On a day that has seen the Denver Broncos going heavy on offense and stockpiling draft picks for next year, they decided to continue moving around their draft selections and adding scoring threats. They landed another in the fifth round with diminutive but explosive wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie out of Georgia.
The Broncos sent their fifth-round pick (175 overall) and their seventh-round pick (238 overall) to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for their fifth round pick (172 overall). And with the 172nd pick, the Broncos added another playmaker to their offense in MacKenzie . He joins third-round pick Carlos Henderson as Denver’s second wide receiver taken in this draft.
McKenzie comes into the NFL smaller than a typical wide receiver at 5-foot-7 inches and weighing only 173 pounds. But what McKenzie lacks in size he makes up for with his electric play on the field.
McKenzie led the Georgia Bulldogs receivers with 633 yards and seven touchdowns on 44 catches in 2016. He ran a fast 4.42 yard 40-yard dash at the combine. McKenzie has a knack for making big plays and finding the end zone, scoring on one in every seven times he touched the football.
The Broncos have been targeting specific players in this draft, namely speedsters who can play special teams and add “juice” to the offense. McKenzie fits the bill as he can also return kicks and punts as well as provide effective production from the slot.
McKenzie will join a Broncos’ receiving corps lead by Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. McKenzie will likely compete for playing time with Jordan Taylor, Bennie Fowler and fellow draft pick Henderson.
Before he can compete against his new teammates, McKenzie will need to work on his route running before he can be used effectively as a No. 3 option for Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian. Until then, there’s no denying his big playmaking ability on special teams.