Denver Broncos 2020 NFL Draft first round targets
By Ian Higgins
With one of the best young cores in football and a quality defensive-minded coach in Vic Fangio, the Denver Broncos look to be a competitor for the 2020s.
At the 15th overall slot in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos will look to compliment an already young and promising roster with the final touches to complete a playoff contender.
On offense, the Broncos currently sport budding stars Phillip Lindsay and Courtland Sutton, followed by unproven youngsters Drew Lock and Noah Fant. Defensively, still sporting veteran Von Miller, gives the locker room a great old-head edge with young stars Bradley Chubb and Justin Simmons.
Denver can be compared to the 2018 Buffalo Bills (who finished at a similar 6-10 record), with young pieces obviously in place with contributing veterans to round out the offensive and defensive units.
Drew Lock impressed in his short playing time as a rookie and revived the Denver offense after the failed Joe Flacco experiment.
Sutton has made his breakout as a top wideout, and the backfield includes both Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman.
The offensive line currently ranks 10th in run-blocking (4.45 adjusted line yards) and 25th in pass-blocking (8.1% adjusted sack rate) according to footballoutsiders.com due to a combination of youth and lack of talent.
Even with a season-ending injury in 2019, edge rusher Bradley Chubb showed consistent pressure and technique to create a terrifying tandem with Von Miller.
Vic Fangio has done an impressive job reviving the defensive mentality of the Super Bowl 50 champion defense but needs to fill out some areas of need to complete the defensive unit.
This piece will consist of five first-round prospects who could make the biggest day one impacts and long-term contributions to the team.