So the NFL draft is over for another year. I always find it amusing when people try to "grade" a draft immediately after it takes place - sure, it's fun, but no one knows how things are actually going to turn out. Most people hate what Josh McDaniels and the Broncos did in the draft. Some of their moves were perplexing, but who really knows how things will turn out?
You need to wait at least five years before you have a real idea of how a team did. Some time ago I did an analysis of past Broncos drafts - and I'm just now getting around to sharing the results with the rest of the free world. In this post, I am ranking the 10 drafts of the 1980's.
1. 1983 - The Broncos gave up Chris Hinton, who they had selected #4 overall, to obtain John Elway, the #1 overall choice that year. Acquiring a future Hall of Famer who would go on to lead the team to five Super Bowls and two championships is plenty to make this the best Broncos draft of the 1980s. But the Broncos also selected Gary Kubiak in the 8th round, who was a reliable backup QB for 9 years and went on to become the Broncos offensive coordinator. In the 12th round, the Broncos picked Karl Mecklenburg, who is a member of the Broncos' Ring of Fame. Mark Cooper, Clint Sampson, and Walt Bowyer were other draft choices who played a few years in Denver.
2. 1984 - The Broncos also gave up their #1 pick in 1984 in the Elway trade. Anytime you get a future Hall of Famer, your draft grade is automatically an A. But the Broncos also selected numerous players this year who contributed for several years - Clarence Kay (7th rd) and Randy Robbins (4th rd) played 9 seasons in Denver and Andre Townsend (2nd rd) played 7 years with the Broncos. Gene Lang (11th rd) and Tony Lilly (4th rd) each played 4 years. Not a bad draft haul.
3. 1980 - The Broncos traded their 1st and 2nd round selections to the New York Jets for QB Matt Robinson, who threw for 2 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his one season in Denver. So the draft was a bust, right? Actually, the Broncos did quite well. They selected Rulon Jones (2nd rd) and Keith Bishop (6th rd), who each went on to become two-time Pro Bowlers with the Broncos. They also picked up Mike Harden (5th rd), who intercepted 33 passes in 9 years with the Broncos.
4. 1981 - The Broncos selected Dennis Smith with their first round selection. He played 14 years and is a member of the team's Ring of Fame. In the 5th round, they selected Ken Lanier, who played 13 seasons in Denver.
5. 1985 - The Broncos selected Steve Sewell in the first round. He was nothing special, but did play for 7 years. In the second round, the Broncos picked up Vance Johnson, who was Elway's favorite target before the days of Shannon Sharpe. Also in the second round, they picked Simon Fletcher, who became the team's all-time sack leader.
6. 1989 - After a bad 1988 season, the Broncos had the 13th overall pick. They actually traded down in the first round and wound up with Steve Atwater - who played on both Super Bowl teams and is in the Ring of Fame. They didn't get much else out of this draft, however. Doug Widell and Warren Powers, both second-round picks, played a few seasons.
7. 1987 - The Broncos picked up Ricky Nattiel in the first round. He had one good year and scored Denver's only touchdown in SB 22. Other than that, he didn't do much. The Broncos did get Tyrone Braxton in the 12th round. He played several years in Denver and started on both Super Bowl teams. They also picked Michael Brooks, a LB who made a Pro Bowl and had a few good seasons with the Broncos.
8. 1982 - The Broncos used their #1 pick on Gerald Willhite, who stuck around for several years but was never very remarkable. They picked up a better running back in the 5th round - Sammy Winder, who had a 1,000 yard season, made a Pro Bowl, and played 9 years in Denver.
9. 1986 - The Broncos traded their first, second, and third round picks to acquire Ricky Hunley and Mark Haynes. Each only played four seasons in Denver. Hunley started on the 1986 & 1987 Super Bowl teams but was hardly worth the package of picks the Broncos gave up to get him. Haynes was an All-Pro before coming to Denver, but he wasn't good enough to start on the 1986 or 1989 Super Bowl teams. The picks the Broncos gave up became Tim McGee, David Fulcher, and Pepper Johnson, each of whom enjoyed good careers with other teams. The Broncos did get Mark Jackson (5th rd), who did catch the touchdown pass to finish "The Drive", but not much else.
10. 1988 - Without question, this was the worst Broncos draft of the 1980s. They used their #1 pick on Ted Gregory, who was traded to New Orleans before the season even started. They traded three picks to move up and select Gerald Perry in the second round - he lasted three seasons before being traded to the Rams for Gaston Green, who had a 1,000 yard season as a Bronco. But that was pretty much all they got out of this draft. And it's not like this was a weak draft - future Pro Bowlers who were picked among the 18 selections between Gregory and Perry - Chris Spielman, Ken Norton Jr., Eric Allen, Jumbo Elliott, Thurman Thomas, Dermontti Dawson, and Pierce Holt. What a waste.
No comments:
Post a Comment