Denver Broncos star cornerback Chris Harris Jr. did not mince his words when asked on Tuesday who he hopes the teams drafts with the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He wants an impact player, not a quarterback who could take years to see the field and make an impact.
“Somebody who’s going to come in and play,” Chris Harris Jr. said. “We’re going to need somebody who can come in and play now, whether that be [Saquon] Barkley, [Bradley] Chubb, the guard from Notre Dame [Quenton Nelson], one of those three guys. We know those guys can come in and play right now. Not a quarterback right now, I wouldn’t say. We’re trying to win now, we don’t have time to wait.”
He has a point, but his point is also a bit short-sighted. He wants to win now and I get that, but if a franchise quarterback is there and the Broncos truly believe he is “The One” then they should pull the trigger anyway. The difference between teams like the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC and every other team in the AFC is that they have consistent long-term franchise quarterback play. It would be nice for Denver to have that again.
That said, if the Broncos see their top quarterback options taken prior to the fifth pick, then they should absolutely find an impact player who can start from Day 1 for them.
“We talk about it all the time,” Harris said. “That’s what you do, you talk football when you come to work (laughing). We want somebody who wants to come in and play. We know that when you pick a top-5 pick, you expect those guys to play for 10 years and be a Pro-Bowler for a couple of years. That’s what we expect out of this pick, and hopefully we can get a guy that can be an impact player.”
Harris is right. A top-5 pick should be a perennial Pro Bowl caliber player. Despite the need long-term for a franchise quarterback, the Broncos are still in position to win this draft if they take a non-quarterback.