The first half of the Denver Broncos season has come and gone, with the team enjoying their bye week this week. Our MHS staff reflected on several keynote topics as we all looked back on the first 13 weeks of the season.
Denver Broncos Roundtable: Rookie Report Card after 13 weeks
After 13 weeks of play, how does the Denver Broncos 2024 rookie draft class look like from a grading standpoint? Who has exceeded, met, or hasn’t met expectations?
Cody Roark’s take:
Let’s talk about Bo Nix. He’s met and exceeded every expectation so far, and the Broncos are in a position right now where they’ve found their franchise quarterback. This season was always about trying to see if Bo could be the guy, and he’s shown that. I’d give Nix an A grade.
Jonah Elliss has been a fun surprise to watch emerge in the pass rush rotation. He’s now registered a sack in three straight games and plays the run really well. I’d give Elliss a B+.
Troy Franklin’s grade is likely to be unpopular in the eyes of Broncos Country, but I’m giving him a B, and here’s why. Sure, he’s had a few drops this year, and that’s something he’ll have to keep working on, but how defenses are playing the Broncos offense when he’s on the field is very telling. Defenses are terrified of his and Marvin Mims’ speed that they’ll emphasize protecting deep, which is opening up shots in the middle of the field. When teams adjust and try to get aggressive, the deep shots start to formulate. I also believe that Franklin’s work in the short to intermediate area hasn’t been explored nearly enough, but he’s coming along at a good pace.
Rookies Kris Abrams-Draine and Audric Estime’s grades are inconclusive due to the sample size not being large enough just yet, though we like what we’ve seen from Estime in spurts. Abrams-Draine just saw his first action of the season last Monday Night.
Devaughn Vele joins Nix as the second player to get an A grade. He’s emerged as the WR2 inside of Sean Payton’s offense and has become the consistent rep receiver in terms of snaps behind Courtland Sutton. His blocking on the perimeter has been fun to watch, and he’s a weapon in the short and intermediate parts of the field with his size and might emerge as more of a downfield option in the next couple of weeks.
Doug Ottewill’s take:
There’s no such thing as a perfect draft in the NFL, as no GM nails every single pick. The Broncos absolutely nailed the one pick they had to – Nix. Had they missed on that one, very little else would have mattered. But they had some nice selections in Devaughn Vele and Jonah Ellis, both serious contributors. It’s never too accurate to judge a class until at least one – maybe two seasons – but this one has been solid. Let’s go with an A-, primarily because they hit big on Nix.
Rich Kurtzman’s take:
My way-too-early grade is an A. Mostly because it looks like Bo Nix is the QB of the future. Elliss should be very good and has shown flashes, Franklin still needs work, but Vele has been a hugely pleasant surprise. Here’s hoping 2-3 of the class outside of Nix become starters.
Shawn Drotar’s take:
So far, so good. Bo Nix has proven the doubters wrong, cementing his role as the team’s quarterback of the future already, and validating the belief that head coach Sean Payton had when selecting him 12th overall. Third-rounder Jonah Elliss has five sacks as a rotational pass-rusher, and wide receiver Troy Franklin is rounding into form and quickly regaining his rapport with Nix, who he played with at Oregon. Fifth-round defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine was expected to contribute almost immediately, which didn’t happen, but he appeared in the Browns game and didn’t appear overmatched. Fellow fifth-rounder Audric Estimé has plenty of room to improve, but his power is real, and he may still become the Broncos’ featured running back before the season comes to an end. The Broncos’ best value in the draft, however, has been wide receiver Devaughn Vele; the five-year player at Utah instantly showed the maturity you’d expect (he’ll turn 27 this month), adapting quickly to the NFL game and making veterans Tim Patrick and Josh Reynolds expendable by taking over the No. 2 wide receiver role opposite Courtland Sutton. Payton and general manager George Paton have once again assembled a high-floor draft class… now, each player’s ceiling is up to them.
