AFC West Preview: Denver Broncos fail to solve quarterback woes
By Ellen Mathis
Notable Rookies
The Broncos traded down to select down to select tight end Noah Fant out of the University of Iowa. Being an Iowa Hawkeyes fan personally, this was simultaneously thrilling and disappointing: thrilling in the sense that an Iowa kid got drafted in the first round and I get to watch him twice a year. It’s also disappointing that he has to go to the Broncos and is a great player.
Fant has to learn how to block and he isn’t great at making contested catches, but he has the physical skills to be a great tight end and Iowa has a strong history of developing such talent. I anticipate this to be a good pick in the long run for the Broncos.
The Broncos had two picks in the second round. First, they selected offensive tackle Dalton Risner out of Kansas State. This is a great pick as he can play multiple positions on the line and will be starting from day one to protect the aging Flacco. Second, the Broncos drafted quarterback Drew Lock out of Missouri. Having watched Lock, I thought this was a terrible pick. He may have a good arm, but he makes poor decisions and isn’t great in the pocket. Typical Elway selecting a quarterback that is most likely a bust.
The last pick I’ll discuss was Dre’mont Jones, a defensive tackle from Ohio State. While needing some development, Jones is a disruptive pass rusher who will likely factor into the Broncos defense down the road.