The Broncos are operating in 3D with George Paton. Here's what that means

During the 13 Vikings drafts that took place while George Paton was on their staff, Minnesota drafted 15 players who eventually made Pro Bowls.

Last year, thanks to an array of trades and three compensatory draft picks, Minnesota racked up 15 draft selections. Two were on the Pro Football Writers of America’s all-rookie team: wide receiver Justin Jefferson and cornerback Cameron Dantzler. Two more were also full-time starters: tackle Ezra Cleveland and first-round cornerback Jeff Gladney.

In the last two years, the Vikings made 27 draft choices — averaging nearly two picks per round in that span.

And that’s the way Paton likes it.

Draft and develop.

Those are the first two D’s. We’ll get to the third later.

Five separate times during his Zoom press conference with Denver-area media Tuesday, Paton referred to drafting and developing as the core component of his philosophy.

“Drafting and developing players will be our foundation,” Paton said. “It’s going to be the lifeblood of this football team.”

He made it a point to note that under his watch, the Broncos would look to all avenues to improve the team, something that bore itself out during his 13-and-a-half years with the Vikings. They emphasized the draft, but when needs arose — especially at quarterback — they weren’t afraid to plunge for free-agency splurges on Brett Favre in 2009 and Kirk Cousins in 2018.

They also didn’t shudder at sending first- and fourth-round picks to Philadelphia in 2016 for Sam Bradford in the wake of Teddy Bridgewater’s catastrophic leg injury suffered during a preseason practice.

That said, acquiring veterans wasn’t their first option. Favre came aboard after 2006 second-round pick Tarvaris Jackson fizzled. The additions of Bradford and Cousins were direct results of Bridgewater’s career-altering injury; he didn’t become a full-time starter again until this past season in Carolina — more than four full years after he was hurt.

“When I was in Minnesota, I think we went to the playoffs with six different quarterbacks,” Paton said. “That’s not ideal, but you can still win if you don’t have the franchise guy. You can still win, but obviously we’re looking.”

Quarterback demonstrates that trades and free-agent pickups are nice contingency plans when you possess the flexibility and the wherewithal.

The latter of those two is dictated by the team’s place in the NFL hierarchy in that moment; when the Vikings were in a position to “go for it” and make a bold quarterback move, they did. Favre, Bradford and Cousins all fared well, but couldn’t get the Vikings over the hump — even though each of the three arrived in years that followed NFC North titles.

But these were contingency plans. In general, that’s what free agency will be.

Paton wants to draft talent, develop it — and then keep it. This philosophy could prove significant for a player like safety Justin Simmons, whom the Broncos drafted in 2016 and developed into a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro.

Keeping him would align with Paton’s philosophy, although the new general manager did not speak directly in his press conference about the Broncos’ two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.

“We all believe that to draft and develop talent that you bring high-character players into your organization, you develop them and hopefully get them second contracts, and that’s how you build your best culture,” Paton said. “Now when you go outside, will you be aggressive and dip into free agency or the trade market? Yeah, every now and then, but it takes that right type of player to do that.

“I think we all believe in drafting and developing and making them into your own. That’s the best way to build a football team.”

But in 2021, drafting and developing is not all.

To those two tasks, the Broncos have a third D: Digging.

There will be no NFL Combine this year — at least in a form that resembles any other Combine. The East-West Shrine Bowl and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl are out; only the Senior Bowl remains standing among postseason all-star games and practices. In-person interviews will be replaced by Zoom conferences.

“It’s going to be very challenging. It’s going to be a big challenge,” Paton said. “I’m going to put that on the college staff and we’re going to have to dig and we’re going to have to dig deeper than they’ve ever dug. So, it’s going to be challenging, but then again, it’s going to be challenging for 31 other teams. How are we going to get an edge on the other teams?”

The contribution of the coaches can help. Vic Fangio took notice.

“We’re just going to have to do a good job of digging, like George said,” Fangio said. “The coaches are going to have to chip in to dig, the scouts are going to have to dig. We’re going to have to use anything and anybody to help us get the necessary information we need on these players in the draft.”

Paton said that he is uncertain whether he would attend next week’s Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama. While the actual practices will be relatively normal, teams will be limited in the number of staff members allowed in restricted areas of the headquarters hotel in downtown Mobile.

“I’m still up in the air,” Paton said. “I’m just trying to see how I get through this week. I’m going to meet with the college-scouting department and the pro-scouting department and then make a decision from there.”

Fangio talked about improvising and adjusting often last year. Now the Broncos will do so again. For this draft season, the third D is as important as the other two.