The Denver Broncos need a quarterback, and they need one badly. They have hosted top quarterback prospect Paxton Lynch for a pre-draft visit and like what they see. Lynch impressed at his pro day, throwing into gusting winds with pin point accuracy and touch.
With Peyton Manning retiring (even after a terrible season) and Brock Osweiler heading to Houston, there is only one true option- the NFL draft. The Broncos will pick last thanks to their Super Bowl victory, but they do have enough pieces to move up and take a solid player at a position of need.
This is where Lynch comes into play. The Broncos would be absolutely lucky to grab Lynch in the first round, as several quarterback-hungry teams are selecting ahead of them. This means that the Broncos would have to trade up to at least the 15th pick to even have a shot at Lynch.
He is the final top tier quarterback in the first round and should fall considerably; this isn't even factoring if the top teams projected to take quarterbacks fail to do so. Denver lost starting defensive end Malik Jackson to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which was a monumental loss that not only changes the landscape of their defensive unit, but also creates a hole in the roster that they will need to fill by drafting a young and productive defensive lineman.
The Broncos also lost inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to the Chicago Bears, as John Fox continues to pilfer players from his former team, and offensive guard Evan Mathis, who went to the Arizona Cardinals. Trevathan is easily the bigger loss, as he was a dominant defender in the middle of the Broncos defensive line.
Mathis should add to an already fairly decent offensive line and could help the Cardinals win a Super Bowl. The Broncos would also lose left tackle Ryan Harris, tight end Vernon Davis and free safety Omar Bolden during free agency. Seeing Jackson, Trevathan, Mathis and your future franchise quarterback in Osweiler all leave in free agency has to sting, especially when you're going to have to eventually replace them all.
Drafting Lynch would be a solid upgrade over Mark Sanchez and the rest of the quarterbacks on their roster. The Broncos would put themselves in a great position by selecting a quarterback to help lead this franchise into the future, and Lynch currently makes the most sense.
