North Texas WR Jaelon Darden is Top Draft Target No One is Talking About
The Denver Broncos went all-in to surround Drew Lock with weapons in last year's NFL draft. The Broncos drafted wideouts Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in back-to-back rounds, not to mention Lock's old teammate Albert Okwuegbunam in the fourth round.
Jeudy offers Lock a precise route runner who could create separation in a phone booth, and with Hamler's blazing speed, he is always a threat to take it to the house. Okwuegbunam, or affectionately known as 'Albert O', is a legit red zone threat with top-end speed as a tight end but still needs some fine-tuning when it comes to his blocking and route running.
Some would say the Broncos are set at their skill positions, but one name could take this offense to a new level.
Jaelon Darden.
An explosive receiver out of North Texas, Darden might not be a household name, but he has the tools to become a weapon that strikes fear into every defensive and special teams coordinator around the NFL. He's relatively diminutive at 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds but packs a punch and can find the end zone on any given play.
Darden has 4.3-second speed and the jukes to make any defender look silly. He tallied 74 catches for 1,190 yards and a staggering 19 touchdowns in his final season at North Texas.
Darden would give Denver two receivers that can take the top off of any defense when he and Hamler are on the field together, allowing Jeudy to terrorize defensive backs with his crisp routes in single coverage, Noah Fant to expose his mismatches against linebackers and safeties, and Courtland Sutton to dominate cornerbacks when it comes to 50/50 balls.
If the Broncos are lucky enough to have Darden still there in the fourth round, GM George Paton would be wise to jump at the opportunity to add him to the roster. Darden's explosiveness could help Denver compete with teams like Kansas City and Buffalo by creating a nightmare for opposing defenses.
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