It was announced on Wednesday, that the Denver Broncos’ loaded rookie class was being honored by the NFL as the best draft class in the league from 2021.
The winner of the fifth annual Best Draft award was determined by a vote cast by all 32 NFL teams, so the honor holds extra weight, as it’s awarded by one’s peers.
The Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs were listed as finalists but were ultimately beaten out by the Broncos.
Recently, NFL.com’s Nick Shook ranked the Broncos’ 2021 draft class as the second-best class from 2021, trailing only the Chiefs.
The award doesn’t come as much of a surprise as the absurd talent of the draft class is immediately obvious to anyone following even somewhat closely.
Patrick Surtain II quickly emerged as a superstar cornerback and a defensive building block for years to come. Javonte Williams looks like he could be one of the best running backs in football and was practically impossible to tackle last season. Supposedly raw, athletic projects Baron Browning and Quinn Meinerz performed at a high level as rookies, and even earned starting jobs by season’s end. Safety Caden Sterns also has a good chance to earn a starting job next season, meaning the Broncos potentially found five long-term starters in one draft class. Lastly, Jonathon Cooper might not be a future starter, but he’s an undeniably excellent depth piece and a tremendous find in the seventh round.
Even a seventh-round pick that’s no longer on the roster, Kary Vincent Jr., looks like an excellent pick, as Paton was able to flip that seventh-round player for a sixth-round pick at the trade deadline.
The only members of the class that didn’t contribute as rookies were seventh-rounder Marquiss Spencer, sixth-rounder Seth Williams and fifth-rounder Jamar Johnson. Although they didn’t contribute as rookies, all have a good chance of seeing increased roles in 2022, as the Broncos are set to lose talent at safety, wide receiver, and along the defensive line.
