How should the Denver Broncos feel about their 2017 NFL Draft class after three years? We take a deep dive into it.
The 2017 NFL Draft was an absolutely critical one for the Denver Broncos. Coming off of a season in which they had just narrowly missed out on the playoffs, the Broncos lost head coach Gary Kubiak who had to step down for health reasons, and they had just chosen Vance Joseph to lead a team that was merely one season removed from winning the Super Bowl.
With a first-round quarterback just one year into his development, the Broncos had really one primary goal in the 2017 NFL Draft: Surround the young quarterback with the best talent possible.
The top need for the Broncos was obvious — left tackle had to be addressed. John Elway had gone into the pre-draft process claiming that former second-round bust Ty Sambrailo could be the team’s left tackle but everyone knew the Broncos were going with either Garett Bolles of Utah or Ryan Ramczyk of Wisconsin in the first round.
Outside of left tackle, the Broncos were still doing the best they could to replace the talent they had lost in the 2016 offseason when there was a mass exodus of their Super Bowl 50 roster. The team needed playmakers on offense and youth on the defense, as well as a new group of young players to set the foundation for what Joseph and his new staff wanted to establish as the culture of the team.
Original Grade
“Say what you want about his talent and backstory, but the Broncos got their guy. The offensive line was the biggest need on their roster, and they wound up taking the first offensive lineman off the board at pick 20.”
Draft Class
Round 1 (No. 20)
Garett Bolles
OT, Utes
CURRENT TEAM: Denver Broncos
This pick was telegraphed basically from January, but the idea of adding the physical, athletic Bolles was exciting.
Unfortunately, Bolles hasn’t developed. He’s been a penalty machine, often holding pass-rushers to keep them from earning sacks. Bolles is in a make-or-break year with the Broncos in 2020, having averaged about a penalty per game over the past couple of seasons.
Round 2 (No. 51)
DeMarcus Walker
DE, Seminoles
CURRENT TEAM: Denver Broncos
Despite an absolutely dominant career at Florida State, DeMarcus Walker has not been able to carve out a full-time role in the NFL with the Broncos. His career in Denver got off to a weird start as Vance Joseph’s staff took a guy who was best at playing interior defensive line and moved him to outside linebacker when injuries arose for the Broncos at the position.
Heading into 2020, Walker is certainly a player who would be a candidate for trade or release if he doesn’t impress during offseason activities.
Round 3 (No. 82)
Carlos Henderson
WR, Bulldogs
CURRENT TEAM: Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL)
Carlos Henderson was a YAC monster in college and was so good at creating extra yardage in space as a receiver, runner, and returner, that he actually was up there with Christian McCaffrey for total yardage in 2016. The Broncos felt like they were getting a much needed speedy, athletic, physical slot player at receiver to go with Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, but Henderson hurt his thumb in a preseason game and it was all downhill from there.
Henderson was arrested in the 2018 offseason in Louisiana, and wound up getting cut in September by the Broncos, brought back to the practice squad, then cut again shortly after that.
Round 3 (No. 101)
Brendan Langley
WR, Cardinals
CURRENT TEAM: Free Agent
The Broncos needed a return specialist and they took a few shots in this draft class. One of those players was certainly Henderson, but Brendan Langley was another who had kick and punt return potential.
Not only did Langley never pan out as a returner, he didn’t pan out as a cornerback either. He got his 2019 roster shot switching from corner to receiver and wound up getting released at final cuts.
Round 5 (No. 145)
Jake Butt
TE, Wolverines
CURRENT TEAM: Denver Broncos
Taken one selection before George Kittle, I don’t think anyone in the entire NFL/NFL Draft world thought the Broncos were making a bad pick at the time when they selected the former All-American tight end out of Michigan.
Jake Butt was a first- or second-round type of prospect coming out of Michigan, but he tore his ACL earlier that year and figured to need a season to get himself healthy. Butt worked his way back to the field in 2018, only to have another season-ending injury after playing in a handful of games.
In 2019, he worked his way back to the field again and had another knee injury cut his season short after a stint of preseason play.
Round 5 (No. 172)
Isaiah McKenzie
WR, Bulldogs
CURRENT TEAM: Buffalo Bills
The small but explosive McKenzie was another pick for the Broncos with special teams in mind.
McKenzie was a dynamic punt returner in college but also offered some value as a gadget player on offense. In his rookie season with Denver, he had a really tough time actually catching or holding onto the ball, fumbling a whopping six times in regular-season play.
Round 6 (No. 203)
De’Angelo Henderson
RB, Chanticleers
CURRENT TEAM: Houston Roughnecks (XFL)
De’Angelo Henderson was a sixth-round pick most of Broncos Country was really excited about.
He endeared himself to Broncos fans with some outstanding preseason play and scored a touchdown in the regular-season finale of his rookie season before he was a surprise cut in 2018. He bounced around the NFL a bit before he signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL in January.
Round 7 (No. 253)
Chad Kelly
QB, Rebels
CURRENT TEAM: Indianapolis Colts
Perhaps the most infamous Mr. Irrelevant pick of the last decade, Chad Kelly had a tumultuous college career that ended with injuries crushing his draft stock. Kelly was a really good football player who had some big games against big-time SEC opponents, including a win in his tremendous junior season against Alabama.
Kelly’s off-field issues and injury history were too much baggage for NFL teams, and he almost didn’t get picked at all until the Broncos came calling.
Unfortunately, his poor judgment cost him the opportunity was given, as he was arrested after a Halloween party for trespassing in someone’s home wearing a cowboy outfit. The Broncos released him shortly thereafter and he’s currently with the Indianapolis Colts.
Bottom Line
This draft class was a warning sign for the Broncos who really didn’t bring many of these guys in for pre-draft visits to get to know them.
It’s so critical to get to know the players you’re trying to build culture with, which is why Denver basically overcorrected in 2018 by drafting a number of players in 2018 who they coached in the Senior Bowl.
The Broncos used this draft experience to change their approach and strategy, as we’ve now seen two straight years of this team taking mostly team captains at the college level who have strong leadership skills.
This class will be looked at as a colossal bust, but John Elway and his staff definitely learned a lot from it and have already implemented necessary changes to their strategy in picking players.