Miles
Well-known member
- Mar 18, 2019
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Drew Lock now has the best weapons of any of the top four rookie quarterbacks from 2019
Phil: NEIGH
1) Kyler Murray: DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, Kenyan Drake, Christian Kirk
2) Drew Lock: Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, Melvin Gordon (reportedly), Phillip Lindsay
3) Daniel Jones: Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, Golden Tate
4) Dwayne Haskins: Terry McLaurin, Adrian Peterson, Logan Thomas, Derrius Guice
That's how I would rank the weapons for the top four rookie quarterbacks from 2019. The biggest move this offseason, other than Tom Brady heading to Tampa Bay, was DeAndre Hopkins getting traded to Arizona. Murray now has two Hall of Fame-caliber wide receivers. The Cardinals also placed the transition tag on Kenyan Drake, as they turn to him at running back after sending David Johnson to the Texans as part of the deal for Hopkins.
I have Drew Lock's weapons second on the list. Courtland Sutton is an emerging star in the NFL after making his first Pro Bowl in 2019 and Noah Fant looks to be as good as advertised. The first-round pick from a year ago caught 40 passes and three touchdowns as a rookie. The running game should be dynamic.
Aric: YEIGH
I think it's clearly between Lock and Murray. Jones has Saquon Barkley, who might be the best overall player, but the depth in Denver and Arizona is greater.
The Cardinals make a strong case, as they'll feature DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk at wide receiver and Kenyan Drake at running back. But while Hopkins and Fitzgerald are an unreal duo, Fitzgerald will be 37 when the 2020 season begins. His 804 receiving yards last year were his most in two years, and he hasn't made a Pro Bowl since 2017. He's a surefire Hall of Famer, but I wonder how much he has left in the tank.
Once you consider the Broncos' advantage at tight end, I think the scale tips in Denver's direction. I'll take the versatility that having Sutton, Fant, Lindsay and Gordon provides. Add in a first-round receiver, and this skews even further in the Broncos' direction.
The Broncos MUST get one of the top three receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft, even if it means trading up
Aric: NEIGH
I know that right now it seems like the Broncos have to add either Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb or Henry Ruggs III to the roster, but everything is going to be OK if that doesn't happen. This is a deep receiver class, and it's possible that talented players like Michael Pittman Jr., Brandon Aiyuk or Laviska Shenault could still be available when the Broncos pick in the second round.
If the Broncos want to move up from No. 46 to a higher pick in the second round, I'd be totally fine with that. That paid off for the Broncos in 2019 when they snagged Drew Lock. But the Broncos have other needs they can fill in the first round (inside linebacker and cornerback stand out to me), so I'd stand pat or trade back in the first round. With all the draft capital the Broncos have, I want to add as many talented pieces as possible in the Top 100. The one caveat: If Clemson's Isaiah Simmons starts to fall, Go. Get. Him.
Phil: NEIGH
I don't necessarily think the Broncos "MUST" get one of them, considering how deep the wideout class is this year, but it would be nice!
I expect at least one of them to still be there when the Broncos are picking at 15, and adding either Jeudy, Lamb or Ruggs would make the offense a lot more explosive, one of Denver's main goals this offseason. But I think the draft would still be a success if the Broncos addressed another position of need (maybe linebacker or defensive back) with the 15th-overall pick and used a later selection on a receiver like Justin Jefferson, Tee Higgins or Laviska Shenault.