Broncos Draft Fits: 3 QBs to Monitor Early

With the Denver Broncos having been in on Matthew Stafford before he was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams, and linked to many other veteran quarterbacks, it suggests that GM George Paton isn't completely sold on Drew Lock.

The Broncos are exploring the veteran side of things, which doesn’t necessarily mean they're eyeing the 2021 NFL draft class. Exploring proven veteran options and not a rookie unknown makes sense for the Broncos for multiple reasons.

Denver has a young stable of weapons on offense and a veteran presence could help the team develop better and more quickly than a rookie quarterback.

The Broncos' offensive scheme can be viewed as a little complicated for a rookie to pick up, while a veteran likely could assimilate it quicker due to experience. There may be a coaching change next year and a veteran would provide a possibly quicker path to success to save the coaches’ jobs.

Also, with the possible coaching change, the Broncos may not want to get a rookie and have him learn one scheme only to have to learn a new playbook a year from now.

Those are just a small handful of the reasons why a veteran may be a more realistic option than a rookie. However, this is a really strong quarterback class at the top, and there is a chance one of the top guys falls to the No. 9 overall pick.

In the video above, I break down three quarterbacks in the 2021 class with ties to the Broncos, whether via pro-day presence, scheme fit, or simple projection.

Trey Lance, North Dakota State
Justin Fields, Ohio State
Jamie Newman, Wake Forest/Georgia

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Two of the names listed above are among the top-4 quarterbacks that may be more likely to be there at pick No. 9 overall. The third is a rising Day 2 quarterback that could really work in the Broncos system with the weapons they have in place.

If a top QB falls to pick 9, Denver should at least seriously consider going that way. Sure, there is always next year to go get that rookie quarterback, but that's a tough bet to make.

Denver could end up with a bunch of risers and a more top-heavy 2022 QB class, or the projected signal-callers next year could all fail to step up and Paton would are looking at a draft class similar to their 2013 counterpart.

It's always a big risk to wait a year when looking to draft a position. There are a lot of moving parts and variables in play.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel.

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