Broncos lock down 5th-rounder McKenzie, first of 2017 draft picks

One of the quickest prospects in this year’s NFL Draft, wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, has become the first of the Denver Broncos 2017 crop of picks to make it official with the club.

The fifth-round selection out of Georgia official signed his rookie deal Monday morning, McKenzie’s representatives tweeted out.

.@_CRADICULOUS making it official with the @Broncos today #BroncosCountry #LegendsLiveHere pic.twitter.com/MnzEMz5g8B

— SportsTrust Advisors (@_SportsTrust) May 8, 2017

At 5-foot-7, 173 pounds, McKenzie sits along the smaller end of the wide receiver spectrum, but his 40-yard dash (4.42) and three-cone drill (6.64) at the NFL Combine ranked among the best of all participants.

In his introductory press conference after the draft, McKenzie said he sees his size as a benefit rather than a detriment.

“There’s good and bad to it, me being a small receiver. I’m not the tallest receiver out there so it’s probably harder to get me the ball. Being small, I’m quicker and a little bit faster,” McKenzie said. “I feel like I can play more than one position. I can do returns, I can play in the slot and I can play running back.

“I’m very versatile. I don’t mind being small.”

Broncos general manager John Elway and head coach Vance Joseph also pointed to McKenzie’s speed and versatility as important factors in why the team took him at No. 172 overall.

“… When you have only 46 spots on Sunday, they’re valuable. To be able to have a guy that can do as many things as he can do with that speed, was very valuable to us,” Elway said.

Said Joseph: “With McKenzie as a returner, also a slot player, he’s a 4.4 guy. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands.”

During his three years at Georgia, McKenzie took six returns back for touchdowns — five on punts and once on a kickoff. He also led the Bulldogs in receptions (44), receiving yards (633), and receiving touchdowns (7) as a junior.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.