With free agency all done, its now time to focus in solely on the draft. Denver did well to patch some big holes, but there's still a lot of spots that could use help. Overall, the strategy this year in such a weak top end QB class, should be to try and trade back and acquire more picks for this year and next. The Broncos have a lot of good talent, but a lot of spots are only one or two guys deep along the trenches, and at some other key spots. This is the year to fix the depth holes and either make a run with Flacco, or be prepared for a new QB next year.
Interior Offensive Line
For the Broncos this year, it all comes down to improving the offense. The QB position got a lift, and a new offensive coordinator should help. But nothing is going to get going if the interior is a sieve like it was last season. Matt Paradis is gone, and Ronald Leary is over 30 and recovering from a torn achilles. Mcgovern played well at guard last year, but was a disaster at Center, allowing 22 pressures in eight games once he took over the job. He has also struggled in tough yardage situations quite a bit through his career. The Broncos drafted Sam Jones as a developmental player last year, and Elijah Wilkinson provides a bit of opportunity to play Guard or tackle, but shouldn't be starting. Especially with Flacco now at QB, someone who does not move exceptionally well, Denver needs to get better here.
Defensive Line
The Broncos currently have 6 players listed on OverTheCap playing on the line. Only Zach Kerr and Demarcus Walker are signed past the end of this year. That could potentially leave some big holes, and the team already has some depth issues as Derek Wolfe has been a good player but has struggled with injuries the last few years. At current Denver should likely have a line of Wolfe-Harris-Gotsis to start with Kerr and Walker rotating. But Denver could stand to add another player that can play Nose to allow for a better mix overall, and provide some depth in case Denver can't get everyone re-signed.
Tight End
Going along with fixing the offense, one of the biggest components of the Shannahan style is a dynamic Tight End. Its been a staple of the play action game, and Joe Flacco has always been able to get the ball to tight ends as a favored target. The roster currently has Jeff Heurmann, Troy Fumigali and Jake Butt along with a few more camp bodies. All three players have now missed significant amounts of time in their young carers, and probably should not be counted on. This class is deep with tight ends, but Denver likely needs to spend a bit of a premium to get someone that can be a reliable target for years to come.
EDGE Depth
The Broncos have lived and died on their ability to generate pressure with their EDGE guys. Von Miller is one of the best in the league, and the Broncos spent a top five pick on Bradley Chubb who looked very good. Losing both Shane Ray (who had been disappointing) and Shaq Barrett though as quality depth players hurts this group a lot. Jeff Holland made an appearance last year and was good during training camp, but Denver needs more. This might be a position to double dip at to try and get the best value.
Inside Linebacker
This need is probably quite a bit lower than most folks have it, but Denver has some solid players here. Josey Jewell played well as a rookie, and has better short area mobility than many folks give credit for. Todd Davis might have made the jump from a role player to a legitimate starter last year. And Elway spent quite a bit of cash signing Alexander Johnson. Again, the issue here is depth. And while Jewell and Davis played well, they still struggled in coverage situations and Fangio asks a lot more of that from his interior backers. Finding a rangier linebacker should be on the radar.
Swing Tackle
The Broncos solidified their right tackle spot by signing JaWuan James, but they lost out on Billy Turner who went to Green Bay for a better chance to start. Denver likely needs to add some developmental depth here to insure for any injury.
QB
With the signing of Joe Flacco, this position is locked down for the year at least. That doesn't mean Denver wont go after a guy they really like, but it also gives space to not have to spend a top ten pick on someone who isnt going to be the answer. That doesn't mean though that Denver shouldnt try to add another player to the room though. Someone on day three to develop and potentially back up for a few years is good value.
Wide Receiver
Denver has currently four pretty good wide outs. But, Emmanuel Sanders is heading into the last ear of his deal and is recovering from an Achilles injury. Depth, and perhaps a true speed player should be added to help round out the group and improve the offense overall.
Secondary
This is an interesting positional group for Denver. They added some big name free agents, and Chris Harris is likely to be re-signed. Safety has two solid young players in Simmons and Will Parks, both of whom I think can be very good in a bot of a new system. But just about the whole group are free agents after 2020. This is a low need, but Denver could use a bit of a depth upgrade, and some insurance if Su'a Cravens is once again a let down. However, this probably jumps up a bit if Harris' contract dispute lingers.
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