Over eight years for any professional organization, there are wins and losses, head-scratchers and knee-slappers, resounding highs and stinging lows.
The Broncos are no different, though without a postseason berth since Peyton Manning’s retirement, there are more valleys than peaks since Super Bowl 50.
A big part of that, of course, is the quarterback position. Denver hasn’t solved the puzzle no matter which type of piece they’ve tried to make work.
Among other things, that leaves a long list of what-ifs. Those questions aren’t always raised for the purpose of hindsight, either. That’s not the goal of this exercise. It’s to show just how important the next few days might be for head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton as they decide whether or not to draft a quarterback.
So here are five times among many in the past eight years where it could have been different for Denver. Not necessarily for better or worse — though in some cases fairly obviously one or the other.
Brock Osweiler in 2015: Had Denver signed Osweiler to a modest extension either ahead of the season or perhaps as he took over for seven starts down the stretch, perhaps he’d have taken the reins from Manning after the latter’s retirement and provided some stability. Instead, the 2012 second-round pick signed a $72 million deal with Houston in the spring of 2016 when free agency began and the Broncos drafted Paxton Lynch out of Memphis at No. 26 overall — their most recent first-round quarterback selection. Lynch only started four games over two seasons, losing the job to Trevor Siemien.
Dak Prescott in 2016: Prescott drew intrigue from around the NFL leading up to the 2016 draft but wasn’t selected until the fourth round at No. 135 overall by Dallas. He immediately won the starting job and all he’s done since is throw for nearly 30,000 yards and 202 touchdowns against 74 interceptions over 114 starts. The reason he makes this list: He mused earlier in his career about missing a flight to Denver for a pre-draft meeting and whether that nipped the Broncos’ interest in selecting him.
Josh Allen in 2018: Perhaps the most straightforward example of a what-could-have-been on the board. The story’s well-worn at this point. Allen played right up I-25 at Wyoming. Not only that, but the Broncos coached the 2018 Senior Bowl and had a week-long look at Allen up close and personal. Then they opted to take Bradley Chubb at No. 5. Allen went No. 7 to Buffalo and struggled as a rookie before blossoming into one of the NFL’s best. They’ve yet to break through and win a Super Bowl with Allen, but they’ve been in the playoffs each of the past five years.
Justin Fields in 2021: The last time a draft had this many options at quarterback was 2021. Perhaps that should serve as a lesson, considering only Trevor Lawrence has panned out from the quintet taken in the top 15. The what-if here isn’t so much about whether the Broncos made the correct pick — Pat Surtain II is already a multiple-time All-Pro. Rather, the more interesting thought experiment is what Denver would have done after picking Fields. Most likely, the team would not have traded for Russell Wilson the next spring, meaning it would have had Fields and a full complement of draft compensation moving forward into 2022 and ’23.
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Aaron Rodgers in 2022: When Denver hired Nathaniel Hackett in early 2022, this was the obvious connection. Rodgers was weighing a departure from Green Bay and many figured if he decided to leave, reuniting with Hackett would be a natural move. Instead, Rodgers decided to return to Green Bay for one more season, the Packers gave him a lucrative extension and the Broncos promptly swung the mega-trade for Wilson. Denver went 5-12, Hackett was fired after 15 games, Sean Payton took over and benched Wilson after 15 games and now we arrive at Thursday night with the No. 12 overall pick on deck for the Broncos.
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