Pritchard: ‘No reason’ for Broncos to move far back in NFL Draft
Feb 12, 2018, 3:58 PM | Updated: 7:26 pm
CBS Sports NFL Draft writer Chris Trapasso made waves on Monday with his latest mock draft, revealing the Denver Broncos would not draft Josh Rosen at No. 5 but instead execute a trade with the Arizona Cardinals.
In Trapasso’s mock — with not only Josh Rosen and Josh Allen still on the board but also Saquon Barkley and Quenton Nelson — Denver moves back to 15th-overall, selecting UTEP guard and Senior Bowl standout Will Hernandez,
In the scenario, Denver landed Kirk Cousins in free agency and no longer needed a quarterback.
But, on Monday, “Pritchard and Cecil” co-hosts Mike Pritchard and Cecil Lammey both said there’s “no reason” for the Broncos to trade out of the No. 5 draft position.
“I don’t think the Broncos should entertain anything in terms of moving back in the draft outside of No. 6 or No. 7 because you can’t pass over any type of deal in that kind of situation, with somebody that desperate to move in a top five,” Pritchard said.
“… there is no reason for the Broncos to move that far back in the draft.”
Lammey said that high in the draft there’s a different tier of NFL prospects, those of the “can’t-miss” variety.
“You’re just looking at a different caliber of player,” Lammey said. “At No. 5, you’re looking at one of those can’t-miss prospects. That’s what you’re looking at.”
The Broncos have only drafted in the top five of the NFL Draft four times since the merger — 1972, 1983, 1991, and 2011 — with two of those picks turning into Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and perennial All-Pro Von Miller.
And with such rarity and often high reward, Pritchard said, outside of trading back a spot or two, Denver should avoid moving back.
“It’s rare that you have the situation, in the top five. The Broncos don’t make a habit of this. The last time they did it was Von Miller, No. 2-overall back in 2011 (after) going through some struggles,” Pritchard said. “But that’s just it. We don’t want to see the Broncos go through struggles to earn the right the draft in the top five again.”
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.
