Could Malik Willis be a good option for the Broncos?

Good morning, Broncos Country!

Last week I broke down what I thought were the Broncos’ three options for figuring out what to do at QB this season, and now that the NFL Combine is underway it seems everyone is trying to figure that out for Denver too.

It seems pretty clear that Green Bay and Seattle are not parting ways with their elite QBs (I guess someone reminded them that there’s really no one else to go after who is better), so QB-needy teams like the Broncos are scrambling to be first in line for whatever is the next best option.

The problem is ... choosing a “best” option from “not very good” choices is tough.

‘Value in going 10-7’

Andrew Mason of DNVR talked on KOA Colorado’s “Broncos Country Tonight” about the potential to bring in a veteran quarterback who could at least get Denver more wins than losses in the 2022 season - something a Broncos team hasn’t done since 2015.

Fun Fact - only Brandon McManus from the current roster has experienced a winning season with the Broncos - and that’s embarrassing.

So while Mason didn’t sound too eager for the three choices Ben Allbright asked him to rank in order of his preference - Marcus Mariota, Gardner Minshew and Mitch Tribusky - he argued there is value in bringing in a guy who can at least help Denver experience a winning season.

“It can help morale and there’s something to be said for that,” Mason said.

If you’re wondering, his rank order was Minshew, Mariota, Tribusky. And his choice of Minshew was partly for the “intriguing” factor and partly for the cheap price.

Start preparing for the 2023 Draft

From a different perspective, Pro Football Focus’ George Chahrouri told Ryan and Ben on Broncos Country Tonight that if he were the Broncos, he’d be doing two things - selling hard that the Broncos are interested in this year’s top QB draft prospect, Malik Willis, while getting prepared for a QB draft strategy in 2023.

With five picks in the top 100 and a need for quarterback in weaker draft class, one of the better options for Denver, according to Chahrouri, would be to lure another team interested in Willis into thinking Denver really wants him and agree to trade up a few spots and give up some draft capital in 2023.

“I would be telling every news outlet I could that we are taking a QB. I want everyone to believe we are in love with Baker Mayfield’s body double Sam Howell or whichever QB,” Chahrouri said, adding that he’d zone in on Willis because of the known Steelers’ interest. “I would see if I can get [the Steelers] to bite and move up.”

The bottom line for Chahrouri is that a QB-needy team still doesn’t want to reach for a quarterback, so if the team can take advantage of its top 10 pick this year to get more capital for next year, that’s the smarter long-term move.

“I would be interested in future draft capital,” Chahrouri said. “I’m definitely seeing any way I can possibly take advantage of another team’s need this year and get myself something going forward. I’m certainly looking to trade back.”

Just draft the QB

Of course there’s always the chance that if you can take the top quarterback at No. 9, you should still do it.

And while there’s not a lot of consensus on which QB is the top one this year, momentum was certainly swinging toward Willis after the interviews and QB drills on Thursday.

Broncos/NFL News

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