Adding Joe Flacco in the offseason gave Denver Broncos general manager John Elway the ability to be patient in this draft when it came to getting a quarterback. They know Flacco may not have a lot of time left, but he is good enough to get the job done — especially if he has the right parts in front of him.
That led to Elway being willing to move down, rather than spend the No. 10 overall pick on Drew Lock — the quarterback he was openly fawning for. Instead, Denver added tight end Noah Fant with their new pick on Thursday night, which gives Flacco a great option in the passing game.
He will also have more time to throw, thanks to the addition of Kansas State tackle Dalton Risner. He was a borderline first-round talent, who Denver took at No. 41 overall. However, their big steal came with the No. 42 overall pick, as Elway completed his back-to-back selections in that round by finally landing Lock.
At one point, the Missouri prospect appeared to be the top choice overall in the 2019 class. He was phenomenal in 2017, but struggled at times in 2018. That allowed players such as Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins to leapfrog him — and apparently even Daniel Jones somehow.
Even with those players ascensions, Lock is a solid pick for the Broncos. No one would have batted an eye if they stood firm at No. 10 and took him. They also wouldn’t have flinched if Lock was the pick at 20. Landing him at 42 though, that’s a crime.