broncos have the potential to become elite at the position with Fumagalli developing and working with
Jeff Heuerman, a rookie in 2017 and an ex. Ohio State Buckeye who had a great year in 2017 for
Denver, despite their bad season as a team collectively. Also factor in Jake Butt, a TE selected in the
fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft, the TE position for Denver improves greatly and has potential to be
elite again like in Denver’s two Super Bowl years in 2013 and 2015.
With the ninth pick from round six or the 183rd overall pick of the NFL draft, the Broncos selected
Sam Jones, an OL from Arizona State. I give this pick a B+ as there were better offensive linemen on
the board still, but with an athletic 6-foot-5, 305-pound frame, the left guard from Arizona State will
help a struggling Ronald Leary, the current Broncos left offensive guard. He can also be spread out
across the offensive line playing at left offensive tackle, helping Garett Bolles, who struggled in his
rookie year, playing right offensive guard helping Connor McGovern and can also play at right tackle,
with newly acquired Jared Veldheer, giving more depth to the position. Overall, the o-line improves so
much with Jared Veldheer, acquired in free agency in 2018 and even more with this safe pick in Sam
Jones, the OL from Arizona State.
Sam Jones, an OL from Arizona State. I give this pick a B+ as there were better offensive linemen on
the board still, but with an athletic 6-foot-5, 305-pound frame, the left guard from Arizona State will
help a struggling Ronald Leary, the current Broncos left offensive guard. He can also be spread out
across the offensive line playing at left offensive tackle, helping Garett Bolles, who struggled in his
rookie year, playing right offensive guard helping Connor McGovern and can also play at right tackle,
with newly acquired Jared Veldheer, giving more depth to the position. Overall, the o-line improves so
much with Jared Veldheer, acquired in free agency in 2018 and even more with this safe pick in Sam
Jones, the OL from Arizona State.
With the 43rd pick of the sixth round of the NFL draft or pick number 217 overall, the Broncos
selected LB Keishawn Bierria, from Washington. I give this pick a C+ grade. Individually, he isn’t
all that great of a player and his stats in college weren’t all that noteworthy. However, with some work
and development from the Broncos defensive coaches, (even Wade Phillips who is now with the
Rams) who have been amazing for a long time and have produced many skill players, particularly
Von Miller, Demarcus Ware and Aqib Talib; he’ll eventually be able to be a defensive starter in the NFL
whether it be for Denver or elsewhere.
selected LB Keishawn Bierria, from Washington. I give this pick a C+ grade. Individually, he isn’t
all that great of a player and his stats in college weren’t all that noteworthy. However, with some work
and development from the Broncos defensive coaches, (even Wade Phillips who is now with the
Rams) who have been amazing for a long time and have produced many skill players, particularly
Von Miller, Demarcus Ware and Aqib Talib; he’ll eventually be able to be a defensive starter in the NFL
whether it be for Denver or elsewhere.
With the eighth pick of the seventh round or number 226 overall, the Broncos selected RB David
Williams, from Arkansas. I don’t mind this pick. I’ll give it a B+ grade. Especially because the Broncos
released all-star RB C.J. Anderson in the middle of April 2018 for financial reasons, the Broncos will
need all the help they can get at the RB position to keep it on par with last year, especially after
Anderson’s 1000+ rushing yard season in 2017. And air backs like Royce Freeman and David Williams
will help keep the running game elite by finding holes in the now strengthened Denver offensive line to
run through, by breaking tackles, avoiding tackles, getting yards after contact, being clutch on 3rd
downs and by catching the ball in the backfield and converting that into big gains. Adding those two
backs to Devontae Booker and D’Angelo Henderson, the current Broncos’ RBs will increase the depth
and skill level of the Broncos RB position. The competition between the RBs will bring the best out of
all of the RBs.
Williams, from Arkansas. I don’t mind this pick. I’ll give it a B+ grade. Especially because the Broncos
released all-star RB C.J. Anderson in the middle of April 2018 for financial reasons, the Broncos will
need all the help they can get at the RB position to keep it on par with last year, especially after
Anderson’s 1000+ rushing yard season in 2017. And air backs like Royce Freeman and David Williams
will help keep the running game elite by finding holes in the now strengthened Denver offensive line to
run through, by breaking tackles, avoiding tackles, getting yards after contact, being clutch on 3rd
downs and by catching the ball in the backfield and converting that into big gains. Adding those two
backs to Devontae Booker and D’Angelo Henderson, the current Broncos’ RBs will increase the depth
and skill level of the Broncos RB position. The competition between the RBs will bring the best out of
all of the RBs.
The Broncos had ten total picks in the 2018 NFL draft, the most they’ve had in four years, since
2014, when they had 11. Also, each of those draft picks and all the players they got in the 2018 free
agency period should help in improving the Broncos in 2018, after their abysmal 2017 season, going
5-11, their first losing season under owner Pat Bowlen, since 2010, with Josh McDaniels, current
Patriots OC, as their head coach.
2014, when they had 11. Also, each of those draft picks and all the players they got in the 2018 free
agency period should help in improving the Broncos in 2018, after their abysmal 2017 season, going
5-11, their first losing season under owner Pat Bowlen, since 2010, with Josh McDaniels, current
Patriots OC, as their head coach.
Overall, I’d give the Broncos an overall grade of A for this year's draft. They drafted all sorts of players to fill all their holes and to play in positions they need to add depth to, to strengthen and to improve. They fixed all the areas they needed help in. Such as: help on the defensive line, offensive line, linebacker, cornerback, wide receiver and running back. They didn’t draft a QB, but they didn’t need one with ex. Minnesota Vikings QB Case Keenum, recently acquired in free agency and now on a two year/$36 million deal with the Broncos. In conclusion, whether all these players start playing next year, in 2018, or take a few more years to develop before starting in the NFL, the 2018 free agency period and the 2018 NFL draft will definitely improve the Broncos’ roster and make them Super Bowl contenders again for years to come.
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