There’s only one mistake that George Paton can’t afford to make on draft night
Apr 12, 2021, 6:31 AM
When the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft rolls around, George Paton could go in a lot of different directions. Currently holding the ninth-overall pick, the Broncos general manager has all kinds of options at his disposal.
Of course, the only ones that anyone is talking about involve a quarterback. Denver’s been in search of one for five years, so solving the riddle at that position is priority No. 1.
When it comes to finding a QB of the future, there are a few scenarios that could play out for the Broncos. But only one of them would result in an unforgivable blunder by Paton.
If the GM decides to trade up, it’s going to go one of two ways. Neither one is a career-ender.
Denver could be aggressive, do what they need to do to move up, select Justin Fields or Trey Lance, and be set at the most-important position in sports for the next decade. That’s the best-case scenario, with Paton being a hero.
Or the Broncos could make the same move, only to see it not work out. They take one of those quarterbacks, but watch them fizzle at the pro level. That’d be disappointing, but it’s recoverable. Paton would have made an all-in move and it just didn’t work out. At least he gave it a shot.
It’s the other end of the spectrum that becomes problematic. That’s where the GM could find himself in hot water.
If the Broncos stand pat at No. 9, one of three things will happen. Two of them are fine.
It’s not inconceivable that the top-five quarterbacks are all gone by the time Denver is on the clock. In that scenario, they simply draft the best player available, filling the years-long need at middle linebacker with someone like Micah Parsons or adding a cornerback for the future in Patrick Surtain II or Caleb Farley.
That’s an easy decision, one that no one will criticize. Even down the road if things don’t work out, it’ll be hard to question the move.
If one of the QBs is still there, however, then those choices become problematic. If Paton passes on Fields or Lance to take a linebacker or cornerback, he better hope he’s right. Otherwise, he’ll never hear the end of it.
The general manager doesn’t have to look very far back in Broncos history to find an example of how that move could pan out badly. In 2018, Denver had the No. 5 overall pick in a draft loaded with QBs. When they were on the clock, however, they passed on Josh Allen, choosing instead to go with Bradley Chubb.
The pass rusher has been fine, recording 12.0 sacks as a rookie and earning a Pro Bowl invite last season. But Allen has developed into a star, leading the Bills to the AFC title game in 2020 and turning Buffalo into what looks like a perennial contender.
That’s a pick that Broncos fans can’t get over. It’s still talked about to this day. It’s arguably John Elway’s biggest miss in the draft, causing him and everyone else to think about what might’ve been.
A similar move would be tough for Paton. It’s a situation where he sat on his hands, didn’t move up from No. 9 and a franchise quarterback still fell in his lap. But he decided to pass on the gift, selecting a defensive player instead. Even if Parsons, Surtain II or Farley developed into a future Ring of Fame inductee, it’d still be a colossal error if Fields or Lance becomes a franchise QB.
But that’s still not the worst-case scenario. Paton could do something that would be even more painful in Broncos Country.
If one or both of those quarterbacks is on the board at No. 9, but Denver trades the pick, that’d be a tough pill to swallow. It’d be nearly impossible to stomach if Fields or Lance then developed into one of the game’s best signal callers.
Passing on a player is one thing. The argument can be made that there were better players available at the time.
Trading the pick and seeing a player go in the spot is another matter entirely. That means he was the right selection at that moment. The team just misevaluated him and/or got cold feet.
That’s a mistake made due to being passive. There’s no bigger sin a front office can commit.
Misses are going to happen. That’s a given. They just can’t happen more often than not.
But letting someone else have what should’ve been yours? That’s just too much to take.
Fortune favors the bold. And it curses the meek.
That’s why George Paton has to take a QB at No. 9 if one falls to him. The risks associated with not making that pick are simply too great.
