NFL Draft 32 for 32 - Denver Broncos Outlook

April 5, 2019

Brandon Murchison's 2019 NFL Draft team previews moves on to the Denver Broncos, a team with a new head coach and QB with a strong running game looking for direction. What impact will the rookies drafted have on the fantasy values of this team?

The winds of change have hit the mile high city. Gone are Vance Joseph and Case Keenum, enter Vic Fangio and Joe Flacco. Flacco seems more like a bridge to the next franchise quarterback rather than a player that Fangio will be hanging his career on. Flacco is obviously on the downside of his career as his play on the field continues to deteriorate (horribly low 6.5 yards per attempt in 2018). But in the interim, the Broncos will need Flacco to manage games in an effort to stay competitive.

The reason for Flacco being a game-manager type of QB is the strong running game from the duo of Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman. Much was expected from Freeman in his rookie season, but it was undrafted Lindsay that came from nowhere to be the back to own in fantasy. The odds are that we are in store for more of a committee approach between these two in 2019, but expect a hot hand approach from the coaching staff. I give the nod to Lindsay in fantasy based on the fact that he brings more scoring potential with his pass catching abilities.

As we get into the draft, I am looking for the Broncos to hint with the notion of selecting their QB early on. Outside of that, the team will undoubtedly focus on the offensive line and back seven of the defense. The O-line struggled in pass protection, while the defense needs a compliment to Chris Harris on the outside.

Projected Top Three Selections

First Round- Drew Lock, QB Missouri (10th overall)
Second Round- Trayvon Mullen, CB Clemson (41st)
Third Round- Albert Huggins, DT Clemson (71st)

Remaining Picks
Fourth Round- 125th
Fifth Round- 148th, 156th
Sixth Round- 182nd
Seventh Round- 237th

Needs Analysis

The Broncos jump back into the QB pool with the selection of Drew Lock. After many attempts to find his franchise player, John Elway may finally get his guy here. The team has been linked to Lock all offseason, and he is a player that could fit in nicely with the young weapons around him. After a season sitting behind and learning from Flacco, Lock will be ready to fir away in 2020. He played in an up-tempo spread offense in college but has the ability to scan the field quickly and hit the open man. Something that has been missing in this offense. He can have bouts of inaccuracy that plague him at times, but the receiving group that he will be working with can help alleviate that. His value strictly will be as a dynasty selection in drafts this year. A player that you should be looking at towards the end of round two.

After jumping on the QB in round one, the Broncos will look to solidify the defensive side of the ball with Trayvon Mullen joining the secondary. Mullen is an instinctive corner that prefers to play tight in coverage. Inconsistency can strike at times when he looks to jump routes, but his quick response and recovery speed gets him back into plays. He should be able to come in and compete for the CB2 job right away and be the compliment that the Broncos need opposite of Harris on the outside.

Third round pick Albert Huggins may not be widely known on his name, but he was an integral part of the defensive line rotation at Clemson. He is a big bodied lineman that can eat up blocks and allow easier releases for players the likes of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. His ability to plow through linemen will cause opposing runners to redirect their runs and lead to possible negative plays. The two additions to this defense will keep the Broncos in the conversation as one of the early defenses off the board in fantasy drafts.

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