The Denver Broncos' hopes for a breakout season in 2020 rapidly went downhill as many of their key players were sidelined all throughout their campaign. With a depleted roster, the team was forced to settle for a dismal 5-11 record which led them to miss out on the playoffs for the fifth straight year.

After a tough season, the front office continued to display their trust and patience with QB1 Drew Lock as they decided not to snag a rookie quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. Instead, they chose to fill their other position groups with more talent in hopes of turning things around and becoming a stronger team in the upcoming season.

Here are the two best moves by the Broncos in the recently-concluded proceedings:

1. Choosing to improve their defensive rotation

All but three players taken by the Broncos in the 2021 NFL Draft were defensive players, thus clearly implying the team's urgent need to beef up its rotation on that end of the field. Denver started by taking Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II who was drafted with the ninth overall pick. Without a doubt, the second-generational player will become an instant contributor on their secondary defense alongside newly-signed cornerbacks in Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller.

After Surtain, the second defensive player taken by the Broncos is Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning who was selected with the 105th pick in the third round. He previously played as a strong- and weakside linebacker for the Buckeyes throughout his amateur career. With an impressive performance in Ohio State's Pro Day, scouts saw his pass-coverage skills along with his potential to be an effective pass-rusher in the pros.

Texas safety Caden Sterns was picked with the 152nd pick in the fifth round followed by Indiana safety Jamar Johnson with the 164th pick. The Broncos still weren't satisfied as they went for LSU cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. with the 237th pick in the seventh round followed by Ohio State defensive end Jonathan Cooper with the 239th pick and Mississippi State pass-rusher Marquiss Spencer with the 253rd pick to end the draft.

With all their new recruits, the Broncos are certainly looking to improve after they concluded the 2020 season as the 25th ranked defensive team in the league, per Lineups. Hopefully, the plethora of defensive players that they recently took in the draft will all be able to make an impact and help contain a Patrick Mahomes-led AFC West division moving forward.

2. Drafting North Carolina running back Javonte Williams

The Broncos' running back corps is still clearly being led by veteran rusher Melvin Gordon III who had a respectable campaign in his first season in Denver. He finished the 2020 season with a total of 986 rushing yards on 215 attempts and nine touchdowns in 15 appearances.

In a bid to form a more dynamic ground game, the front office knew that the two-time Pro Bowler can't do it all by himself, especially after the Broncos rescinded the tender on former RB Phillip Lindsay who eventually relocated to the Houston Texans.

Now left with a glaring hole in the backfield, the team decided to trade up to five spots just to snag North Carolina running back Javonte Williams with the 35th pick in the second round. The 21-year-old recently concluded his junior season in college with a total of 1,140 rushing yards on 157 attempts to go with 19 touchdowns in 11 games played.

Certainly, his impressive numbers already speak for his ability to get physical on the ground and dominate the running game. Though he will still need to sharpen his receiving skills as of the moment, there is no doubt that Javonte Williams can carve a vital role as the team's second rusher and form a potent duo with Melvin Gordon for 2021.