If the Broncos can’t find answers under center in 2017, the 2018 Draft will have plenty

Rushing to conclusions isn’t a smart endeavor in sports. The field speaks louder than any projection, and that’s what needs to occur for the Denver Broncos at the quarterback position. At least for the entirety of the 2017 season.

With two young quarterbacks on the roster, who knows what the NFL’s upcoming season could bring. Good or bad. That means the Broncos might very well have found their next man behind center, but it could also mean that they’ve realized no one is the answer at QB and the 2018 offseason could be another one dedicated to the pursuit of a new heir to Peyton Manning and John Elway.

Those answers could come from unexpected places, like Kirk Cousins’ uncertain contractual situation, or Alex Smith’s potential availability if the Chiefs are ready to move on to their new top 10 pick. Free agency could also offer some intriguing options with Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater, and Jimmy Garoppolo all potentially available next year.

More likely, if things were to go wrong in 2017, Denver will have to turn to the draft and 2018 might just be the right year to pluck an arm.

While this would be a terrible indictment on Paxton Lynch, it’s worth noting that the Broncos didn’t have to give up any future first rounders to get Lynch. Something teams like the Houston Texans, or Stan Kroenke’s Los Angeles Rams, or the Kansas City Chiefs can’t say about their own young developmental quarterbacks.

It’s also worth noting that regardless of where he picked them, president of football operations/general manager John Elway has picked a quarterback in five of his seven draft classes. A scouting philosophy that was made popular by former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf. That strategy has worked out fairly well for Elway so far with valuable contributions from Brock Osweiler and Trevor Siemian proving crucial the last few seasons on extremely reasonable rookie contracts.

With that, let’s get into the class of upcoming gunslingers as the college season quickly approaches.

The chosen ones

Scouts and draftniks have been talking about UCLA’s Josh Rosen for some time now, and he’s only entering his junior season. Touted as the next sure thing at quarterback and the best prospect since Andrew Luck, Rosen went from a star studded assent in his freshman year to a sophomores season riddled with injuries and inconsistent play.

He’ll have to get back to his freshman form in 2017 and stay on the field, but the upside as a ready-made franchise quarterback is enticing. So much so that he might not be available for the Broncos no matter how bad things get on offense. But a QB like this is truly appealing, particularly for his ready-made pro skill set. If Elway was ever to go all-in on a signal-caller, Rosen might just be the guy.

A harder sell for Broncos fans might be Josh Allen of Wyoming, whose scouting report is going to read quite similarly to Lynch’s back in 2016. Allen comes from a more translatable offense as he’s coached by the same man who was the architect of the North Dakota State dynasty, Craig Bohl – the same offense Carson Wentz played in. Allen also has another year to show refinement and consistency. Not to mention his arm and his ability to make “impossible” throws is truly rare, even by NFL standards.

USC’s Sam Darnold might be the highest drafted of the entire group with a nice combination of size and poise, with some nice accuracy in the short to intermediate game and lots of room to grow as well. Any of the three would be quite enticing in Denver.

Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph, who comes from a spread out attack but operates from within the pocket, has a big frame with an even bigger arm. If you want a gunslinger, he’s your man – Colorado fans will remember him dismantling the Buffs talented secondary in the Alamo Bowl.

Gambles worth taking

There’s always a possibility that the Broncos might still hold out hope to see growth from one of their two QBs but are ready to add another contributor to the race. Luke Faulk could be that guy as he’s shown high IQ and a good if not great arm. He’s also a bit of a gun slinger – with all the good and bad associations of the term – with a slim frame, so it’s possible he’ll be around in the late first round or even day two.

Another intriguing option at quarterback would be Lamar Jackson who’d need lots of grooming but has a Mike Vick-type quick release and ability as a runner. He’d be fun to watch in Orange & Blue but how he’ll work under center and as a passer within the pocket are going to be major question marks.

A slew of other interesting quarterbacks are out there and could emerge onto the scene. While you watch college football this season, keep an eye out for Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham, Houston’s Kyle Allen, and Florida State’s Deondre Francois. That’s only the tip of the iceberg in a college football season that should see some special performances out of a a truly promising QB class – we haven’t even mentioned a Heisman finalist in Baker Mayfield, or the SEC’s two best returning signal callers in Nick Fitzgerald or Austin Allen.

Don’t despair if you’re unconvinced of Paxton or Trevor, or both. Elway won’t sit on his hands and settle for anything but the best, and the 2018 class promises to be special.