Broncos should take best non-QB with No. 9 pick

Over the past few days, there have been some big “draft day” moves by the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers gave up two first-round picks and a third rounder to the Dolphins to move from No. 12 to No. 3. Then, Miami moved back up to No. 6 by trading a first-round pick to Philadelphia.

All this goes to say that the first three or four picks in the 2021 NFL Draft will likely be quarterbacks, and the Denver Broncos should use this opportunity to take the best non-QB with the ninth-overall pick.

Denver needs a quarterback. Drew Lock is still young but has not shown he’s capable of being a starter in this league so far through his career.

However, with the recent movement in the top 10, the Broncos will not be in a position to take one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft. And since head coach Vic Fangio and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur are returning this year, general manager George Paton might as well draft the best player on his board.

This does not mean the Broncos shouldn’t draft a quarterback. They most certainly should. Teams draft a quarterback every year, but Denver should use this coveted No. 9 pick to take a player who isn’t at the position. They can draft a quarterback any round after that, but the elite, first-round QBs won’t be available at No. 9.

Denver has a lot of work to do on this roster. From starters to depth, they need help. It would be great to land a Zach Wilson, Trey Lance or Justin Fields. It just looks like those guys will not be there, and reaching for a quarterback for the sake of the position is the way to set your franchise back for years.

Take the best player on your board, let Lock and the coaching staff fail together. Then do an actual restart in 2022.