Denver Broncos: Let’s draft Josh Rosen
By Bruce Matson
Let’s take a look at Josh Rosen, quarterback from UCLA, and how he could potentially make a difference for the Denver Broncos’ offense.
Josh Rosen, quarterback for the UCLA Bruins, tweeted on his personal Twitter account that he will forgo his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. He is considered one of the top quarterbacks prospects in this year’s draft and could possibly be there when it comes time for the Denver Broncos to make their first round selection.
This is exciting news, because it officially adds value at the quarterback position for the NFL Draft. Rosen, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen are the top quarterbacks who have officially declared for the draft. As of right now, we are still waiting for Baker Mayfield to make his declaration for the draft.
Here is how the NFL draft order shakes up:
The teams ahead of the Broncos who are in need of a quarterback are the Giants and the Browns. The Colts don’t need a starting quarterback because they have Andrew Luck and he’s going to be the team’s franchise quarterback for a very long time. The Browns own the first and fourth round picks and there’s no way they are going to draft a quarterback with both of their first-round selections.
One thing that could hurt Denver’s chances at landing their future franchise quarterback is if the Colts and/or the Browns trade away their picks to teams who are intending to draft a quarterback. Potentially, there could be four quarterbacks off the board before the Broncos make their first round selection .The odds are highly likely that a quarterback will fall to the Broncos at the fifth pick, and that quarterback could be Rosen.
At UCLA, Rosen passed for 9,301 yards and 59 touchdowns during his three-year collegiate career. He broke out as a freshman in 2015, passing for 3,669 yards and 23 touchdown while tossing 11 touchdowns. He was the first freshman to ever open a season as the Bruins starting quarterback. He also set a school record with 245 consecutive pass attempts without an interception. The Pac-12 and The Sporting News gave him the Offensive Freshman of the Year Award. He also earned 1st Team Freshman All-American by the USA Today and The Sporting News.
Injuries caused Rosen to play just six games in 2016. During his sophomore season he passed for 1,915 yards, ten touchdowns and five interceptions. His best game came against Arizona when he passed for 350 yards and three touchdowns.
Rosen became a household name this year, passing for 3,717 yards and ten touchdowns in 11 games. He surpassed the 300-yard mark in seven games this year and has seven games where he tossed for multiple touchdowns.
I have Rosen as the top quarterback in this draft class. He has the tools to become a franchise quarterback at the NFL level. Rosen has the height and arm strength to drive the ball downfield. He also has the instincts to maneuver the pocket while being under duress from a blitzing defense. Compared to the other quarterbacks in this draft, Rosen requires the least development to become an NFL starter.
Odds are highly likely that he won’t be available at the fifth pick for the Broncos. He will be one of the first two quarterbacks selected in this draft. I suspect his draft stock will pick up steam in the next few months and that might cause him to be the first player selected in the draft.
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Rosen has the talent to elevate the Broncos offense once he develops. The team needs help at the quarterback position in the worst way and Rosen might be the guy who can turn Denver’s offense around. There’s a good chance that he won’t be available when it’s Denver’s turn to pick. They might need to trade up a few spots if they want to draft him. If still available, Rosen would be the best player available if he falls to the Broncos.