WWED: What Will Elway Do?

Good morning, Broncos Country!

And welcome to the last Horse Tracks in which it seems imperative we speculate on which player the Broncos will take in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Although my favorite choice for a first-round pick - Baker Mayfield - no longer seems likely to be available at No. 5, and even though my second choice of trading back to get more first-round value is looking less likely while my last choice of picking an offensive lineman is increasingly looking like the reality, I’m still excited about this draft.

Because truthfully, no matter who the Broncos take tonight, the most likely choices at No. 5 - Quenton Nelson, Baker Mayfield, Bradley Chubb, Josh Rosen - or possibly the choices at a trade-back number - Roquan Smith, Will Hernandez, Denzel Ward, Tremaine Edmunds, Marcus Davenport, Ronald Jones - would all make our team better.

And that excites me! I can even handle Nelson as our choice.

On our recent MHR podcast, several of us talked about this possibility. While most of us were clamoring for Mayfield as our hope for the Broncos’ first-round pick, one pointed out a very valid argument for getting behind the Nelson pick at 5 if that’s indeed what the Broncos do:

If you can’t get a quarterback - or at least the one you want - staying at 5 and taking the best player available - as well as what many consider the best player overall in the draft - then you have still done your team many favors. Because you picked up a guy who should have no issue starting Week 1 and you’ve plugged into a position group that is a huge need for the Broncos.

Personally, I support the crowd that favors trading back in that scenario and getting more bang for your buck, so to speak, with two outstanding players rather than one “generational” player (sorry, Pete). But I’m not going to be mad about taking one heck of an athlete who should help the Broncos’ offense immediately.

Now if the Broncos trade down and Mayfield is still there at 5, I will be furious...but probably only for a few commercials.

And ultimately, it doesn’t matter what any of us thinks the Broncos should do; it only matters what John Elway plans to do.

Mostly, I cannot wait to be writing about who the Broncos HAVE instead of speculating for one more wasted minute on who the Broncow MIGHT/SHOULD/COULD take.

Who’s with me?

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