1. 2012
Number Of Picks: 7
Players In The League As Of 2015: 6
Players Set To Be Starters For Broncos In 2016: 1
High Value Picks (Round Drafted In): Derek Wolfe (2), Malik Jackson (5), Danny Trevathan (6)
Quality Picks (Round Drafted In): Brock Osweiler (2), Ronnie Hillman (3), Omar Bolden (4)
Busts (Round Drafted In): Philip Blake (4)
While it was difficult to decide which draft class was better between 2011 and 2012, 2012 took the cake because of what they did without a first round pick. The Broncos started the 2012 draft with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round and ended up completing two trades to move them back to No. 36 and essentially picking up a fourth round pick in the process — which was then used to draft special teams player Omar Bolden.
In this draft, the Broncos picked up three great defensive players: Derek Wolfe in the second, Malik Jackson in the fifth and Danny Trevathan in the sixth. All three of these players were huge in the Broncos being the best defensive in the NFL last year and bringing the Lombardi Trophy to Denver.
Wolfe has been a great player for being a second round pick, but Jackson and Trevathan have turned out to be unbelievable picks in the later rounds of the draft. Both of these picks could very easily be the best picks in the Elway era, and to do it in back-to-back rounds is incredible.
Along with these three, the Broncos added three other contributors. Bolden was a very solid special teams player for the Broncos, and for being a fourth-round pick that is just fine.
Ronnie Hillman has been a regular contributor out of the backfield, primarily being the second back. Some people felt like he could have done more, but just never got over the hump of being a full-time starter. Nevertheless, he has had a solid contribution to the team.
The last contributor to this team is Brock Osweiler. Going into the 2015 season it would have been okay to call the selection of Osweiler a bad pick since he had no impact on the team since being drafted. 2015 changed that.
