As I was looking over the Denver Broncos injury report today, seeing what looked to be half the roster listed as questionable or worse, I thought to myself, “Thank the Football Gods that this team is deep.” There may be upwards of 14 or 15 starters on that list — including our starting quarterback — but the team just keeps on chugging.
And this isn’t exactly normal. Sure, teams lose guys to injuries all the time, and well-run organizations almost always have someone waiting in the wing, but it’s almost always accomplished by an organization building through draft; finding young guys on cheap contracts that will create a long-lasting talent pool has always been the way to go.
But that’s not what John Elway is known for. In fact, if you ask most Broncos fans how Elway has performed on draft day, you’ll probably get a lot of scoffs and angry rants. It’s in free agency where Elway is know for making the big-time power moves, but free agency is normally a quick fix; the solution for a win-now team. Yet, the Broncos’ window continues to extend, and that means that ol’ No. 7 must be doing something right.
So let’s go back and grade the last five Denver Broncos draft classes and see how the Broncos got to this position (A bolded name means they’re still on the team).
