The Lead
With the ninth- and 40th-overall picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Broncos hold a great opportunity to add top talent to their roster.
You don't have to go back very far to see the potential these picks hold. In 2018, the Broncos had the fifth- and 40th-overall picks. They drafted Bradley Chubb and Courtland Sutton, and both of them became Pro Bowl players. Denver is one of only three NFL franchises that has selected Pro Bowl players with each of their first two picks in the same draft in since 2018, at least so far.
With any luck, they'll find that same kind of talent this year with their first two picks.
Could that be the case for the "ideal top two picks" as selected by NFL.com’s Chad Reuter? With QB Justin Fields at No. 9 and LB Jamin Davis at No. 40, that could be in the cards.
To Reuter, Fields appears to be the complete package at quarterback to elevate the Broncos to playoff contention.
"In a conference with Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson (though his status is obviously in flux at the moment), the Broncos need an elite quarterback to contend for the title," Reuter wrote. "Fields has a chance to be just as effective a quarterback as Watson because of his athleticism, arm strength and on-field leadership style."
And with the second pick, the Broncos could immediately add one of the fastest-rising players in the draft.
"The team could use a right tackle, but the value of a linebacker like Davis is just too strong to ignore," Reuter wrote. "Davis is a first-round talent, but inside linebackers such as Fred Warner have gone later, despite having similar difference-making ability."
Below the Fold
The Broncos may not get the chance to get Fields at No. 9, though. In Pro Football Focus’ most recent mock draft, Sam Monson has Fields going to San Francisco with the third-overall pick, but they still have Denver picking a quarterback. After a mock trade to No. 6, the Broncos take North Dakota State's Trey Lance. "Pivot to Trey Lance, who I think is actually far more ready to start Day 1 than many people give him credit for," Monson wrote.
Amid all the noise about the draft, Drew Lock is still focused on preparing for the 2021 season as the starter. In fact, he's reportedly working with Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, according to an interview with Dalton Risner on FanSided's "The Matt Lombardo Show." "Peyton Manning is a big fan of Drew Lock," Risner told Lombardo. "Him and Drew have been doing a lot of work this offseason and watching film."
