The Denver Broncos have a big season ahead of them. It's a transitional year for Denver, after it fired Vance Joseph and replaced him with Vic Fangio as head coach. The Broncos also shipped out last year's starting quarterback, Case Keenum, and brought in Joe Flacco. After three straight years of missing the playoffs, the Broncos need to get back to their winning ways if they want to still be known as one of the league's top franchises. The 2019 NFL Draft will be huge for them, and they'll be on the clock with the No. 10 overall pick. They've been heavily linked to Missouri quarterback Drew Lock all offseason with that pick, but for the following reasons, they shouldn't draft him:
1. Flacco needs to be given a chance
The Broncos traded away a draft pick for Flacco, and clearly believe he can still play at a high level. But if they actually want him to return to form and play well, they can't immediately hamstring him by drafting a quarterback in the first round. Flacco just went through a similar ordeal in Baltimore, when the Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson in the first round. Taking a quarterback in the first round essentially declares your current quarterback a lame duck, and it's hard to play well in that environment. Quarterback is a unique position that is often more mental than physical, and having a first round quarterback breathing down his neck will only ensure Flacco loses confidence and plays poorly.
2. The Broncos don't have time to develop Lock
Time is of the essence for the Broncos. It wasn't that long ago that the Broncos were contending for and winning Super Bowls, and they've always been thought of as one of the league's top organizations. That reputation has taken a hit the past few years, as they haven't been able to win games and they've been surrounded by drama. The Broncos need to win now, and don't have the luxury of time to spend developing Luck. Their needs are more pressing, and they can't afford to sit around and wait for a rookie to develop. Flacco will give the Broncos their best chance to win in 2019, so that's who they need to roll with. It's highly unlikely that Lock will be ready to start in Week 1.
3. The Broncos don't need to put themselves back in the same cycle
The Broncos just got out of a similar situation where they reached for a first round quarterback and regretted it. Denver took Paxton Lynch in the first round of the 2016 draft, and it ended up holding the team down for two years because they couldn't make any other big moves at quarterback. Lynch's presence on the roster was a constant distraction, and ended up being a big stain on John Elway's resume as general manager. Elway can't afford to miss on another top quarterback, so he should play it safe here. Instead of taking Lock, which would more or less force the Broncos to play him, they should stick with the quarterback they just traded away a valuable asset for.
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