ENGLEWOOD, CO – JULY 27: John Elway President of Football Operations/General Manager speaks during the Broncos annual media BBQ at the training facility July 27, 2018 in Englewood, Colorado. (Photo by Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
After two months of speculation connecting Denver to Missouri quarterback Drew Lock, source indicates that won’t happen.
According to an top league personnel man, the Denver Broncos will not be drafting a quarterback at the No. 10 overall spot. That counters months of speculation that Broncos President of Football Operations John Elway was planning to take Missouri quarterback Drew Lock in the first round.
“The Broncos are open to anything at that spot, but not quarterback,” the source said. “They don’t want to do that to (veteran quarterback Joe) Flacco after they just got him.”
While this time of the year is loaded with misinformation and lies about what teams will do, Elway himself hinted that the team was open to other ideas as it seeks consistency on offense. Among the many options the Broncos are supposedly considering is a tight end such as T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant, both from Iowa.
Hockenson is considered more of a traditional tight end because of his ability to be an in-line blocker. Fant is more of a pure pass catcher. As one scout said, “He’s a really big wide receiver.” Hockenson is expected to go ahead of Fant with some teams projecting him in the top 10.
As for the Broncos, they could have other options, such as defensive or offensive line. Elway has a history of taking pass rushers in the first round with the likes of Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Shane Ray. He also has been successful in taking cornerbacks, but that is considered a stretch in this draft.
The Broncos traded for Flacco earlier this offseason after going through four quarterbacks (Case Keenum, Paxton Lynch, Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler) in the three seasons since winning the Super Bowl in 2015.