INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 25: President of Football Operations and General Manager John Elway of the Denver Broncos interviews during the first day of the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 25, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
The Denver Broncos head into the 2020 NFL Draft with a quarterback of the future in place. Can they surround him with enough talent to return to the playoffs?
John Elway finally found his guy.
After a turnstile’s worth of failed quarterback prospects over the years, the Denver Broncos seem to have a quarterback of the future in 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock.
With Lock in the fold, the attention now turns to finding players on offense who will complement his development. A wide receiver to pair with Courtland Sutton could be high on the list but which other players could Denver be considering? Let’s find out with my disturbingly-accurate Broncos mock draft.
Oh, and always remember, I hate all of your teams equally!
1st round
Andrew Thomas
OT, Bulldogs
I get that wide receiver is the heavy favorite here (CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs III, and even Tee Higgins are names to watch) but ultimately I think the Broncos don’t pass up the opportunity to get a franchise left tackle.
Ruggs III has been the name most connected to Denver throughout the draft process, but part of me feels like it could be a little bit of gaming the other teams looking for wide receiver help in the hopes that their preferred tackle falls in their lap.
Thomas was once considered a lock to be a top-five pick but lately has seemed to fade into the shadow of Combine testing wunderkinds Tristan Wirfs and Mekhi Becton. Make no mistake, though. Thomas is the most well-rounded offensive tackle prospect outside of maybe Jedrick Wills and Denver would be getting an absolute steal by taking him with the fifteenth pick.
As tempting as it is to add a speedster like Ruggs III for quarterback Drew Lock, the Broncos are much better off taking Thomas to protect his blind side and adding receivers later in the draft. Thomas’ selection can allow the team to kick Garrett Bolles to right tackle or guard as they continue to improve Lock’s protection.