2020 NFL Draft Preview: Quarterback sleepers and Broncos fits
Mar 17, 2020, 4:14 PM | Updated: Apr 10, 2020, 10:30 am
The Broncos are not in the quarterback market. They have Drew Lock as their starter and potential franchise quarterback. The team isn’t looking early in the draft for quarterback help, but I feel that every team in the league needs to draft a quarterback every year.
The Broncos could get someone late in the draft or as a priority free agent just to develop them to see what happens. This player will not push Lock for the starting job, but it would be good for depth if the team could find another young passer with starter’s upside. Not only is it good for the quarterback room, but the Broncos might be able to eventually trade an intriguing backup quarterback in this league that is desperate for finding starting-caliber talent.
In this article, I will look at the market for the position. I’ll also write about sleepers at the quarterback position and some players who could fit what the Broncos need in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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Market Watch
The quarterback market in the first round is going to be wild. There may be as many as four quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks of the draft. This starts with LSU’s Joe Burrow as the most likely No.1 overall pick. Burrow is followed up by guys like Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama), Justin Herbert (Oregon) and Jordan Love (Utah State), all of whom should go off the board quickly.
After those guys, perhaps we could see Jacob Eason (Washington) also go in the first round, but towards the end. Eason’s draft stock has kind of stalled in recent weeks, but there are more than a few teams that like his potential and natural skill set. Jake Fromm (Georgia) was once considered a late first-round pick, but his stock has fallen and there are some in the scouting community who feel that he could fall all the way to the third.
Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) is getting a lot of buzz after his strong performance at the Scouting Combine earlier this year. I have him graded as a third-round pick with upside, but he is more likely to go in the second round based on the hype he’s built. However, Hurts has the raw tools that some team could take a chance on him in the late first round.
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Sleepers
I’ve got a couple of sleepers in this draft class who I will be watching closely as developmental prospects around the league. These players are not going to be picked until the third day of the draft, but there could be something there if given the right amount of time to get better and if they get on a team that fits their skill set.
Kevin Davidson from Princeton is a quarterback I liked down at the East-West Shrine Bowl back in January. First, he has prototypical size for an NFL quarterback measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. Next, he is incredibly smart and makes full-field reads as a passer. Finally, Davidson has good pass placement and accuracy when distributing the ball all over the field.
Tyler Huntley (Utah) was snubbed from the Combine. He is extremely athletic and has drawn some comparisons to Lamar Jackson. I don’t make that comparison because Huntley is not as good as a passer as Jackson was when he came out of Louisville. Huntley has athletic gifts and can make all the throws required in the NFL, but he needs to be more decisive as a passer and have more confidence. The right team and the right amount of time could get the most out of his skill set.
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Broncos Fits
Even though the Broncos aren’t looking for a starter, they are looking backup options. There are some quarterbacks they could add on day two or day three of the draft who could fit that bill.
The first player who springs to mind is Michigan State’s Brian Lewerke. He’s athletic and has the ability to pick up first downs with his legs. Lewerke needs to work on his downfield accuracy, but I like his desire to make throws to challenge a defense vertically. He can already hurt a defense on short-to-intermediate routes.
If you want a Taysom Hill-like quarterback, then Khalil Tate (Arizona) could be your guy. He’s super raw as a passer, but he’s tremendously athletic and can make plays as a runner. In fact, I wouldn’t mind throwing him some passes much in the way the Saints have used Hill over the last couple of years.
Kelly Bryant followed Deshaun Watson at Clemson, but transferred when Trevor Lawrence took the job. He then followed up Lock at Missouri in his lone season with the Tigers in 2019. He can see the field and is smart when it comes to diagnosing coverage as the play unfolds. Bryant is tough and not rattled by pressure. I’d love to see the Broncos take a chance on him late so he could develop behind Lock.
