Clayton: If a QB falls to No. 9, the Broncos would be wise to trade down
Apr 12, 2021, 1:06 PM
Some interesting quarterback decisions are starting to emerge in the top 10 of the draft.
Everyone knows the Broncos are looking for a quarterback to challenge Drew Lock. They aren’t looking to replace him. They wanted to get more out of him with competition.
A veteran quarterback fits better for that than a rookie, which is why Teddy Bridgewater remains an interesting option.
But the way things are looking, the Broncos could have one or two of the top five quarterbacks in this draft falling to the ninth pick. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Mac Jones are expected to go in the first three. But after that, three offensive position players are expected to go from four to six.
That means Justin Fields from Ohio State and Trey Lance could drop to the seventh pick. That creates a decision for the Detroit Lions have to make.
They are clearly a team that will be in a two- or three-year rebuild. They have Jared Goff as their quarterback and very little left at the wide receiver position.
Still, Fields has to be a consideration. It’s also not out of the question for the Lions to move down in a trade with either the New England Patriots or Washington Football Team.
The Miami Dolphins traded down from the third pick and are most likely going to get La’Marr Chase, the highest-rated receiver in this draft. The Philadelphia Eagles traded down and will have a choice between the second- or third-best receiver or the second-best cornerback.
But what if the Lions pass on Fields. The Broncos will be sitting at the ninth pick with Fields or Lance there. They could take one of the two, but George Paton would be wise to see if they can work out a trade with New England or Washington.
The Broncos don’t have a pressing need in this draft. They could move back to 15 and 19, get good value in a trade and still get a good draft choice. Most scouts believe there are 24 or 25 players who have true first-round grades.
It’s getting interesting. And it’s only just beginning.
