In one of the more entertaining segments on Broncos Country Tonight, Ryan and Ben Take the Case to Court. With the hiring of George Paton, questions about what Denver should do with their first pick in the 2021 NFL draft. In this court case, Ryan and Ben make arguments for and against the Broncos picking a QB in round one.
Ryan argued for taking a QB in the first round, while Ben argued against. Ben made his arguments to the court first.
In reviewing the scenario, Ben made the first argument that taking a QB in round one would require trading up to get a potential franchise QB. That trade would take a king’s ransom, and end up hurting the team in the long run.
Ben also noted that going into the draft to, “just draft QB willy nilly is silly.” The flaw in Ben’s argument - aside from the horrible rhyming - is the belief that there is only one potential franchise QB in the draft. Trevor Lawrence is obviously going to be the first pick. Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson have been mentioned as potential franchise guys, as well.
The next argument Ben makes has to do with Drew Lock’s improvement. With all the struggles in 2020, this might be his weakest argument. Lock showed some improvement down the stretch. However, the advancement was minimal, and Lock still has a long way to go.
The question ends up being about whether or not Lock is poised to make a major step forward in 2021, or is he reaching the peak of his talents already. Ben’s good with a veteran being brought in for competition, but not with wasting draft capital.
The counter argument from Ryan was that Denver should take a QB in the first round. Ryan leans on Zach Wilson out of BYU. In 2020, Wilson recorded the second highest graded season by a college QB since 2014 according to Pro Football Focus.
Pointing to Wilson’s stats, one aspect that makes him an attractive option is his versatility. Wilson added 10 rushing TDs to his 33 passing TDs. Ryan mentions the changes in the way the NFL is played. Wilson’s ability to both pass and run could make him an excellent fit in Denver.
Justin Fields had an incredible season as well, and would also be a great addition to the Broncos. While Ben believes that Lawrence is the only true franchise QB, Fields and Wilson are likely going to be star players.
Furthermore, the 2022 draft is an unknown. Waiting to see what happens with Lock could mean missing out on a franchise changing QB. No one knows who will be available after that. The dreaded QB carousel graphic just popped into my head.
Whichever side of the QB argument you find yourself, the Broncos new GM will have some big decisions to make. George Paton has his work cut out for him.