PFF Podcast Gives Broncos' 2022 Draft Class a B+
If Broncos Country thought that mock drafts are the most useless activity and meant to fill the time between free agency and the actual NFL draft, perhaps grading a draft class immediately is a close second. Everyone has their own opinion and not every expert's take should be valued the same.
Even still, there are plenty of intelligent and articulate voices and minds taking the temperature on how to perceive one’s draft class. Whether it be to learn about picks and fits for the Denver Broncos, or even 'collecting receipts' for later when an analyst eventually projects incorrectly (which is inevitable), draft grades are a fun practice to help comprehend how teams filled out their roster.
On Pro Football Focus’ Tailgate podcast, hosts in Austin Gayle and Mike Renner graded the draft classes of all 32 teams from this past weekend. While Gayle and Renner did not grade on a true bell curve by handing out as many Fs as they did As, it’s fun to see what the grades were and how each analyst perceived the picks given their views on the Broncos’ needs and each individual practice.
Gayle first gave credit to Broncos GM George Paton for using the team’s first-round pick to acquire Russell Wilson, something it appeared both hosts factored into Denver's overall draft grades given the team didn’t have much in terms of premium draft capital. However, Gayle was a fan of Denver’s first selection and how the team rounded out its class overall.
“No first round pick, they obviously traded for Russell Wilson. Round 2 they grab Nik Bonitto, the last pick of Round 2," Gayle said. "I like Bonitto a lot… designated pass rusher right away. Is he going to play run defense given how light he is? Probably not… Some teams like him at off-ball linebacker, maybe he does some of that for Denver.
“Greg Dulcich, UCLA tight end at 80… Demarri Mathis, cornerback from Pittsburgh. Luke Wattenberg from Washington who has crazy long arms for an interior offensive linemen. I liked their draft… You factor in also trading for Russell Wilson. I think this is a solid B+ Draft. My favorite pick is probably the Bonitto pick at 64.”
In response, Renner, a lead data analyst for PFF, agreed with the Bonitto pick being a good get, but his favorite part of the Broncos’ draft was the doubling up of the two interior defensive linemen on Day 3.
“I also think that Eyioma Uwazurike, Iowa State defensive tackle and Matt Henningsen, defensive tackle from Wisconsin, are perfect for that defense," Renner said. "You got two good two-gapping run defenders. That’s where we say you should be drafting two-gapping run defenders. Don’t draft them with top 50 picks… You can get guys who are comparable in the (two-gapping) skill set, now are they going to be pass rushers? Probably not. But they are comparable in that skill set and that’s late in the draft and they should make an impact for your team.”
A question that came up repeatedly leading up to the draft was just how valuable a tight end would be for the Broncos given how little Wilson has targeted the position throughout his career to date, as well as the quarterback's general avoidance of the short-middle area of the field. Even with those questions, Renner did like the selection for the Broncos.
“Seth Galina (of PFF) hammered home the question that 'Does Russell Wilson use tight ends enough to justify this pick?' Probably not," Renner said, "but Greg Dulcich is a damn good tight end. He was quite clearly tight end (No.) 2 for me in this class… Solid Draft, B+”.
Wilson may not be Tom Brady or Peyton Manning when it comes to the short, quick pass game, but that’s part of the beauty of Dulcich and his usage at UCLA. Given Dulcich’s 17.6 yards per target in his collegiate career, and three touchdowns of 50-plus yards in his career, even if Wilson doesn’t utilize the short-middle of the field this season, the tight end still could provide value given his big-play ability.
It's not like every team gets an A grade for their draft and the Broncos, even when accounting for the fact that the team didn’t go on the clock until pick 64 due to the Wilson trade, were dealing with an uphill battle when it came to their grades. It's hard to land a day-one difference-maker or any prospect considered elite when you don't pick for the first time until nearly Round 3.
Will the Broncos’ 2022 draft class live up to PFF's B+ grade? Ask again in five years, but Broncos Country should have a solid idea sooner than later because “hits” and “misses” tend to reveal themselves quickly in a drafted player’s career more often than not.
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