If not a quarterback, who will the Broncos draft in the first round? Here's what we know

INDIANAPOLIS — Sorry Broncos Country, the Broncos aren’t drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Without saying it, on Wednesday, John Elway made it very clear the team will not be using their No. 10 overall pick on a quarterback despite the begging outpouring of a significant amount of the fan base.

Oh, he also directly said it later in the day, too.

So, after letting the reality sink in and accepting the harsh, depressing and angering news — for the Joe Flacco unbelievers, that is — the natural question that arises is if it’s not a quarterback at No. 10, then what will it be?

At the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Elway and Vic Fangio dropped many hints at what direction they may go.

BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE

First things first, Elway and Fangio stated best player available (BPA) will drive their draft strategy.

Instead of saying how the team will attempt to fill all of their needs in free agency in order to draft the best player available in the first round, as Elway’s said in the past, Fangio took the complete opposite approach to reach the same outcome.

“Overall, I think the draft will play itself out with the best player available… I think we’ve got enough needs on both sides of the ball that I don’t think we need to be drafting for need or considering that right now,” he said, being brutally honest about his new roster.

“We could use help at all three levels [of the defense], which is good and bad. It’s good from the standpoint that it leaves you open for the draft. You’re not tied to one position. It’s not as good because you’ve got needs at all three levels. I think we can shore those needs rather quickly and hopefully get it going back in the right direction.”

The only position that doesn’t fall under this category, according to the Broncos’ brass, is the running backs, with Elway adding he feels “really good” about his top two guys.

“I think we’re very pleased with our running back position,” Fangio said with a rare optimistic take on a position group. “We’ve got three or four guys that we’re very happy to have. We feel fortunate in the depth that we have, and the youth. I look at that as one of our strong suits with the team. We’re happy to have Royce [Freeman] and Phillip [Lindsay]. I think we’re in good shape there.”

INSIDE LINEBACKER

Never in a million years would this have been an option for a John Elway-led team in the past.

N-e-v-e-r.

But Vic didn’t mince his words on Wednesday when talking about what personnel he wants on the defensive side of the ball.

“We need to add to [the inside linebacker] group,” Fangio flat-out said. “But I like some of the players we do have available there in Todd Davis, Josey Jewell and other players that have played in backup roles. But I’d like to see us add a player or two there to be competitive.”

Why the first round though?

Fangio later went on to say how the position has evolved so much that the talent required to play the position at a high level has also gone up.

“You need to find guys that can run and play athletically in the open field, cover some backs and tight ends and cover ground,” Fangio said. “The ILB position has become a much more demanding position.”

Oh, and look no further than last year.

The Bears, with Fangio as their defensive coordinator, used the No. 8 overall pick to select Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith.

That worked out fairly well as Smith was named to PFWA’s All-Rookie Team and the Bears had the best defense in the land.

If it were solely up to Fangio, it would seem that LSU’s ultra-talented inside linebacker Devin White would be atop his list. But, of course, there’s Elway, who dampened the perception of Denver needing another inside backer.

“I think Todd [Davis] and Josey [Jewell] did a hell of a job inside,” Elway stated. “You’re always looking for that linebacker that can play all three downs too. That’s where the game is going, is inside backers under 225 to 230 pounds that can really run and cover people. That’s the ideal situation, for them to play all three downs.

“I think Todd and Josey are very good football players and do a heck of a job for us. If we can help in that area, we will. We’ve only got so many picks and so much money.”

White is listed at 6-foot-1, 240 pounds and is praised for being an every-down backer who can do it all.

CORNERBACK

If linebacker is option 1A, it appears cornerback is right on its tail as option 1B, or vice-versa.

Denver already had a need at corner. And that was before the news broke that the team will let Bradley Roby test the free agent market.

“First off, you can never have enough of them,” Fangio said about cornerback. “The biggest difference in the NFL in the last several seasons, compared to before, is teams are playing three wide receivers or more a lot. This past year in Chicago, we were in the low 80-something percent of facing three wide receivers or more on the field.

“So, we’ve got to have three corners on the field. To me, that’s a big, big difference and you never have enough of them.”

If the modern NFL requires three starter-quality cornerbacks — as the “No Fly Zone” can very well attest to — then the Broncos are two short.

“We think there are some cornerbacks in the draft. We think it’s a rather deep class, and so, that’s an option,” Elway said, leaving nothing up to the imagination. “But there’s also an option in free agency, too. Obviously, we know with Chris [Harris Jr.] coming back that we’ve got a solid No. 1. We’ve just got to find some depth there and find a [No.] 2.”

In the past, Elway hasn’t been shy investing heavily into the position — signing Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib to substantial contracts as well as drafting Roby in the first round.

As it stands right now, there are three realistic corners Denver could draft in the first round: LSU’s Greedy Williams, Georgia’s Deandre Baker and Washington’s Byron Murphy.

At the Combine, Fangio said tackling is a non-negotiable for him when evaluating defensive players. That led many to question if Williams would be a realistic option in Denver as tackling is one of the major questions about him coming out of college.

“Everyone’s got to be able to tackle,” Fangio stated.

OFFENSIVE LINE

This is the dark horse of the group, even though it comes as no surprise to anyone.

Much like most teams around the league, the Broncos could desperately use help across their offensive line.

As it currently stands, the Broncos have two healthy starters returning on their line — Garett Bolles and Connor McGovern.

The other three are either recovering from season-ending injuries (Ron Leary), set to become free agents (Jared Veldheer) or both (Matt Paradis).

That doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence in the group as a whole, even with Hall of Famer Mike Munchak taking over the unit.

“I’d love to bring all our guys back, but there’s only so much we can do. That’s why until you get to the market and see where everything is. That’s where everything becomes realistic,” Elway said, not afraid to voice his uncertainty with the position.

“We can talk about it and evaluate and say what we’d like right now, but until we see what’s out there and what’s involved, it’s hard to be concrete with which direction.”

On top of that, the Broncos have had formal meetings at the Combine with multiple offensive linemen, including projected first-round picks Jonah Williams out of Alabama and Andre Dillard out of Washington State.

TRADE DOWN

Elway’s been no stranger to working the phone lines in the first round of the NFL draft.

In 2012, he traded out of the first round before grabbing Derek Wolfe in the second round.

Just last year, he admitted that if the Browns had drafted Bradley Chubb at No. 4, the Broncos were going to be moving back, as they already had a trade in place with Buffalo.

At the Combine, Elway made it clear he’s more than happy to explore trading back again.

“That’s always an option. It’s up and down. Once we get through the free agency, we start getting into the draft meetings and get every position evaluated. Then we see where we sit and what the options are for us going back,” Elway said straightforward. “We can say we want to go back, but somebody’s got to want to come up. You always have to have a partner, and that’s what makes it a little bit tougher.”

Theoretically, the Broncos could go in any direction from where they stand at pick No. 10, but as things stand, these appear to be the front runners.