The Denver Broncos had a decision to make when they were put on the clock early in the first round of the NFL Draft: select the best player available, or take one of the two best remaining quarterbacks in Josh Rosen or Josh Allen.
While Allen has the physcial tools team general manager John Elway covets in a starting quarterback, Rosen was seen as the most polished passer in the entire draft class. Ultimately, Elway passed on both quarterbacks to select Chubb, while Allen went to the Buffalo Bills only two picks later. Rosen was selected by the Arizona Cardinals at No. 10.
Case Keenum will be the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback for the 2018 NFL season. After much speculation over the offseason on whether the Broncos would use the fifth overall pick in the draft to select a quarterback, the team ultimately decided to draft the best defensive player in the draft and roll with Keenum into the 2018 season. While hopes are high for Keenum to continue the success he saw last season as the starting quarterback of the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings, it’s important to remember that Keenum hadn’t seen much success at the NFL level before then.
As it stands now, only one round into the NFL Draft, the Broncos have Keenum, 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch and 2017 seventh-round pick Chad Kelly on the roster. It’s highly likely that the Broncos will draft a quarterback in the later rounds of the draft to add needed depth to the position, but it’s also likely that whoever they draft won’t immediately push Keenum for the starting position. After inking Keenum to a two-year, $36 million contract this offseason, the Broncos are unlikely to bench Keenum with that kind of salary for someone they don’t take in the first round.
In terms of adding depth to the position, possible targets could be Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph, who might be the sleeper of the draft at the quarterback position. Another middle-round quarterback prospect to keep an eye on is Western Kentucky’s Mike White, who possesses the arm strength and measurables (6′ 5″, 224 lbs.) that fits the description of what Elway looks for in his starting quarterbacks.
No matter who the Broncos add in the draft at the quarterback position, passing on two of the best quarterbacks to select the best player available sends a clear signal that the Denver Broncos are now Keenum’s team to lead.
