From coast to coast, the football world is raving about the Broncos draft
Apr 26, 2020, 11:53 AM
By the time the 2020 NFL Draft concluded, most of Broncos Country was happy with the team’s selections. Maybe they were puzzled by the number of wide receivers, and perhaps they would’ve liked to see Denver grab an offensive tackle at some point, but overall, they applauded John Elway’s efforts.
This isn’t all that unusual. After all, most fan bases are happy after the draft. That’s part of why it’s a popular event; every teams wins. So rave reviews from the public aren’t a good reason to declare the 2020 class a good one.
It’s not just the fans who are giving the Broncos high marks, however. Around the country, most of the so-called experts are high on Denver’s draft, too.
Sports Illustrated gave the Broncos an A in their league-wide report card. While they liked most of Denver’s picks, it was first rounder Jerry Jeudy that they raved about most.
The Broncos addressed a glaring need with a stylistically perfect prospect, and they didn’t have to trade up to do it.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter also gave the Broncos high marks. He gave them an A also.
I figured the Broncos would hammer the receiver position – getting Jeudy and Hamler will cause headaches for opposing defense. The team then found help at center, cornerback and the defensive line on Day 2. The Broncos must have figured Okwuegbunam was too good of an athlete to ignore in the fourth round, and it’s tough to argue with them, despite his inconsistency on the field. Strnad would have been picked in the top 120 overall if not for an injury that cost him the majority of his senior season. Muti plays like a second-rounder but injuries have kept him to a handful of games in recent years – he was a very worthwhile pick in the sixth round. Tuszka was a value edge rusher pick late in the seventh round.
Pro Football Focus was even more bullish on Denver’s draft. They gave the Broncos an A+, citing multiple late picks as reasons for the high mark.
Anyone that has been following PFF throughout this pre-draft process knows Netane Muti is a stud. The oft-injured Fresno State product has all the tools to be an elite guard in the NFL. We’d be talking about him in much higher esteem had he not had his last two seasons cut short with injury.
USA Today had a similar opinion. In their team-by-team recap, the Broncos also earned an A, again due to some late-round steals.
They capped off Day 2 with one of this year’s biggest defensive tackle sleepers, Arkansas’ McTelvin Agim. Day 3 was filled with solid depth and value, but two picks stood out, in particular. Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam reunited with Lock, his college quarterback from a year ago, and Fresno State guard Netane Muti had no business being available in the sixth round.
John Elway has had his share of issues on draft day. But for one year, at least in terms of immediate reactions, he seems to have righted the ship. From coast to coast, the football world is raving about the Broncos draft.
