What are the Broncos five biggest needs entering free agency?

Just a few seasons ago, the Denver Broncos were the cream of the crop of the National Football League and Super Bowl 50 champions. Fast forward to the present and the franchise is in dire need of a facelift after back-to-back campaigns that didn’t result in a playoff birth. It’s going to take a lot of work and a little bit of magic for that to happen, but John Elway and his staff aren’t short of resources to make it happen.

The Broncos have the cap space and an enormous amount of draft capital to make some serious moves in free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft. We know that acquiring a quarterback will be their first priority, bu there are plenty of other needs the Broncos must address this offseason to become championship contenders in the future.

For the second installment of our free agency round table discussions, I asked the staff:“What do you think are the Broncos’ five biggest needs entering free agency?”

Ian St. Clair:

Kirk Cousins, Cousins, Cousins, Josh Sitton, Cousins (note that I didn’t say “QB” because Elway needs to stay as far away as possible from Case Keenum and that ilk).

Pete Baron:

Cornerback, offensive tackle (not sure which side as we don’t know where Garret Bolles will land), offensive guard (again, depends on where Ronald Leary plays), defensive line and tight end — unless Jake Butt is the real deal and injury free.

Scotty Payne:

1. Quarterback (x5)

2. Cornerback

3. Edge rusher

4. Right tackle

5. Running back

Ian Henson:

Cornerback is first since Aqib Talib is out. Left tackle, right guard (John Elway said Ron Leary’s likely to move to left guard), middle linebacker, running back, dime backer and tight end.

Tim Lynch:

Quarterback, offensive tackle, cornerback, linebacker, running back.

Jeffrey Essary:

1. Quarterback

2. Right tackle (This position terrifies me more than quarterback, mainly because the dearth of available talent at the offensive tackle position, both in free agency and the draft.)

3. Offensive guard (Max Garcia is not at all starter quality, and Connor McGovern is still unknown. The amount of interior talent in this draft class is a perfect match for Denver this year.)

4. Defensive back (Either a versatile safety/nickel back or a corner.)

5. Edge or interior pass rusher

Taylor Kothe:

Quarterback is by far the biggest/most important need. After that: right tackle, cornerback, left guard and inside linebacker.

Sadaraine:

Quarterback, quarterback, inside linebacker, guard, right tackle, running back, tight end and a third wide receiver.

Adam Malnati:

1. Quarterback. Only if it is the right quarterback. Kirk Cousins, specifically.

2. Offensive line. Josh Sitton would look great in Denver Broncos orange and blue.

3. Corner. Even with Bradley Roby growing into a solid replacement for Aqib Talib, bringing in a solid veteran could keep the No Fly Zone strong.

4. Tight end. Yes, we all want Jake Butt to be the guy. It would be a big help to have a tight end that Denver drafted become a good player, but a veteran could help with the development process.

5. Inside Linebacker. As I have already alluded to, this is always a position of need in Denver. For whatever reason, John Elway doesn’t think inside linebacker is important enough to make it a priority, but a good inside linebacker can have a huge impact on the success of the defense.

Joe Rowles:

Quarterback, offensive tackle, offensive guard, safety and running back.

Joseph Mahoney:

Quarterback, quarterback, quarterback, quarterback and quarterback. Seriously though: quarterback, right tackle, outside linebacker (if we don’t retain Shaquil Barrett), tight end and defensive end.

As for my thoughts, the five biggest needs for the Broncos are: quarterback, right tackle, inside linebacker, cornerback and edge rusher. The first three of those positions need immediate starters. With the loss of Aqib Talib and questions around the long-term commitment the Broncos have with Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray, finding another edge rusher for the defense is certainly something that should happen early on in the 2018 NFL Draft.

So Broncos Country, what do you feel are the Broncos’ top five biggest needs to address this offseason? Sound off in the comments section and let us know what you’d do in free agency and this year’s NFL Draft to reforge Denver back into championship contenders.